PC honcho Michael Dell announces new green initiatives

Amidst the energy-sucking glitz of Las Vegas, PC magnate Michael Dell announced that his eponymous company is greening up, and encouraged others to follow suit. Dell addressed two green-itiatives at an International Consumer Electronics Show speech yesterday. The first, a new partnership with carbon-offset provider Carbonfund, will let customers opt to have a tree planted when they buy a Dell PC. “This groundbreaking program encourages participation by inviting customers in the effort to address climate change,” said Conservation Fund President Larry Selzer. “No other company in the technology space is doing something [this] extraordinary.” Dell has also set the bar high with its end-of-life equipment recycling programs. “Today, I challenge every PC maker to join us in providing free recycling for every customer in every country you do business, all the time — no exceptions,” Dell said. “It’s the right thing to do for our customers. It’s the right thing to do for our earth.”