"Former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency chief Lisa Jackson has been hired by Apple as vice president of environmental initiatives."

"Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the news Tuesday at the All Things D tech conference in Rancho Palos Verdes.

'I'm incredibly impressed with Apple's commitment to the environment and I'm thrilled to be joining the team,' Jackson said in a statement released by Apple. 'Apple has shown how innovation can drive real progress by removing toxics from its products, incorporating renewable energy in its data center plans and continually raising the bar for energy efficiency in the electronics industry. I look forward to helping support and promote these efforts, as well as leading new ones in the future aimed at protecting the environment.'

The high-profile hire was welcomed by environmental organizations such as Greenpeace, which has organized protests at Apple stores to pressure the tech titan to use more renewable forms of energy and clean up the manufacturing practices of its supply chain."

Dana Hull reports for the San Jose Mercury News May 29, 2013. [2]