AMSTERDAM -- Greenpeace wants electronics companies to clean up their acts.

The activist environmental protection organization this week released its study of the "green credentials" of the top electronics OEMs. Ranked on their use of toxic chemicals and electronic waste (e-waste) policies, Dell and Nokia scored highest -- albeit  a "barely respectable" 7 out of 10 -- while Apple, Motorola and Lenovo finished at the bottom of the class. The average score for the 14 companies reviewed was 4 of 10.
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JACKSON, MI -- EMS firm Sparton Corp. reported net sales of $50.5 million for its fourth quarter ended June 30, up 9.6% over last year. Net income fell 95% to $468,000 from $4.94 million last year. Read more ...

BEIJING -- The Chinese government ordered Foxconn's Shenzhen EMS site to create a union for workers this year, according to the Beijing News today.

Shenzhen officials have reportedly told Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry, the local name of the Foxconn plant, to set up a union by the end of this year, the paper said.


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CHICAGO -- In its annual world outlook for commercial airplanes, Boeing predicts a 6.1% annual increase in air cargo traffic over the next 20 years. Coupled with higher fuel costs, that suggests cargo rates will continue to fly higher in coming years.

The world's largest maker of planes also predicts passenger traffic to increase 4.9% a year through 2025.

The company said worldwide air freighter fleet will nearly double over the next 20 years to 3,560 airplanes, from 1,790.