Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, has sent out a memo to employees addressing U.S. President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw America from the Paris Climate Accords.
John Paczkowski, scored a copy for Buzzfeed
I know many of you share my disappointment with the White House's decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris climate agreement. I spoke with President Trump on Tuesday and tried to persuade him to keep the U.S. in the agreement. But it wasn't enough.Climate change is real and we all share a responsibility to fight it. I want to reassure you that today's developments will have no impact on Apple's efforts to protect the environment. We power nearly all of our operations with renewable energy, which we believe is an example of something that's good for our planet and makes good business sense as well.We will keep working toward the ambitious goals of a closed-loop supply chain, and to eventually stop mining new materials altogether. Of course, we're going to keep working with our suppliers to help them do more to power their businesses with clean energy. And we will keep challenging ourselves to do even more. Knowing the good work that we and countless others around the world are doing, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about our planet's future.Our mission has always been to leave the world better than we found it. We will never waver, because we know that future generations depend on us.Your work is as important today as it has ever been. Thank you for your commitment to making a difference every single day.
I've never liked the whole "save the earth" narrative. It's always felt misguided. The earth will more than likely be fine. It's life on earth that may have a hard time surviving if the planet continues to warm, regardless of the reasons. Some plants and insects might thrive better in the new climate and certainly in our absence, but we won't.
"Save the humans" is more apt narrative.
That's not political. Some people have chosen to politicize it but, for others, it transcends place and party. It's about us. All of us. Together.
Good on Apple for doing their part. Who knows what will help. But doing nothing surrenders a hope and power that we, as a people, never do well surrendering.
