Nintendo still dead last in Greenpeace electronics rankings

by Kyle Orland { Mar 19th 2008 at 11:45AM }

Since Nintendo's big goose-egg ranking in environmental friendliness from the activists at Greenpeace last November, we've been on pins and needles waiting to see if the Big N could improve its standing. Well, we're happy to announce that Nintendo has indeed done better this time around, improving to a massive 0.3/10 in Greenpeace's latest rankings.

The number -- which is a full four points below closest competitors Philips -- doesn't tell the whole story, though. Greenpeace itself notes that, since their last ranking, Nintendo has introduced a plan to reduce PVCs in its packaging and posted links to EPA and eCycling programs on its web site. Yet these "tiny improvements," as Greenpeace puts it, didn't even rank the company a single point increase in the corresponding Greenpeace rating categories. Is it us, or is there a scoring bug in the game Greenpeace is playing here?

Tags: environment, environmental, green, greenpeace, planet, wii

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

spddrcr @ Mar 19th 2008 11:54AM

greenpeace, our very own version of a terrorist group here in the states, there no better then the people who blow up cafe's in the middle east.

so with that said I dont think it really matters where any company ends up on the greenpeace list, as it will just be used to blackmail companys and expunge money from them.

Mystic @ Mar 19th 2008 12:05PM

I rest my cast. Get a mind of your own you redneck fascists.

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Mar 19th 2008 12:11PM

You rest your "cast".

elpmis @ Mar 19th 2008 12:17PM

resting one's cast is a very common practice while recovering from a broken arm

fischju @ Mar 19th 2008 12:21PM

I bet a redneck facist must of broke is arm for being an ass.

robert @ Mar 19th 2008 12:22PM

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force if you're going to do the spelling/grammar police thing at least go all the way.

it's "they're no better" not "there no better"
and perhaps you should look up the definition of expunge.

seriously, correcting someones spelling errors, misuse of words and grammar on the net is a massive waste of time.

d-pad @ Mar 19th 2008 12:26PM

I'm torn.

Yes Greenepeace are annoying douchebags...but there's a special place in hell for the Jihadi's. Far more people are killed in the name of Allah than killed in the name of the almighty evergreen.

Cut from the same extremist tree for sure though - no pun intended.

Hala Madrid!!! SSBB Code:3866-7729-0830 @ Mar 19th 2008 12:27PM

@Mystic
I rest my cast? what are you taking about? So nobody can say nothing about greenpeace because you call them "rednecks" and "fascists"

Abuzar @ Mar 19th 2008 2:36PM

Jihad has a very different meaning from what you understand it to be.

upz @ Mar 19th 2008 2:51PM

I'll summarize the funnies in this thread so far.

spddrcr commits grammatic double murder by using the phrase "there no better then." Everyone cuts him some slack for making a decent point.

Mystic calls spddrcr a "redneck facist" and immediately "rests his cast."

fischju tries to point out the accidental humor in Mystic's statement, but types "must of broke is arm" instead of "must have broke his arm," severely hurting his own street cred.

robert hands out citations while waving his grammar police badge, but ironically uses the nonexistant plural "someones" instead of the possessive "someone's." He also completely neglects proper spelling.

upz tries to be smart ass, uses "funnies" as a noun and likely makes a fool of himself by pointing out everyone else's mistakes while not proofreading his own post.

TomCo @ Mar 19th 2008 3:03PM

Don't mind mystic.
He has a problem with making comments on technology blogs without calling people idiots, acting like a prick, TYPING IN CAPS, misusing exclamation points!!!!, and smoking Steve Jobs' pole at every opportunity.

DP @ Mar 19th 2008 3:44PM

Reading spddrcr's comment made me smile on the inside --some people do get it.

NoHitHair @ Mar 19th 2008 4:11PM

This is revolting - Joystiq posters are apparently not only ignorant but Neoconservative to the bone.

It's extremely upsetting that by calling myself a gamer, I'm lobbed in with the rest of you. Ugh, I think I'm gonna puke.

Crono (NDF - Knight of the Old School) @ Mar 19th 2008 4:19PM

Glad to see you've finally come out of the stupid closet, NHH.

d-pad @ Mar 19th 2008 4:34PM

NoHitHair,

LMAO.

Yup. That's us.

The evil neeeeeo-cons. Shame on us for calling an organization that uses terrorist tactics a terrorist organization.

And double shame on me for also calling suicide bombing jihadi's (and no 'Abuzar', my definition is just fine thankyou) terrorists.

I suppose if we're 'neo-con' to the bone', that makes you a typical Liberal Communist loving douchebag.

See?

I can make sweeping generalizations too.

GTFO.

TomCo @ Mar 19th 2008 5:30PM

ONE OF US
ONE OF US
ONE OF US

Abuzar @ Mar 19th 2008 10:37PM

Jihad: In Islam, an individual's striving for spiritual self-perfection.

Korova @ Mar 19th 2008 11:39PM

You guys are nuts

Greenpeace is pretty radical but they do not kill innocent people to make a political point. Their scare tactics dont really amount to terrorism.

