So Apple responded to their customers’ disapproval by rejoining EPEAT. That still doesn’t change the fact that their laptops are basically unrecyclable.

• Apple and the Environment – Apple.com. Apple emphasizes that they make energy-efficient computers, but they should still consider the full product life cycle.
• How a Cellphone’s Case Can Imitate Its Maker – New York Times. Not surprisingly, Google phones are easy to open and repair, while Apple’s are nearly impossible.
• Should I buy a refurbished laptop for college? – Grist. In a word, yes.
• U.S. leads the world in cutting CO2 emissions — so why aren’t we talking about it? – Grist. It’s mostly due to the recession and natural gas fracking.But contrary to popular belief, the economy has still grown while carbon emissions have been reduced.
• Car-free commuting push pays off in Kendall Square – Boston Globe. “Despite the rapid expansion in and around Kendall Square in the last ­decade — the neighborhood absorbed a 40 percent increase in commercial and institutional space — automobile traffic actually dropped on major streets, with vehicle counts falling as much as 14 percent.”
• How Much Food Would it Take to Power Your Life? – Energy Circle. It’s interesting to think of the energy we use in terms of food calories. It really emphasizes how much work fossil fuels are doing for us.
• Corn for Food, Not Fuel – New York Times. About 40% of U.S. corn is used to feed livestock, another 40% to make ethanol, and the rest for food (mostly high-fructose corn syrup). What a waste.
• Will Drought Cause the Next Blackout? – New York Times. “About half of the nation’s water withdrawals every day are just for cooling power plants.”
• Boston’s Green Business Award Winners – Boston Green Scene. The most surprising to me: Crown Uniform & Linen and Fresh Hair.
• A bottle business pick-up – Boston Globe. I don’t understand why anyone would be against the bottle bill. Bottles with deposits are recycled more than 70% of the time, compared to less than 40% for bottles without deposits.
• These Women’s Stories Tell the Cookstove Story – UN Foundation. It’s amazing to think that something so simple—having an efficient cookstove with few emissions—has such a huge impact on the life of someone in the developing world.
• Coping with Summer’s Bounty of Vegetables – New York Times. This article takes a while to get to the point—how to keep and process all the veggies you’re saddled with during the summer—but when it does it has some good tips.

That’s all for this week. If you come across anything interesting this week, send it along.