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\f0\fs24 \cf0 \cb2 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 (Image source: {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/07/apple-epa/"}}{\fldrslt \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ul VentureBeat}})\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \b \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
BY EVAN THOMAS \b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ \pard\pardeftab720\sl320
\b \cf0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 ANCHOR NATHAN BYRNE
\b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 Apple has pulled its products
from EPEAT\'92s list of environmentally friendly electronics.\u8232 \u8232 EPEAT is an EPA-funded
effort which tracks energy efficiency and recyclability of electronics. {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://blogs.wsj.com/cio/2012/07/06/apple-removes-green-electronics-certification-from-products/"}}{\fldrslt \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ul CEO Robert Frisbee told CIO Journal}} Apple pulled 39 of its products\'a0off the
green list in late June. All of Apple\'92s desktops, laptops and displays lost EPEAT\'92s
green certification.\uc0\u8232 \u8232 9to5 Mac says the move is likely {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://9to5mac.com/2012/07/07/apples-new-designs-force-it-to-abandon-epeat-green-standard-potentially-cutting-off-big-customers/"}}{\fldrslt \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ul thanks to Apple\'92s latest computer}}.\ \uc0\u8232
\b \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 \'93The likely reason is the new Retina MacBook
Pro whose glass display is fused with the top of the case and batteries are glued to
the bottom makes it extremely difficult to repair or recycle.\'94
\b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 \uc0\u8232 \u8232 EPEAT requires gadgets be
recyclable \'97\'a0which means you have to be able to crack open the casing with basic
tools to remove dangerous or non-recyclable components. iFixit points out Apple\'92s computers
these days are more or less sealed boxes, and wonders \'97\'a0{\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://ifixit.org/2884/apple-ditches-green-standard-cuts-off-federal-agencies-from-apple-products/"}}{\fldrslt \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ul is Apple\'92s head in the right place}}?\
\b \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 \'93The EPEAT standard is common sense, allowing
for a wide degree of design freedom, even with the disassembly language. Apple\'92s
decision to opt out of the most basic of eco-standards demonstrates that, despite the costs, design
supersedes the environment.\'94 \b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\uc0\u8232 \u8232 But AppAdvice says \'97\'a0relax. Just because Apple has dropped EPEAT certification
doesn\'92t mean it\'92s {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK "http://appadvice.com/appnn/2012/07/no-repeat-for-epeat-certification-as-apple-design-evolves"}}{\fldrslt
\kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 \ul changing the stuff its products are made
from}}.\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \b \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\'93Instead, all it really means is that Apple\'92s portable Macs are taking a page out of the
non-EPEAT-qualified iDevice book, and taking them apart will now require
\i\b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 un
\i0\b \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 common tools like heat guns, precision wedges,
and a bit more elbow grease.\'94 \b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\uc0\u8232 \u8232 Still, VentureBeat recognizes this move could have {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://venturebeat.com/2012/07/07/apple-epa/"}}{\fldrslt \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ul implications for Apple\'92s bottom line}}. Many of Apple\'92s competitors still hold
EPEAT certification, and big-name clients are on board, too.\uc0\u8232 \u8232
\b \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10 \'93To give an idea of how important EPEAT
certification is, in 2009, President Obama signed an executive order mandating that the
EPEAT seal appear on at least 95 percent of the electronics in federal and contractor
purchases.\'94 \b0 \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\uc0\u8232 \u8232 And CIO Journal says many of the U.S. universities with the largest
endowments give preference to or outright require EPEAT-certified products.\u8232 \u8232
Apple pulls down as much as 15 percent of its revenue from {\field{\*\fldinst{HYPERLINK
"http://www.apple.com/education/"}}{\fldrslt \kerning1\expnd2\expndtw10
\ul educational deals}}. But losing EPEAT certification might not hurt as much as it
could \'97\'a0CIO Journal says an increasing chunk of that revenue comes from iDevice sales,
and those were never certified to begin with.\uc0\u8232 \u8232 \'a0\
}