I n its annual shareholder meeting Thursday, Apple Computer shareholders approved all of the proposals sponsored by the companyis board of directors, and Apple CEO Steve Jobs took the opportunity to blasts environmentalists that have been protesting against the company. According to a report on the meeting by MacCentral, Mr. Jobs denied all of the charges the group has made about Appleis environmental policies, calling many of them "completely untrue," and "inaccurate."
Approved in procedural votes were measures to re-elect Appleis board of directors, to approve the companyis performance plans, to ratify the companyis choice of auditor, and to amend the employee stock option plan. All of these measures were backed by Appleis board of directors.
A proposal to consider any shareholder proposal properly presented at the meeting was not ratified. Also not ratified was a proposal for performance and time-based restricted share grant program for senior executives.
When criticized for his companyis environmental policies by activist shareholders belonging to the Computer TakeBack Campaign, CEO Steve Jobs fired back by saying the groupis demands and claims were either already in place, or simply not true.
Among the groupis demands is that Apple should recycle Macs for free because Dell and HP recycle PCs for free. Mr. Jobs told shareholders that both companies actually charge for the service, and that Appleis price for its own recycling program was comparably priced.
He also denied that Apple ships its wastes overseas, and that the company uses forced labor overseas. He defended the iPodis rechargeable batteries as being environmentally friendly, as well.
MacCentralis coverage has more information on the environmental issues discussed at the meeting, including quotes from Mr. Jobs.
*In the interest of full disclosure, the author holds a small share in APPL stock that was not an influence in the creation of this article.
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