I for one am not terrified of them, but I am terrified of people blowing up buildings, planes and trains.

Killing people is a pretty big step up.

d-pad @ Mar 20th 2008 9:03AM

Korova,

Loggers have been killed by chainsawing spikes that were put into trees by Greenpeace. When the chainsaw hits that metal spike, it ricochets back and injures or in some cases kills the operator.

Abuzar,

Don't give me any of that personal spirtual growth crap about Jihad. I'll believe that when radical Mulsims stop killing in the name of it.

Nicolas Redfern @ Mar 21st 2008 6:52AM

If you read the actual pdf from the site, virtually all of the details for Nintendo are "No information" or "no reference". Basically the companies that brag the most are the ones which get the highest scores.

GamerCrusader @ Mar 19th 2008 11:57AM

Sadly, although I agree with your comment about them being terrorists, I must agree also to their stance on nintendo. They have a very poor track record when it comes to safe packing materials with their products (I had more trash after opening my Wii up than after last christmas), and the wii is one of the most inefficient consoles out there because of its constant power drain. This is also a bug in how their rating system works, since the nintendo is technically "on" even when it is off the ratings for its power draw are flawed.

PopKornPlaya @ Mar 19th 2008 1:50PM

How is that a bug...it uses alot of power who cares if its on or not the power is getting used

elpmis @ Mar 19th 2008 11:58AM

Rumor has it that after 10,000 smash bros. vs. matches you unlock a free hybrid car.

Dahk @ Mar 19th 2008 12:01PM

If you're so inclined to green stuff, check out Subaru's zero waste manufacturing plant.

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2006/10/31/subaru-zero-waste-factory-wins-epa-award

vidGuy @ Mar 19th 2008 12:03PM

I fail to see how a console that requires a smaller amount of power than its competitors is more wasteful, but I agree that the packaging was ridiculous.

Mr Intel @ Mar 19th 2008 12:22PM

its not the console its the manufactoring plants any way i dont think nintendo gives a fuck about greenpeace there swimming in green

vidGuy @ Mar 19th 2008 12:35PM

Ah, gotcha. In that case I'm not surprised but I also don't care.

bobartig @ Mar 19th 2008 3:14PM

Basically in GreenPeace's fucked up 'Green-o-meter', you get points for disclosing your environmental practices, or even plans for future environmental practices that you haven't implemented. Obviously you lose points if you have "bad" manufacturing practices, like using mercury and lead-based components, but you lose the same points if you don't publicly address these particular topics that Green Peace is looking for.

So basically GreenPeace is saying "Give us the level of transparency we desire regarding your manufacturing practices, or we will bully you with our stupid rating system". It doesn't matter that this information may be privileged, or proprietary to your company, or that you simply don't want to pander to these guys, as their stance is "I don't know the answer, therefore I will assume the worst possible outcome."

For years, Apple received extremely low ratings because Green Peace DIDN'T KNOW what Apple's mfr'ing practices were, even though there were obvious changes, like notebook computer packaging being 1/3 what it was several years ago, and iPod packaging being 1/10 the size. In practice, Apple is just a secretive company, and they don't give out details about their internal operations.

After simply taking it for years, Steve Jobs finally posted a blog on Apple's front page describing just how full of shit Green Peace's ratings were. As it turns out, Apple's practices were YEARS ahead of the competition in terms of phasing out toxic components, and building computers that are more recyclable and with shipping them with less packaging. Their operational practices are on target to stay years ahead of the industry as they adopt future technologies that are more toxin-free and eco-friendly. And afterwards, Green Peace went as far as commending Apple for their environmentally conscious practices (although, note, nothing had actually changed since when they were bashing Apple). So really, they're full of shit.

Ben @ Mar 19th 2008 4:20PM

bobartig, that's true, but there is the fact that some people actually DO look at a company's environmental practices when deciding what to buy (maybe not so much for electronics, but I'm sure there are people who do). The fact that a company can't just list it's environmental status in the manufacturing department would seem a little strange... it's not like they're asking for complete lists of every step in the process. A company could simply write, we don't use mercury or we phased out lead in our products, and more people would buy the product. GreenPeace's rating system is flawed, but would be much better if instead of giving companies like Nintendo, that don't list all their practices, a low score, they just make a note and not include them in the overall ranking and just rank things they do have available. And how about they contact the f'ing manufacturer themselves and get the damn information instead of just saying it's not available.

Korova @ Mar 19th 2008 11:53PM

Synner

That hole in the ozone layer closed and disappeared after the world ban on CFCs use and production stopped their destructive effects on the ozone. That's why you dont hear about it anymore.

As for the other issues you mention, you are confusing warnings issued when scientist learn that an issue exists and may cause harm to us with the harmful effects themselves.

You dont trust science probably because you dont really understand it. There is a difference between scaring and warning. Science warns, it does not scare.

Mystic @ Mar 19th 2008 12:03PM

Well I'm sure the first one to go green will be a non-American company as they are the only ones who aren't filled with blind, fascist, redneck rage at anything that has to do with the environment and peace.

