There are degrees of biodegradability. Even gold is biodegradable in the longest term (you use some in your biochemistry). As I said, you have a choice of detergents. Pick the right one.

You have a choice of detergents. If you use a biodegrable detergent it will not harm the waterways. I've seen the difference on a farm with no 'mains' connections.

In the end, both.

Why? You ask me this? Shouldn't you be asking them? A US judge cannot order Microsoft Ireland to do anything unless it trades in his jurisdiction. Which I don't believe it does. Why should not a judge be required to understand everyone else's law? Every other country is required to understand the US's. All I ask for is reciprocity there. Oh, when are you going to turn over those CIA agents that broke international, Italian and US law by renditions? With a US government willing to kidnap and kill those that it chooses to the US cannot be considered a country that respects the laws of others.

Microsoft Ireland would be constrained by european law from exporting the data. Is that not the case?

The real issue at stake here is the very notion of cloud storage versus location storage. Not just laws and controls but existence. If I pump something into the cloud then it should be a cloud and where the data actually resides should be obscure at best. I would have thought that best practice for a cloud supplier would be to have everything RAIDed around the planet. Multiple redundancy, only fragments on any particular server.

Again you are confusing Microsoft USA with Microsoft Ireland. They are not the same.

An Ad hominem. Your admission of defeat is accepted. And I wasn't even competing.

Sure Microsoft could. But the court could not order it. As to your chair in Europe, you might own a chair in Europe but what you do with it is still subject to European law. For example, certain historical artefacts may not be imported/exported. Ownership is a limited right.

Is this why governments all over the world are selling off the infrastructure?

Err.... No, No US court could claim ownership or seize a foreign company without going through that companies courts. They might be able to seize Microsoft US but not Microsoft Ireland without due process.

The data in question is held by Microsoft Ireland and fully owned subsidiary but separate legal entity. The judge cannot require Microsoft Ireland to produce the data as it is not a party to the case and as a foreign company must hold to the law of the territory where it is registered. So Microsoft US neither hods nor controls the data so the request to produce it is moot.

Microsoft US does not own or control the server in Ireland. A fully owned subsidiary, Microsoft Ireland does. They are required to follow EU law.

Microsoft Ireland is not a US company. It is incorporated in Ireland. If Microsoft US requested or ordered Microsoft Ireland to supply the data then Microsoft Ireland would be bound by EU law to refuse it. The limit of Microsoft's ability there would be an endless chain of hire and fire if MS Irelands executives and employees.

No. The order to produce went to Microsoft US. The data is under the control of Microsoft Ireland, a fully owned subsidiary registered in a foreign country. Since Microsoft Ireland has the legal obligation to refuse the data to Microsoft US, Microsoft US neither owns not controls the data and cannot be compelled to produce it.