While everybody in the media was gushing over the newly announced iPhone, Greenpeace thought it would be a good idea to remind the world that Apple products don't come in green (not even the green iPod Nano):

The Macworld conference is in full swing in San Francisco. Yesterday Steve Jobs made his keynote address to announce the new iPhone, but not even a slide about a greener apple. We are there at Macworld to spread the word for a green apple but also online with our own green keynote address.

 
On their GreenMyApple website, Greenpeace says the campaign "is not about bruising Apple's image, Apple should be an environmental leader. We want Apple to be at the forefront of green technology, and to clearly show other companies how to do it the right way." Apple ranks as one of the lowest scoring mobile and PC manufacturers for eliminating harmful chemicals from their product line and taking responsibility for their products once they are discarded.
 
Personally I solve my e-waste problem by leaving old computers in my parents' loft, but a lot of electronic waste ends up in China, India, Africa and other developing-world countries. There the junk is dismantled for parts, exposing workers to a dangerous toxic material that threatens their health and the environment. Governments are slowly working to help matters; we've already seen consequences of European legislation on e-waste disposal in the RISC OS marketplace - from the no-hardware policy at the Wakefield charity stall, to Castle's creative business management allowing it to sell Iyonix PCs that failed to meet the latest regulations.
 
As the amount of waste rises each year, so does the need for effective solutions to the problem. Greenpeace wants Apple to take the initiative in this but it would be fantastic to see RISC OS hardware manufacturers taking the credit for being first. The benefits of the ARM/RISC OS combination already include power efficiency and hardware longevity - I'd love ethics and the environment make the list too. It might even tempt new yoghurt knitting eco-users into the fold...