Amazon Employees Are Walking Out Over the Company's Huge Carbon Footprint (vice.com) 89
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Motherboard: With less than two weeks until the global climate strikes, 930 tech and corporate Amazon employees have pledged to walk out of the company's offices on September 20, demanding zero emissions by 2030. The climate action, which follows strikes at Amazon warehouses, most recently on Amazon Prime Day, marks the first time white collar Amazon employees have staged a walkout.
Workers with the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice are demanding that the company adopt a resolution to eliminate its massive carbon footprint by 2030. Compared to other tech giants, Amazon, which ships billions of packages each year and controls a huge portion of the cloud computing market, has come under particular scrutiny for its carbon emissions. On September 20, the biggest day of the weeklong climate strike taking place in 117 countries, Amazon employees in Seattle will walk out of their offices at 11:30 a.m., gather at the giant glass spheres at the center of Amazon's corporate campus, then march to city hall to rally with youth climate activists. An internal call for action that began circulating among employees on September 4 received around 930 pledges as of September 8, Read said. "Playing a significant role in helping to reduce the sources of human-induced climate change is an important commitment for Amazon," an Amazon spokesperson told Motherboard in response to news of the walkout. "We have dedicated sustainability teams who have been working for years on initiatives to reduce our environmental impact. Earlier this year, we announced Shipment Zero - Amazon's vision to make all Amazon shipments net zero carbon, with 50% of all shipments net zero by 2030."
"Over the past decade through our sustainable packaging programs, we've eliminated more than 244,000 tons of packaging materials and avoided 500 million shipping boxes," the Amazon spokesperson continued. "To track our progress on this journey and as part of an overall commitment to sharing our sustainability goals, we plan to share Amazon's company-wide carbon footprint, along with related goals and programs, later this year. This follows an extensive project over the past few years to develop an advanced scientific model to carefully map our carbon footprint to provide our business teams with detailed information helping them identify ways to reduce carbon use in their businesses."
Microsoft workers in Seattle will also participate in the walkout. Google workers could join too.
Workers with the group Amazon Employees for Climate Justice are demanding that the company adopt a resolution to eliminate its massive carbon footprint by 2030. Compared to other tech giants, Amazon, which ships billions of packages each year and controls a huge portion of the cloud computing market, has come under particular scrutiny for its carbon emissions. On September 20, the biggest day of the weeklong climate strike taking place in 117 countries, Amazon employees in Seattle will walk out of their offices at 11:30 a.m., gather at the giant glass spheres at the center of Amazon's corporate campus, then march to city hall to rally with youth climate activists. An internal call for action that began circulating among employees on September 4 received around 930 pledges as of September 8, Read said. "Playing a significant role in helping to reduce the sources of human-induced climate change is an important commitment for Amazon," an Amazon spokesperson told Motherboard in response to news of the walkout. "We have dedicated sustainability teams who have been working for years on initiatives to reduce our environmental impact. Earlier this year, we announced Shipment Zero - Amazon's vision to make all Amazon shipments net zero carbon, with 50% of all shipments net zero by 2030."
"Over the past decade through our sustainable packaging programs, we've eliminated more than 244,000 tons of packaging materials and avoided 500 million shipping boxes," the Amazon spokesperson continued. "To track our progress on this journey and as part of an overall commitment to sharing our sustainability goals, we plan to share Amazon's company-wide carbon footprint, along with related goals and programs, later this year. This follows an extensive project over the past few years to develop an advanced scientific model to carefully map our carbon footprint to provide our business teams with detailed information helping them identify ways to reduce carbon use in their businesses."
Microsoft workers in Seattle will also participate in the walkout. Google workers could join too.
Whew! (Score:5, Funny)
At least they're not driving out!
Re:Whew! (Score:5, Funny)
At least they're not driving out!
Anyone remember "Roach Motels", which were cockroach traps?
They had the tagline: "Roaches check in, but they don't check out!"
The Amazon employees will have a modified version of the tagline: "They walk out, but they can't walk in again.
