“They’re physical manifestations of a global economic system that allows some people to buy and easily lose $160 headphones, and leaves other people at risk of death to produce those products,” wroteThese two case studies are telling. They show that Apple not only causes harm to the environment when there is profit to be made, but will also do so under the mantle of “green” corporate behavior, when convenient. And because so much of the U.S.
tech media infrastructure is dependent on the growth and goodwill of loyal Apple fans, much of it is overlooked or explained away.As with the 3.5 headphone jack, there are many benefits for consumers and the environment when companies widely adopt universal standards. In recent years, there has been near-universal adoption ofas the primary port for electronic devices and smartphones. This is why a consumer can use the same charger to power up a laptop, phone, controller, tablet and so on.