In what is sure to be only the latest event in a long case of protracted legal wrangling, a San Francisco federal appeals court has ordered Royal Dutch Shell Plc's (NYSE: RDS.A) vessels to stop all operations in the Beaufort and Chuckchi Seas. Environmental groups and Eskimo villages are seeking greater research into the effect drilling will have on marine wildlife in the region, and the judge agreed to give them time.

Shell isn't too happy. The company claims to have spent $200 million on the project already, including extensive research on the effect drilling will have on the environment, and has also formulated a plan to deal with oil spills. Of course, it's easy to be skeptical of an oil company's studies on environmental impact.

The Department of the Interior has supported drilling but, given the recent scandals involving global warming and political pressure on scientists, the department is not as high on credibility as it once was.

Given the amount of time it will take for any oil from the region to be brought to market, and the relatively small amount that is thought to be feasible for drilling, this probably won't have a material impact on energy prices anytime soon.

Do you consider the environmental impact of the products you purchase? There are many customers who do, and there are even indexes that measure the impact of certain products made by many companies so that customers can get a clear picture of just how that new PC, iPod or laser printer can end up impacting the environment (generally, when disposed of).

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is a hot name in the field of consumer electronics right now based on how the company continues to sell iPod digital music players like crazy while being hot in the retail field and in the PC field as well. Financially, Apple shares have done tremendous things in the past five years as well -- making many shareholders happy people these days. Is Apple's opus here? Many doubt it is -- even as Apple seems like it can't score any more home runs. Yet, this is what is continues to do every year it seems.

But from an ecological standpoint, the company is not doing that hot. Apple has been ranked the worst among 14 leading electronics manufacturers according to a new Greenpeace survey. What was the measurement criteria? Mainly, the use of toxic chemicals and Apple's commitment to recycling obsolete products were looked at. But it fared the worst from a group of 14 manufacturers? That's an eyebrow raiser in an age where being "green" is all the rage -- and a company as iconic as Apple is not close to hitting the mark here. Companies that are? Well, they include Lenovo, Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Dell, Samsung, Motorola, Fujitsu-Siemens, HP and ACER above-average scores while Toshiba, Sony, LG and Panasonic all were rated below average. At the bottom? Apple.