As much as I love Apple and their products - they should also be good stewards of the environment, as should we all. Just like any other company.

now we get to hear GreenPiece spew off about this..

that's exactly what went through my mind when I read the headline on the front page.

What, are you kidding? Number one, there must have been some reason to run generators, number two, here we are living in a world where any Tom or d*** can plunk down a few thousand dollars for an outdoor shack furnace exempt from EPA rules on woodstoves, and burn garbage to heat his home. So, by economy of scale, why are we spanking Apple for running a few generators for a few days, when literallty thousands of people are heating their homes by burning pallets and household trash? For that matter, why do we not mandate >90% efficiency in new home heating units, since that technology is readily available? Again, economy of scale. Regulating new home heating units would actually make a difference. Worry about Apple burning a few gallons of diesel in what are likely modern generators. duh,

change has to start somewhere. The big corps. that can afford the better technology are a good place. If you're worried about auto emissions hurting the environment, then you should know it's #2 after buildings. Personally, I don't buy into the dire need to save the planet from global climate change (although clean air is nice enough). Making complexes more efficient is better in the sense of economy, if nothing else.

Your average wood-burner may not have the means to have a more sustainable design, but once the big cats make such things part of the main stream, the alternative energy sources and more efficient appliances become more affordable and become a fiscal possibility.

To their credit, it wouldn't surprise me how much more strict regulations are in that area. Now if there were only methods to deal with that cover of smug hovering in and about San Fran...

"Your average wood-burner may not have the means to have a more sustainable design" Actually, the technology is available in the market, and, it in fact pays for itself in a few years. Unfortunately, without rules most industries will fall to the absolute lolwest common denominator. The woodburning shack industry is allowed to misrepresent and talk around the low efficiency of their product, (73%) for about the same price.

Money being tight should not be a licence to put 10 or 15 more tons of CO2 into the air.

Anonymous reports have been received that a small number of Apple employees actually drove their cars to work, which, if verified, will result in an additional fine of $50,000.

I don't understand why people are acting so smug about this. Apple violated a law. They agreed to only run some power generators in certain situations and they violated that, and now they have to pay. Use sarcasm if you like but Apple is likely receiving a lot of tax rebates and other incentives, as all companies receive when they move a major facility into a city. IN exchange they need to abide by the laws and regulations of that area. Otherwise evyerbody could just use as much electricty as they want, dump whatever they want into the local rivers, pump whatever toxins into the air they want AND get rewarded from the city in forms of tax rebates.