For most environmentalists the first law of money is "Spending less is best." That’s a fast way of saying the less we buy the better off the environment. As a general rule, it’s a good one: America’s prodigious and unsustainable shopping habits are creating pollution and depleting resources as fast as you can say "GNP growth."
Greening Corporations With Socially Responsible Investment Groups
Road Services: A Worthy Alternative to AAA -Most Americans have love-hate relationships with their automobiles. While cars do offer mobility, the open road is full of potholes—the literal ones and the environmental reckoning of congestion, global warming and declining air quality. Membership in an automobile club is one time-honored way motorists can gain some security and support. But few people are aware that their auto club, in addition to providing valuable services, from travelers" insurance and checks to roadside assistance, can also be a powerful political force working for social and environmental change—for better or for worse.
As the American economy continues to lag, more and more socially and environmentally responsible investors are looking south to find promising venture capital opportunities. While much of the rest of the world is bogged down in recession and cowed by the specter of terrorism, Latin American businesses are operating in a relatively safe and fast-growing economic climate friendly to sustainable development and still rich in virgin natural resources. A small cadre of environmentally conscious venture funds—most of which feature a nonprofit component—have already invested almost $2 billion in sustainable forestry, organic agriculture, renewable energy and other green businesses in the region, and are poised to make significant returns over the coming decades. Individual investors are still welcome to invest in many of these funds.
Alternative Currency Promotes Fresh Thinking About Sustainable Economics The angry people crowding the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina last January were armed with casseroles and wooden spoons and making a hell of a ruckus. Unemployment was at historic highs, crime had skyrocketed, and the political system was on the verge of collapse. What was responsible […]
For Wind Energy Investments, It’s the Potential That Counts As the fastest-growing energy source in the world, abundant, safe, renewable wind power seems like a very promising investment opportunity. But Americans looking to jump on the wind bandwagon had best be careful, because no U.S.-based wind power companies are publicly traded. Adventurous investors willing to […]
Home Depot and endangered wood, Wal-Mart and sweatshops, Monsanto and genetically engineered foods. Besides being the targets of activist protesting, these companies have all had pressure from their investors to do the right thing. A year ago, Greenpeace made a decision that caused ripples in the environmental community. The group, known for daring tactics against […]
Now that Internet stocks have boomed and busted, wonder how to get in early on the next big thing? Investors aren’t the only ones looking for the next darlings of Wall Street—stock market con artists are also busy inventing the next hot stock. How can you tell the difference between a scam and a good […]
Stock Choices for the Bold and Cautious Investor Ballard Power Systems of Vancouver, Canada is arguably the most exciting company that environmental investors have ever seen. What makes Ballard (stock symbol: BDLP) so appealing is that its fuel cells can generate clean power without combustion. Eventually, fuel cells could provide energy for everything from cellular […]
Land Trusts Help Protect the Environment and Save Money, Too In the central Iowa town of Ackley, near the banks of the Iowa River, you"ll find Bob deNeui, a submarine engineer-turned-conservationist. You"ll find him fishing for bass or catfish, or he may be out collecting firewood. Sometimes you"ll find him camping in the dense woodlands […]
