Apple has yet again put out a new version of their MacBook, however, this new line of computers is truly different from past models. The new MacBook continues the environmental commitment Apple CEO Steve Jobs declared in May 2007 after the company was attacked by environmental group Greenpeace for iPods that contained hazardous chemicals.
The main difference in the MacBooks is that the designers built the computer so the hardware and software are highly compatible, allowing for maximum energy efficiency. The computers also use light-emitting iodide or LED-backlit displays which use up nearly one-third less power than a standard display. Power is even saved while typing as the computer decides between two processors (whichever is more efficient) to reduce the energy used between keystrokes. The MacBook is now able to work on one-fourth of the power one light-bulb uses. All of these elements have earned the new generation of MacBooks an ENERGY STAR rating, a rating given by the Environmental Protective Agency (EPA) to products that are energy efficient.
The hardware-software compatibility also allows for less greenhouse gas emissions, which in turn leads to less carbon dioxide. The MacBook is easily recycled as well. Composed of recyclable glass and one solid piece of recyclable aluminum, it is ideal to recyclers since the materials can simply be used for several other products. The design of the new family of computers produces less harmful toxins by using arsenic-free glass and mercury-free LED. Bromine flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) are eliminated from the internal elements of the computers, too.
Yet, it is not just the computer that is “greener,” the packaging used when selling the MacBook is over 40% smaller than past MacBook packaging. Thus, with the smaller packaging more products can be loaded onto each plane, boat, and truck transporting the computers. The less transportation required results in less greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide released.
The MacBook is not the only electronic device Apple is trying to make more eco-friendly. The new versions of the iPod touch, nano, and classic, plus the iPhone 3G have been transformed to work without the harmful toxins of BVRs and PVCs. Apple also plans to switch all their electronic displays to use LED lights. While environmentalists continue to criticize apple for their greenhouse emissions, the revived, greener MacBooks can only better the planet and eventually satisfy environmentalists.
