You’ve probably seen the news recently: the Amazon rainforest is burning at an alarming rate, and Brazil says it doesn’t have the money to properly combat the problem.
This is a real climate crisis – the Amazon is often called the “lungs of the world” as it provides so much oxygen to the planet. Many of these fires are started on purpose, to clear land for farming, but it’s years since Brazil has seen so many raging at once. Wildfire rates are almost double what they were just a year ago. Not great for our planet’s health.
Along with some other big names, Apple has stepped forward to do its bit to protect the rainforest. Though no specific amount has been revealed, Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company will be donating a chunk of cash to help “preserve and restore” the Amazon. It seems money can help, and Apple sure has a lot of it.
You’d think if any big tech company was going to help the Amazon it would be, you know, Amazon. But when it comes to the climate Apple seems to care a little more than its contemporaries.
Apple has long been involved in environmental projects. Greenpeace voted it the “greenest” tech company in 2017, and Apple has continued to improve its clean energy chain since. So it’s no surprise really to see the company get involved with this crazy deforestation problem.
Tim Cook himself is also helping various charities with his personal wealth, which he aims to “systematically” give away throughout his lifetime. He apparently gave $5m of personal AAPL shares to an undisclosed charity this month, though it’s unclear if that is related to the fires in the Amazon.
Of course, it’s not an entirely selfless act – the cynics among you might see this is just another marketing ploy from Apple, hoping to curry favor with environmentalists. But if it does some good for the world, and encourages others to follow suit, is that such a bad thing?