Investing in Green

Remember...there are as many hustlers with their own bad agendas in the green game as in any other....maybe more. These are the great grandsons of the snake-oil drummers of a century ago. Ethanol....Wow was that a con. Grow more corn for fuel, leave less for feed or food and increase food prices. Well done the farm community and distiller manufacturers. Wind farms? Guess how much energy we will ever get from those monstrosities? A European feel-good job creator. Nuclear...a good option as we learn from mistakes and manage our fear. Big players such as GE will make money out of this option so the odds are on your side. Natural gas...wow..here's a great option. Big players but it competes with oil so the megastars of energy (oil companies) will talk a lot and do very little. Cheap, available and much less polluting than oil or coal and using the existing infrastructure.

Batteries to make electrical power more versatile? Big investments going on there. Also into Lithium mining and maybe vanadium to support the new developments. Solar? Big delivery problems. But it is worth a peek. Fuel cells? Several companies are plodding away and if you have deep pockets, this will be a winner....but not yet. Coal? Ouch. Because there's lots of it does not make it good unless you like eating air.

OK, these are a few. But there are many others and you need to narrow your range, pick one or two, do homework on the companies in the sector and dig in for the long haul. New developments and knowledge may disprove my comments here so get updated constantly.

Yes, this company has developed what they call a green bottle. It is plastic but made from plant based materials including grass, pine bark and corn husk. PepsiCo even wants to push this in the future to include potato and orange peels and other byproducts from food. More companies are investing in research to find green options.

Yes, have a plan, an approach, a strategy that will be your guide in your green investing journey. When you have this, you are not tempted to put money in whatever stock is touted as green by magic wand brokers. Have a step by step approach to discipline you when bombarded with information by all those Bloomberg and CNBC analysts. Think of them as semi-crazed entertainers, not mentors. Stick to your plan.

There are several sectors in green investing. Start getting to know one very well and then start investing small first. Then, learn more about the other sectors and invest only when you think you know it well enough.

Go and attend those company's annual meetings. Or call their investor relations office and ask your questions. Read their annual reports and news items on these companies and ask the relevant questions. Question the analysts. Participate in forums and ask your questions. This is your best green investment: educating yourself on options.