The Chic Ecologist

Invest Green – Environmentally Responsible Stocks and Mutual Funds

Now may not be the best time for this post, or is it? Market wisdom dictates to buy low, sell high. Well guess what, the market is pretty low right now and some technologies seem to have a rosy future. The Obama administration has made it clear that they will be investing heavily in alternative green energy sources, breaking our dependency on oil and dirty power generation. This opens up a great opportunity to possibly make some money, and support green initiatives that are important to you as well.

I must interject with a disclaimer, I am not a financial adviser – I am a biologist. I have found that these stocks and mutual funds work for me (both financially and ethically), but please do your research and purchase wisely, there is always risk when investing.

Socially responsible funds have been getting a lot of attention over the last few years, and it is beginning to expand into green energy and sustainable businesses as well. You can find a mutual fund that invests in a wide portfolio of companies that match your environmental ethics, or pick you can them out individually.

Case in point, my stock in Whole Foods (WFMI)  is actually doing quite well given the current market conditions. Find companies that promote your values and look them up online to see if they are publicly traded, if so, you can probably buy some of their stock.

Mutual funds are usually a bit better if you are trying to target an industry or specific idea such as alternative energy, or even to get as specific as wind energy. Socially responsible funds tend to be invested in companies with high employee satisfaction ratings, living wages, and aren’t involved in the ‘vices’ such as tobacco, guns, weapons, adult industry enterprises. Environmentally responsible funds stay away from oil, mining activities, petro-chemicals, pesticide manufacturing and genetic engineering. It is always a good idea to get a prospectus just to check out the actual companies that are being invested in since the fund manager may have a different idea about what is ‘environmentally responsible’ than you.

If you are interested in reading more, check out greenchipstocks.com or if you just want the names of energy specific funds, you can get a list of mutual funds ordered by category on altenergystocks.com. Talk to your stock broker or financial advisor for more information about this expanding sector of funds and stock offerings, they may be just what you are looking for in this future looking market.

Related posts:

1. Tools for Sustainable Investing
2. What is Greenwashing – The Spin of Environmentally Friendly Marketing
3. Carbon Trading Scams – Who are you paying to reduce your footprint?
4. Green Jobs
5. Green Up Your Launderd Clothing – Dry Cleaning Re-thought

Tags: environmentally friendly, Environmentally Responsible, renewable resource, sustainable business

7 Comments to Invest Green – Environmentally Responsible Stocks and Mutual Funds

1. 

   Nice writing. You are on my RSS reader now so I can read more from you down the road.

   Allen Taylor
Allen Taylor on March 20th, 2009
2. 

   Hello everyone,

   I saw the article about going green and being more environmentally friendly. I think it is great that so many more people are waking up to the fact that the planet is in trouble and that we need to act now in order to help out. I think we can all do that little bit extra to try and help save the planet. Whether that be the little things, such as making sure all water taps are properly turned off when you leave the kitchen or bathroom, switching all your electrical appliances off instead of standby. I do all these, but I have also changed the way I send greetings cards. The amount of paper birthday cards, and Christmas cards we send every I was shocked to think at how much money I was spending, and the amount of resources I was using. To change my ways, I have now become a bit of a fan of e-Cards. I think they are such a good way to help the environment, no paper required, so less trees to be cut down! This has to be a good thing! I know e-Cards are not going to be for everyone, but I think they are worth a try! Hope you all find this useful, Kind regards, Nicole.
Nicole on March 23rd, 2009
3. 

   Have you heard of Vu1’s new light bulb. Their symbol is VUOC and it looks like their new bulb could be awesome.
Joseph on March 24th, 2009
4. 

   1. f*@k ‘whole wallet’(foods).
   2. I have had calvert and parnassas for social and environmentally responsible investing for about 10 years. That’s all.
   3. e-cards aint gunna save the world. It will take massive regulation and slowing of the ‘consumption machine’ (of which all of american companies and families are a major part).
   My prediction: the making and spending of money is too valued (and contagious) in our society and increasingly, the world, to allow a real change in time for the apocalyptic tipping point. Sorry!
   4. Bye and enjoy your next life as a crow or cockroach!
nicole sister on September 8th, 2009

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