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Hell, with Amazon's boiler-room nature and scary-high turnover, I don't even think the C-level (let alone Bezos) would notice...
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Re: Whew! (Score:2)
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What's the challenge to be? Who can pack the most boxes in the least amount of time? Who can scam the system and take the most breaks without getting reprimanded? Who can get the most eastereggs past the QA people and out into the system?
I really doubt there's much of a challenge to working at Amazon or any large corporation as a lowly worker-bee, be it in the packing department or IT.
So 930 paychecks less (Score:1)
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employo-terrorists
LOL they're called humans, and until you can replace them with robots you're stuck with these troublesome lifeforms that need livable wages and decent working conditions and sometimes get upset when you destroy their planet or society.
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Nah they're just the people who actually get shit done at the company, nothing important.
Good. (Score:2)
The more they walk, the lower their carbon footprint.
Amazon Logistics (Score:2)
I often cringe at the number of janky cars (that I doubt pass state inspection, let alone emissions) all over the neighborhood that Amazon Logistics uses to deliver all of those packages.
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" janky cars (that I doubt pass state inspection, let alone emissions) " What the heck are you talking about? What states have janky car inspections? What states have any kind of vehicle inspection?
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NC requires yearly safety and emissions testing if you want a tag...
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Illinois and Texas both have annual inspections for emissions and safety.
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But it also doesn't require auto insurance! Or motorcycle helmets! But, by gum, you better believe you'll have your car checked every year!
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California (in)famously has emissions inspections.
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>What states have janky car inspections? What states have any kind of vehicle inspection?
Nevada has smog checks for Clark and Washoe County residents.
Back in the day, I recall Virginia having safety inspections statewide. I suspect that hasn't changed.
Their footprint may be large (Score:5, Insightful)
But have others, namely consumers, decreased due to fewer trips to the walmart?
Re:Their footprint may be large (Score:4, Insightful)
You're asking climate zealots to look at the big picture. Please stop.
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Surely they are basing their tantrums on fully and thoroughly researched analyses!
Seriously, though, it's Amazon who is doing the work to eliminate inefficiencies everywhere in their supply chain - that's where system-level energy savings will be found.
TL;DR: Morons.
Re:Their footprint may be large (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Their footprint may be large (Score:4, Interesting)
But have others, namely consumers, decreased due to fewer trips to the walmart?
Replaced by each item individually delivered by a separate van to the front door. I think the trip to Wallmart would win in many cases.
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Replaced by each item individually delivered by a separate van to the front door. I think the trip to Wallmart would win in many cases.
Actually, the separate van delivers very many items on a route. So I'm skeptical that the environmental costs for me to drive to and from Walmart are any less than the costs to drive from and to an Amazon distribution center. More so when you consider that the Amazon driver is delivering many dozens of items on a single given route.
Re: Their footprint may be large (Score:2)
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No reduction in miles traveled. [theguardian.com]
Split shipments or single-item orders increase emissions. [forbes.com]
Any air shipment is at least 3 times worse. [timeforchange.org]
p.s. I might be considered a climate zealot.
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You're informing anti-environmentalists with facts rather than letting them use flippant witticisms to disregard real problems, please stop :-P
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“This suggests that people are using the time they save by shopping on the internet to do other things like eating out at restaurants, going to the movies, or visiting friends.”
None of these studies are making a case that online shopping has a large carbon footprint than driving to Walmart. Also, it would seem that since delivery truck run a route, the carbon footprint of the truck would be somewhat fixed. In other words, they would become more efficient with even more online shopping.
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No, because Amazon can't supply everything you need so you still have to go to Walmart.
You might buy a toaster from Amazon but you still need to go to Walmart for the bread.