Synner @ Mar 19th 2008 12:33PM

Yes questioning an unproven science that has been put forward by the same community that has been telling un that "{fill in the balnk) will destroy the earth in ten years" For the last 40 years is being a blind fascist raging redneck.

Just explain to me what happened to the next ice age that was coming in the 70's, the hole in the ozone that was going to kill us in the 80's, and the melting of the polar ice caps that was going to drown us all in the 90's and then we can have a discussion about who's the gullible fool.

PopKornPlaya @ Mar 19th 2008 1:49PM

Good point mystic

Worst Review Ever @ Mar 19th 2008 12:57PM

Facist? Was that the word of the day in your Freshman science class yesterday? There is NOTHING more facist than the idea that, brace yourselves, the WEATHER is going to kill us. Holy shit! You mean that the weather will be different from one day to the next and there's no way to predict it?! The only way to avoid this fate is to impose strict government regulations and empower a small group of radical nutjobs that operate on psuedo-science and half-baked theories that have never panned out?!

I mean, seriously Mystic, who's the facist?

Synner @ Mar 19th 2008 2:19PM

Or you can listen to the brilliant scientific minds who oppose the global warning propaganda, but that would require you getting off your ass and reading a book.

Joop @ Mar 19th 2008 3:30PM

Synner, do the oil companies pay you on a per comment basis, or are you salaried?

Synner @ Mar 19th 2008 3:39PM

Nope, the US government pays me.

But I don't like being called names for disagreeing with an unproven theory, especially one coming from people who have been wrong on every other cry of the sky is falling.

Jackal @ Mar 19th 2008 4:23PM

Mystic,

Take no offense in what I'm about to say, but have you completely lost your mind? There are a number of sane, logical people who loathe Greenpeace for the same reason the organization's founder left; Green peace is not about the environment or science, but extremist "environmentalist" politics.

I cannot count the number of times I've read a Greenpeace published article, watched a conference, or watched a protest that used incorrect or outright fraudulent data in order to scare people into agreeing with the organization's views. Sorry, science exists to educate people and bring them one step closer to understanding how our world (or universe, if your prefer) works. It's not meant to be used as a tool for terrorizing or misinforming people into agreement.

Case in point, there are a number of African nations that have banned genetically modified crops thanks largely to the intervention of Greenpeace. Unfortunately, these very nations are facing malnutrition or starvation on an epidemic level because their local environments are to harsh to sustain the most basic crops; the genetically modified crops, however, can flourish in such harsh climates. Thanks to Greenpeace, thousands or millions of people are going to slowly starve to death, not in the name of science (because the crops in question can't pollinate or crossbreed with local flora) or humanitarianism, but to fulfill a political agenda. Oh, and if you're against genetically modified food saving people, keep something carefully in mind; every fruit, every vegetable you eat has been altered in some way over the course of history by mankind. An ear of corn was, at one time, no larger than a strawberry.

I could go on all day providing examples as to why Greenpeace is a haven for misinformed, radical, anti-humanitarian, unscientific, socially inept retards but that would require multiple pages on this thread. As far as your "fascist" comments go, I have this to say: I'd rather be a redneck that questions the motives of any organization that incorrectly uses science to further political agendas than attempt to silence people because their view differs from what the followers of the organization you mindlessly subscribed to are spoon fed.

Ben @ Mar 19th 2008 5:10PM

Synner, those "facts" you just listed are all untrue and never were true (completely. They we're lies spread around by conservatives in attempt to lower global warming scientist's credibility. The fact that you are still questioning global warming leads me to believe that you are either extremely ignorant, or believe everything that people like Rush Limbaugh say.

Synner @ Mar 19th 2008 5:39PM

Ben,

Which of the facts are you referring to?

Are you calling me a liar, and implying I misremember seeing the ads about the ice age on TV in the 70's?

you are delusional.

Korova @ Mar 19th 2008 11:54PM

Nigeria: Cody ChesnuTT Defense Force @ Mar 19th 2008 12:08PM

Well, at least Greenpeace have their heart in the right place, even if their research was rather shoddy. Of what research was performed.

But Nintendo aren't holier than thou. How do you explain the Wii Wheel :)

But in all seriousness, Nintendo could buck up its environmental credentials by choosing a more efficient mode of shipping its Wii Points. One whole plastic case for a piece of card? I know you can purchase the points online through your Wii, but, I'm not really comfortable with that.

Noshino @ Mar 19th 2008 12:19PM

mmm, their research is ok

"Each score is based solely on public information on the companies website. Companies found not to be following their published policies will be deducted penalty point in future versions of the guide."

They base their research on public information, if Nintendo doesn't make any of these information available, what they want to get rated for?

I know that it is said that Nintendo does have a "good" (I haven't really seen them being review so I really don't knowhow good it is) recycling plan and all, but why the hell would you not make this information available to the public? Seriously, they already went through this last year....

Mr Khan @ Mar 19th 2008 12:44PM

That's the thing, there. Nintendo loses points for being Nintendo, and keeping things secret

The way they make it look is like Nintendo's one of those villains on Captain Planet, or something. There are legitimate reasons for a low score (the power drain, their atrocious packaging), but they're not Hoggish Greedley