| Seeds of Change - E-News |
Spring 2007 |
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In this issue:
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Proxy Preview 2007
Vote your Values
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Apple to Triple E-Waste Take-back
Apple Inc. became the third major U.S. computer brand to set
public take back goals for recycling old computers at the request of shareholders led by As You Sow.
Apple's announcement, comes a week
before a shareholder resolution asking the company to report on its recycling efforts, filed by As You
Sow on behalf of the Educational Foundation of America, comes to a vote.
As You Sow met with Jobs and CFO Peter Oppenheimer in February to discuss the need for
aggressive take back recovery goals and other improvements in computer recycling and chemical
policies.
Returning computer equipment directly to producers’ recycling systems,
where safe disposal can be verified, greatly reduces the potential for unsafe dumping and disposal of
toxic elements in developing countries. As You Sow has worked with Dell, Hewlett-Packard and now Apple
to develop a metric to track and
measure returned units based on previous sales. In
2006, Apple estimates it took back 9.5% of computers sold seven years ago, a figure close to that of
Dell. Under the goals announced today, Apple plans to triple this percentage to 28% by 2010, which
would move it significantly ahead of its competitors.
Read more in the
San Jose Mercury News and
Wall Street Journal.
Targeting PVC
PVC is found in a wide array of common consumer products such as athletic shoes, packaging, computer parts, toys,
shower curtains, upholstery, and plastic cable. PVC creates hazards throughout its lifecycle from production,
useful life, and disposal. During its useful life it is a major source of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in
homes, a probable factor in soaring asthma rates, and phthalates which can be ingested by children, with likely
developmental impacts.
PVC production and incineration results in the creation of several highly toxic chemicals
including dioxin, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride. These can cause severe health problems, including:
cancer, neurological damage, birth defects and impaired child development, reproductive and immune system damage.
Large companies such as Ikea, Adidas, New Balance and The Body Shop have already eliminated PVC from their products,
while Wal-Mart has made a major commitment to phase out of PVC by October this year.
As You Sow has engaged both Target and Bed Bath & Beyond to
explore alternatives.
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ExxonMobil to Disclose Soft Money Political Contributions
In response to As You Sow's proposal, ExxonMobil Corp. announced in its 2007 proxy statement that it will disclose its soft money contributions. The company's action followed the filing of a political disclosure shareholder proposal by As You Sow in 2006 and 2007.
The 2007 resolution was co-filed by Clean Yield Group. ExxonMobil becomes the 32nd major company to agree to similar disclosure of political contributions as part of a shareholder campaign coordinated by the Center for Political Accountability.
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"We are pleased that Exxon Mobil has agreed to adopt transparency and accountability on political contributions,"
said Conrad MacKerron, director of As You Sow's Corporate Social Responsibility Program. However, the proposal
remains on the proxy because it also asked the company to disclose payments made to trade associations used for
political activities, including those opposing government action to curb global warming.
A detailed analysis of
ExxonMobil's disclosures to date is available from the Center for Political Accountability.
As You Sow filed the proposal on behalf of a shareholder client of
RBC Dain Rauscher SRI Wealth Management Group (San Francisco) for the purpose of engaging the company on this issue.
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Earlier this year As You Sow filed similar resolutions at
Monsanto and Home Depot.
Those resolutions were withdrawn once the companies agreed to seek information from trade associations about the portion of payments used for political and lobbying purposes.
Harry Potter goes green!
Grantee Spotlight: Radio Project
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As You Sow's Enforcement Program includes grant making to community groups out of the litigation generated
funds secured through its toxics reduction program. One of the recent grantees is the
Radio Project
which has produced
Catch of the Day: Mercury
highlighting the risks of mercury pollution.
This program discusses mercury pollution with analysts, EPA, fisherman, mothers and restaurant patrons to explore awareness and challenges of this dangerous pollutant.
As You Sow was instrumental in highlighting the risks of mercury in fish in the 1990s leading to warning signs now found in California supermarkets.
Learn more about As You Sow's
Environmental Enforcement Program
and grants.
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