Apple Abandons Green Standard on New Products

Apple Abandons Green Standard on New Products

     Apple Computer has been a leader in green computing technology receiving the Gold Standard every year since 1997 from EPEAT which stands from Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool. EPEAT is a leading standard in green consumer electronics. 

Apples decision on EPEAT

     I think this mainly came about with their new retina displays on the new Mac Book Pro. Previous to this product macs and all the other products have been fairly easy to repair with sub assemblies that if you had the right tools you could easily take them apart. With the new Mac Book however that is not the case. 

What Does This Mean For Apple?

     In the short term it means nothing. We will probably still buy their products because let's face it they are good products. However school districts have policies on how much of their electronics have to be sourced from green electronic sources. That has been one of Apple's capstone ideas from the old days put computers in the schools and you make customers of the students. Will Apple lose that or do they need that now that they are a huge company. The next thing they will lose is the Federal Government as 95% of their electronics have to come from green sources. 

What Do You Think?

     Will Apple abandoning it's green ideals make you consider another company when you are buying a computer or phone next time? Let me know in the comments.

Apple inside II, a photo by Sant'Anna Silveira on Flickr.

California State Parks Avoid Most Cuts

California State Parks Mostly Saved From Budget Cuts

     At one time more than 70 state parks were on the list to be closed due to budget cuts in the State of California. As everyone knows California is in a continual budget crisis and must do what is can to find money and state parks is just another thing to close to save that much needed cash. When the list of 70 parks was put out there were many favorites of many people around the state. California is an outdoor state. I grew up in California and I remember backpacking and camping in many of California's state parks and boating on the lakes and kayaking on the creeks in many of these parks. So when you talk of closing 70 parks trust me many people will speak up and ask what they can do to help.

Private Donors and Foundations Support State Parks

     So what has come out of all of this is support for many of California's state parks from many many individuals and Foundations and even some companies. Because let's face it if you always take your family camping in a certain park every summer what do you tell the kids hey we let the park close. No, there are many talented people in California that can use their skills to raise money and secure funds for individual parks or even groups of parks in certain geographical areas. Or for some businesses if you are the local business that state park down the road just might make your whole summer or your whole year with the increased traffic from boaters and RV's and families going camping. So, it would be in your best interest to make a donation to keep that park open.

Take Your Kids To a State Park

     Take your kids to a state park and maybe go camping or fishing or even a hike. After all it's easier to live a green life and appreciate what you are trying to help save when you can look around and see it for yourself. It's one thing to say I'm trying to protect the environment but it's another to go hiking on a trial and see that environment for yourself. Not to mention it instills those memories in your children that hey this is what we are doing this for not just because mom says so.

Where do California Parks Stand Now

     Currently there are only five California parks that have failed to find enough outside support and donors willing to support them. The five that could use your help are Benicia State Recreation Area, The California Mining and Mineral Museum, Gray Whale Cove State Beach, Zmudowski State Beach, and Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. So if you want to support California state parks either support one near you or support one of the five on the chopping block.
No Better Cause, a photo by ingridtaylar on Flickr.

Be Green Borrow From Your Neighbors

Get To Know Your Neighbors

     I know in this day and age it seems that no one I mean no one actually knows the people they live around or the lady that lives at the end of the block. I wonder why that it? I think maybe it has to do with how busy everyone is now and the fact that in a couple, both people have to work just to support the family. So consequently you don't get to know the people around your home and down your street. Remember when you were a kid your family knew everyone on the street and around the block and since that was the case as a kid you actually had a lot more freedom. So why should you get to know the neighbors? Well, if you think of the three R's of living a greener life Reduce, Reuse, Recycle knowing your neighbors will go a long way to help you in accomplishing that greener lifestyle you want. Not to mention saving you a ton of green dollars in your pocket and a lot of space in your garage. 

Live Green By Borrowing From The Neighbors

     So like above your family knew everyone on the block. But what they also knew was who on the block had a rototiller, or a bike rack, or a kayak that sat in their garage all year waiting for that one or two times a year when they actually took that item out and used it. So, if your dad needed to use a rototiller chances are he would walk down the street and knock on the door of the rototiller owner and ask to borrow it. The owner would agree saying that as long as your dad repaired any damage etc. Now why would this guy loan your dad something that could cost up to $400.00 at the time which was a lot of money? Well, this guy always borrowed your dads roof rack every year when his family went camping so what goes around comes around. So in this neighborhood not everyone has to own a rototiller or a bike rack or all those things that we all use a few times a year. Just someone in the neighborhood has to own it. That way our garages don't get filled up with stuff that we never use and the money that we save can stay in our bank accounts. 

Peer To Peer Borrowing

     Now in this modern time this would be called peer to peer borrowing and I'm sure if I was a Java Developer I could write some nifty code with the Google maps API and you could put in your neighborhood and it would show who had what and what they were willing to lend out etc. Or on the other hand you could just get to know your neighbors and when they ask to borrow your good pruning shears let them because you never know when you might want to borrow that extra bike that their daughter grew out of. Besides it's nice to know your neighbors.