Greenpeace attacks HP with paint, William Shatner

PC maker breaks chemicals promise

31 July 2009 10:38 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

Greenpeace, unhappy with Hewlett Packard's perceived broken promise to eliminate hazardous chemicals (polyvinyl chloride and brominated flame retardants) in its products, has attacked the corporation on two fronts - with paint and William Shatner.

Greenpeace activists painted a giant message on the roof of HP's global headquarters in Palo Alto, California that reads "Hazardous Products". Apparently the paint used was non-toxic children's finger paint.

As well as the painted message, Greenpeace set up an automated phone system to repeatedly dial HP employee's numbers and then play them a recorded message from Star Trek's William Shatner (a Greenpeace bod later said they thought he'd appeal to the techie crowd) urging employees to put pressure on HP's CEO to phase out the chemicals.