The Apple "Fair Trade" initiative

I’ve been getting loads of blowback in comments in response to my story about Jerry York taunting Al Gore. So I just want to make something clear. I absolutely one hundred percent fully believe in the global climate crisis. I’ve been a huge environmental activist for a long, long time. I’ve known Al Gore for years and I’ve been with him on this crusade since the beginning. To those people sending in links to NASA temperature charts and other data, I understand why you’re doing it, but the fact is, I don’t need any scientific proof. I never did. It’s obvious to me that we’ve been pumping way too much carbon dioxide into the environment and that as a result our planet is hurtling toward a catastrophe.

Frankly I think we’ve got ten years left, at best. My biggest fear is that we may have already gone past the point where a catastrophe could be averted. From my perspective there’s no point in having a debate, if only because there’s no time for debate. The planet is in serious danger. These freako cold spells, these intense hurricanes — it’s as if the planet is crying out to us for help. We need to listen. The climate change crisis is real, and it’s obvious. It’s right there in front of us. It’s happening. It’s not a theory; it’s a fact. Just look around you. Listen to what the planet is trying to tell us. And you know what? Even if the climate crisis turns out not to be true, it won’t matter to me, because I still will know in my heart that it is true. So again, there’s no point in having a debate. There’s no point in throwing all sorts of “data” and “arguments” at me, because you’re not going to dissuade me. I know it’s true. How do I know it? Because it is true. You see? It’s a perfect circle. That’s how I know I’m right. It’s like my Buddhism. I know it’s the right path. There’s no sense arguing with me about it.

Toward this point, there’s something else I want to announce. I’ve been holding back on this but since I’ve been challenged I want to go public. Recently I instructed a team at Apple to draw up plans to create “Fair Trade” versions of everything we make. Macs, iPods, iPhones, everything. What does this mean? It means no underpaid labor, and no dangerous chemicals — and not just in our own plants but all the way down our supply chain, down to our suppliers’ suppliers, down to the very last component in everything we build. It means having zero impact on the environment, and a completely carbon neutral footprint for every product we make. I’ve given the team a deadline of the end of this year to implement this plan. I know a lot of you have been wondering why we’re taking so long to crank out new computer models. Part of it is this Fair Trade initiative. I know it’s annoying to wait. And it’s clear to us that we’re going to have to charge a bit more for our products. How much more is not yet clear. But I know you’ll agree with me that whatever you have to pay for your next iPod, it will be worth it. Namaste. Much love. Peace out.