Earlier this month we got the awesome news that Ireland would become the first country in the world to ban investment in fossil fuels. One of the main reasons behind this is the massive impact global warming is having on the planet. It’s a real risk to our children and our children’s children. But thankfully, the leaders of the world are starting to take notice. And hopefully, more countries will follow our lead.
What has this got to do with tech I hear you ask? Well, this week, Apple has announced their new headquarters in Cupertino, California will open in April. Apple Park has been under construction for a few years now and it’s finally ready.
Apple Park was the vision of Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs’ vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us
Apple CEO, Steve Cook, recently said ‘Steve’s (Jobs’) vision for Apple stretched far beyond his time with us.’ The next stage has been realised.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VCvkYA5dR8
As you can see, it looks like some kind of Alien spaceship landed in the middle of Silicon Valley. It’s an incredible engineering feat and will also be run by 100 percent renewable energy. Apple has installed thousands of solar panels on Apple Park and is getting rid of all fossil fuels in the running of their HQ.
Apple and the environment
In 2015, 93 percent of their energy came from renewable resources. Their facilities in Singapore is run by 32-megawatt with solar panels on over 800 rooftops. In China, they also use renewable energy and their data centres all over the world that helps you send your iMessages and helps Siri answer you is all run on 100 percent renewable energy. They create and protect more sustainable forest then they actually use every year. Soon they hope this goes up to one million acres of forest.
They have also gotten rid of any toxins that could be harmful to the environment, such as Mercury and Arsenic, which previously was used in their screens. They even have a Full Material Disclosure program which lists every single component used in making their products so you can’t call bullshit.
In the past couple of years, Apple has also become very serious about the planet. They’ve looked for ways we can help repair the damage we have caused over the centuries we have been here. But this isn’t the first step Apple have taken in playing a part in saving the planet. Apple has gone so far as building their products from mostly harmless materials. They have also built a machine specifically for taking apart old iPhone’s and recycling them. It’s named Liam.
Meet Apple’s Liam
Liam is a line of robots that has 29 arms and can disassemble iPhones in just 11 seconds. It can do 350 an hour and 1.2 million a year. It can organise the individual parts to be reused in future models which drastically decreases their need to mine for resources from the Earth in the future. Given the fact that Apple sold a scandalous 78.3 million iPhone’s last quarter, it’s safe to say Liam will have a massive impact on Apple decreasing their carbon footprint on the Earth.
What Apple has started is incredible. And Ireland making strides towards renewable combined with the relationship we have with Apple is massive. Hopefully, other companies and countries will follow their lead in the future and we can repair the damage that past generations have done.
