Thread by @ashleygjovik

🧵 There's a new Apple story to add to the Hall of Shame

The year is 2017...

Apple has a 152,400m2 data center in Maiden, North Carolina

Apple had just announced all it's data centers now run on 100% renewable energy, spotlighting the Maiden center
apple.com/environment/pd…

In October 2017, the North Carolina government slaps Apple with a $40k fine & cites a laundry list of misdeeds

First, the center generates over 1k kilograms of toxic waste a year, and Apple was shipping it to off-the-books transports & disposal facilities
carolinajournal.com/apple-clean-en…

Second, Apple failed to create manifests for all that toxic waste, & also failed to submit toxic waste reports to the EPA or state regulators

Apple failed to "maintain [toxic waste] records" for 1,000kg of toxic waste / year & for a 500,000ft2 data center
carolinajournal.com/apple-clean-en…

North Carolina inspected in February 2017 due to a whistleblower tip

"Apple's media relations department has not responded"
carolinajournal.com/apple-clean-en…

A major source of this toxic waste is from Apple's "biogas fuel cells" - one of the sources of Apple's supposed "green" & "clean" energy (supposedly 28%)

The fuel cells convert natural gas into electricity, but the process also produces benzene & sulfur
carolinajournal.com/apple-clean-en…

In 2016, Apple claimed Maiden was powered by 100% renewable energy: 28% biogas, 36% solar, 36% certificates, & 8% other

Journalists discovered Apple was lying & the fuel cells & solar were NOT CONNECTED TO THE DATA CENTER. Apple sold that energy instead.
apple.com/environment/pd…

In fact, all the electricity Apple gets at the data center is from an electric company that uses backup diesel generators

The biogas Apple sells as a side-hustle, Apple buys the gas from the same company it then sells it to

Apple also has *gas pipelines*
carolinajournal.com/apple-clean-en…

So Apple's full of shit as usual...but why go to all this trouble to lie? Greenpeace called Apple out in the 2000s for fossil fuel use

Apple scrambled to greenwash & for some reason Greenpeace played along & celebrated Apple's nonsense despite no evidence
carolinajournal.com/analysts-call-…

"Apple spokeswoman Alisha Johnson did not answer questions by phone or email from CJ regarding this report... She also refused to answer follow-up questions."

Johnson worked for Lisa Jackson at the US EPA, & both women are now working at Apple in Lobbying & Government Affairs.

2015: "Apple actually buys all of the energy it needs for the Maiden facility from Duke Energy Carolinas, which by March 2015 had less than 0.02 percent renewable energy in its grid mix."

That 0.02% is at least partially sourced from... Apple.
truthout.org/articles/why-i…

"From 2010-2014, Maiden generated ~243,928 metric tons of carbon dioxide - equivalent to adding more than 51,000 passenger cars to the road, or burning 262 million pounds of coal."
truthout.org/articles/why-i…

"Misrepresentation is a cornerstone of the company’s environmentally oriented rebranding effort that launched in 2013 and included the hiring of Lisa Jackson"... since then, "Many journalists & activists happily parroted Apple's claims."
truthout.org/articles/why-i…

~36% of Apple's electricity for Apple Park supposedly comes from biogas fuel cells

Apple says they're *not" measured by a utility meter

Anyone want to guess if those cells are actually producing electricity for Apple Park?

&/or if Apple is disposing of the spent cells safely?

It does look like the Apple Park building plans included fuel cells

Right next to the diesel generators

I will end this thread by noting that the long-time Apple board member, Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee, spiller of toxic waste under my office, & subject of numerous gov complaints by me

Ron Sugar

Has also been a #Chevron Board member since 2005
chevron.com/about/leadersh…

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