Walking out to save the planet (Score:4, Insightful)
First, Amazon provides a useful service. Millions of people think so, and that is why they are prospering. To produce stuff costs resources and the employees are insane if they think the company can produce output without consuming some resources. Second, I would never give up my livelihood for an ambiguous goal like carbon reduction. I suspect these people would be less anxious to walk out if they were happier with their jobs. Amazon has a history of working their people like farm animals and dealing with the inevitable labor unrest that this produces. Third, this sort of demonstration is no more compelling to me that hearing about Leonardo di Caprio jetting in to Gstaad to give a speech about how wasteful other people are with the world's resources. These people should concentrate on their own lives.
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I'm no Amazon fan-boi, in fact, I've never bought from Amazon. But I agree with all that you said, plus, Amazon is covering its warehouses (fulfillment centers) with PV panels- projects presently in progress, and all roofs are painted bright white. Give them some credit people.
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So you're just going to give up, because stuff costs resources? It is possible, profitable, and healthier if you can produce stuff using as few resources as possible. Buying renewable energy equipment once and using it for 30 years is much better than buying tons of fossil fuels daily.
However, as Bobby pointed out, Amazon is installing PV, so the complaint may be that Amazon just hasn't set a deadline for zero emissions, as opposed to Amazon not doing anything about emi
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Yeah, thanks. These protests are tiring when the protest itself will cost productivity, and maybe add carbon (all that marching and shouting!)
Instead, I'd like them to praise Amazon for doing something, and encourage them toward the next steps, like the obvious: electric delivery vehicles.
This is the line for them? (Score:2)
Not the cash and lawyers Amazon throws at making sure they aren't held liable when someone is delivering their packages under Amazon's very watchful eye injures or kills someone?
Re: This is the line for them? (Score:2)
Sorry. Allegedly.
Pledging is one thing (Score:3)
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Storm Area 51?
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/... [nbcnews.com]
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That would be a solution. Dead people don't need jobs.
Mr. Fusion (Score:3)
Everyday I look at Amazon Prime, and nothing... I keep waiting to jam in a banana peel and disused beer can and drive to work. They should really get behind this one!
930 workers... (Score:4, Insightful)
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Just like Homer Simpson [youtube.com]
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I guess the little man is saying FUCK YOU AMAZON, if you are going to screw us, why don't you at least not fuck over the future of the planet. I don't care if they are wrong on the specifics, it is the general finger they are giving this overly powerful company that I particularly think is worth a big fat grin.
Big companies don't work too well without the little guy... so when enough little guys stand up and have the balls to get into trouble, it makes a difference. I like to see it when the general cause i
Re: 930 workers... (Score:2)
So... (Score:2)
...did they all walk to work that day? Even bicycles had a carbon footprint if you consider the manufacturing process...especially the tires and other rubber parts.
Did they all go to work nude (clothes manufacturing has a significant carbon footprint)?
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I bet they didn't take a cold shower nor skip their Starbucks.
I won't take anybody seriously who won't do the minimum necessary to not be hypocrites.
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From the company town to the sorting factory?
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No they didn't, so they might as well each take a helicopter to work right? There can be no middle ground!
Hundreds of Semis on the Interstate (Score:2)
In the past, you'd see your usual distribution trucks of various logistics companies, perhaps a Walmart truck, or a large national grocery chain, but now its all dominated by Amazon.
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It's common for shippers to use other companies trailers in short dock situations as long as the owner gets paid for it. The distance for a short dock can be a short at 0.5km or as much as 150km. JiT pretty much makes that a requirement as companies have cut and gut out of "on the ground" warehouses. That's not even counting where companies use trailers as mobile warehousing for overstocked or low-selling stocked materials especially when there's a huge oversupply of something. Both Amazon and Walmart us
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Better trucks than planes.
I"m sure all amazon employees (Score:1)
Will be willing to take a pay cut so the company can buy some carbon credits. Or maybe the union can use some of those dues to do the same?
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Hereâ(TM)s what I donâ(TM)t understand (Score:2)
Amazon is famous for being so abusive that tech workers cry at their desks, and for some reason these employees are still tolerating that...but they walk out over Co2 emissions?
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At a current stock price of $1800 per share I am sure the tech employees don't mind it THAT much.
