Steve Jobs Blogs on Making Apple Greener

Steve Jobs is blogging again.

In an open note posted on the Apple Web site , Apple's CEO discussed the company's environmental efforts and pledged to improve them. He also announced that Apple Computer will this year release the first Macs that are backlit with light-emitting diode (LED) technology, and expand the iPod recycling program to worldwide retail stores.

The production of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) has traditionally included the use of arsenic and mercury. Arsenic prevents defects during the manufacturing of high-performance LCD glass, and mercury can be found in the fluorescent lamps that illuminate LCDs.

To eliminate mercury, Apple will transition from fluorescent lamps to LEDs, Jobs wrote, and Apple will completely eliminate the use of arsenic in Mac displays by the end of 2008. The company will also "reduce and eventually eliminate" the use of mercury by transitioning to LED backlighting when it is "technically and economically feasible," he wrote. That transition "depends on how fast the LCD industry can transition to LED backlighting for larger displays."

The company's iPod digital music players currently use LED technology. Customers can recycle the devices and are offered a 10 percent discount on the purchase of a new iPod in U.S. stores if they turn in their old players. That recycling effort will expand to Apple stores worldwide this summer and will include free shipping from anywhere in the U.S., Jobs said.

Jobs promised to continue updating customers on the company's environmental efforts and said Apple would have data later this year on the "overall carbon footprint" of Apple products.

Copyright 2007 by Ziff Davis Media, Distributed by United Press International