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Stock price means approximately dick to most employees below C-suite level (although many of these megacorps give some stock options to upper management, top engineers and early employees, but that's a tiny fraction of their workforce).
Sorting the staff (Score:1)
This is a legal opportunity for Amazon to fire everyone who believes in carbon footprints. Now they will be able to find their own value in the job market, or learn to code.
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Who's next, everyone who believes in the greenhouse effect?
not the problem (Score:4, Interesting)
Until then, screaming at energy users to help make up for the fact that power plant construction companies are irresponsible idiots and how we all need to help cover for them by using less energy is IDIOTIC.
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The unwise choices for sources of energy at the actual problem.
And this is something that companies can choose to externalise as part of cost benefit. Do you a) locate your power hungry datacentre next to a coal plant? Or do you b) locate your power hungry datacentre next to a windfarm.
For years the choice was the former due to the low cost. Blaming it on government is disingenuous.
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Considering that they're protesting Amazon's carbon footprint and not simply Amazon's energy use, it sounds like you're aggressively agreeing with them.
Slow News Day? (Score:3)
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Roughly .14%.
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From the latest numbers I can find, it's about 77% of the Seattle office where this walkout is happening.
Amazon's reaction (Score:2)
We are concerned about the environment and respect the wishes of these people.
Also in the news, we're hiring! 930 job positions opened up!
what makes them think (Score:2)
what makes them think Amazon cares about the environment, when they don't even care about their own workforce?
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They don't, that's why they're trying to MAKE Amazon care. Megacorps don't do anything out of the goodness of their hearts. If they ever do anything "good," it's out of fear of action from consumers and/or employees, and when the fear isn't enough the action has to be taken.
I will believe (Score:1)
What, we take political cues from children now? (Score:2)
Are children suddenly better informed than adults, who have done things like graduate and enter "the real world"? Are high-school students automatic experts in the fields of climate science, economics and industrial policy? Do their unfinished brains grasp these incredibly complex issues better
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Because this is a week-long event, with many participants. Some of them are going to operate on the same day -- would it be better _not_ to coordinate with anyone else, and get in each others' way? At the very least you want to know what regions will already be in use and by whom so you can decide whether to join in or set up your own protest.
When you find someone walking the same way as you who has roughly the same agenda as you, is that "hanging out"? Because that's pretty much what is going on here. Both
Please kill yourselves (Score:2)
I always remind the bleeding heart eco-liberals who lose the sleep over their "carbon footprint" that they can always move to the state of Washington, make prior arrangements, and kill themselves. Their body will be converted into compost, and from that point on their carbon footprint will be zero.
Do they take personal leave? (Score:1)
Everyone shout with me..... (Score:1)
Atlanta or Dallas HQ (Score:1)
Employers Have Limits. Don't be surprised... (Score:2)
Don't be surprised when the loving, hug-happy tech culture of Silicon Valley hits its limit and the companies start pulling on the reins. Wayfair employees walked out because they didn't like that Wayfair furnished the immigrant detention centers. That's one action. If they were to do it again, I'm fairly certain you'd see some position cuts. And Amazon... really? Have you seen how they treat their driver/contractors and warehouse workers? They, too, have limits to their internal happy culture.
Google employ
Well, that's great!.... At least 50 years too late (Score:1)
Kudos to the walkers! (Score:2)
Go ahead all you brave people. You have a belief and you are willing to get into a little trouble to make a stand. Wish I was so bold. And I might say, I'm amazed at all the super pro-Amazon corporate fuck the environment screw the everyday worker bot responses on Slashdot. I guess Amazon owns a lot of automatic botty type responses... can someone downvote that stuff?
Hypocracy in action. (Score:2)
Reduced box usage (Score:2)
I've noticed that Amazon isn't using boxes for small items as much anymore. Instead they are sending it in a plastic envelope with plastic bubble wrap protection. That's so much better for the environment! /s
Fire them... (Score:1)
...all of them.
Yes my Master.