permaculture

["Michael Kramer" <MKramer@hawaii.rr.com>]

Yes, William, there is a new index, it's called Wilderhill Clean Energy 
Index (ticker PBW) and it's an index of the leading renewable energy 
companies (wind, solar, hydrogen, biomass). It's very exciting to see such a 
thing.

New Alternatives is a mutual fund that's been around a while, and while we 
all love it's focus, its performance has been erratic. That could change. My 
theory is that the reason it doesn't do well is that it's primarily in 
renewable energy, and any sector-based fund has major highs and lows because 
of the "domino effect" that often occurs when one company has a bad quarter 
or a great earnings report. This is why diversification is the general rule 
of investing and why good funds offer companies is a wide range of sectors. 
There are other socially conscious mutual funds which hold renewable energy 
(and many other good sectors such as organic food, recycled and 
biodegradable products, natural health care products).

As far as water, it's not something I'm excited about - turning water into a 
commodity - especially when people speak of it as the next "oil" in terms of 
short supply and high demand. I'm in favor of local control of water because 
it usually comes from a local source and can therefore be controlled by 
locals; some energy supplies do not, however, so they are perhaps worthy of 
"outside" investment (every community can't make solar panels, for example - 
or could they?). I think ultimately what will happen is that groundwater 
mining will destroy so many aquifers that desalination will become the next 
big infrastructure movement (obviously primarily for coastal cities), and, 
believe it or not, there's talk of a Canadian water pipeline down to the 
Southwest. Talk about bizarre. One strategy we must deal with is getting 
rainwater catchment to be legal, because it's not in many desert 
communities, as that water is "reserved" for other uses and jurisdictions. 
That being said, bottled water as an investment is a boom industry, and 
there are also bond issues for municipalities which are making 
infrastructure improvements to their water systems and utilities, which seem 
to be appropriate investments.

Michael

-----
Michael Kramer, M.Ed., AIF (Accredited Investment Fiduciary)
Natural Investment Services
P.O. Box 390595
Keauhou, HI 96739

Michael@NaturalInvesting.com
www.NaturalInvesting.com
808-331-0910
Toll-free: 888-779-1500

Socially Conscious Portfolio Management & Hourly Consulting
Sustainability Strategic Planning and Education

"Be the change you wish to see in the world."
------------------------------------------------------------------------

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "William Genest" <genest@pivot.net>
To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 4:32 PM
Subject: [permaculture] Investing


Michael,

I heard there is a new index available to investors that is focused
on alternative energy et.al - Do you know what it's called and how
one gets in on it ?

Also, I would love your opinion on the only (?) mutual  fund ( that I
can find) dedicated to alternative energy - it's called the New
Alternatives fund and I have been tracking it for some time. it's
returns are mediocre and I wonder if you would comment on whether
that's a reflection of the industry as a whole or of the fund's
decison making abilities ?

Finally, and this one is sure to get a strong reaction from others -
I wonder if you would comment on the ethics of  investing in
companies that are focused on water. I know the horror stories of
privately owned water companies gouging locals, but I also know that
virtually every N.American city has water infrastructure that is in
dire need of replacement and that this will inevitably be farmed out
to industry and I don't see an ethical dilemma with that -

Thanks in advance for your comments,


William


On Sep 22, 2005, at 9:55 PM, Michael Kramer wrote:

> I'm please that Ali is wishing to focus on green economics at the
> next IPC,
> as it's been something I've been focused in recent years. The
> failings of
> the World Bank have been noted by the leaders of that institution
> now, and
> we in the social investment community have been meeting with them
> to examine
> ways to fund microcredit and community development financial
> institutions
> rather than governments (which have obviously mismanaged many loan
> programs). In addition, there is a new global currency beginning to be
> developed by Bernard Litaer (who invented the Euro) - it's called
> the Terra,
> and it will be a global parallel currency tied to specific hard
> assets,
> which means it's a long-term currency which people would desire to
> hold
> long-term rather than trade against other artificial (and essentially
> valueless) currencies. Currency is one thing which pits nations
> against one
> another and has led to tremendous inequities and exploitive
> practices. While
> the social investment movement attempts to hold corporations
> accountable, it
> is critical that the banks, credit unions, loan funds, and such be
> empowered
> to put real cash in the hands of real local people so they may
> build local
> economies from the inside out. It's fine for outsiders to support
> these
> institutions financially by loaning them money (something one can
> do through
> the stock market now), but ultimately what's happening (amazingly
> enough) is
> that the IMF and World Bank are realizing the poor return on their
> investments, and with so much foreigh debt recently being forgiven
> by the
> G8, they are essentially starting over and looking for good local
> economic
> initiatives to support. I agree with Ali that the ethical
> imperatives of
> permaculture are slowly inflitrating the mainstream, and this is
> something
> I've been actively involved in. Last year at the annual Social
> Responsible
> Investment conference in Keystone, Gil Friend of the Natural Step
> brought up
> permaculture and even showed some slides of Vint Lawrence's Apache
> Creek
> Ranch outside Santa Fe (Vint, if you're reading, I wonder if you knew
> this!). It was an amazing experience for Christopher Peck, Jonathan
> Scharfman, and myself (3 longtime permaculture teachers from the
> Southwest)
> to witness 500 financial professionals from around the world
> getting excited
> about permaculture, and I have followed up and tried to build on this
> introduction. I have been plugging the Permaculture Credit Union
> quite a lot
> over the years to this group, despite my inability to persuade the
> Permaculture Credit Union that they absolutely must be at these annual
> events because it's a great way to get depositors, as this is a group
> managing $2.3 trillion.
>
> Anyway, I've been intrigued by the recent thread on money and am
> aware of
> how angry people are at how money has been used on this planet for
> 170 years
> by Western societies. As a recovering anti-capitalist, however, I
> can tell
> you that things are slowly changing, and it's because eco-people
> are getting
> into mainstream institutions and movements and starting to build
> awareness,
> and they are being far more welcomed than ever before. It would be
> nice if
> we could direct investment towards the hybrid or solar divisions of
> multinational companies in order to support only their regenerative
> activities (but then, it would also be nice if we could decide
> which part of
> the budget our taxes could be directed to). Remember, money has no
> value,
> only that which we ascribe to it; it can be used for tremendously
> positive
> things, and we mustn't let our cynicism interfere with our capacity
> to use
> it wisely to reinvest surplus towards the permaculture ethics.
>
> -----
> Michael Kramer, M.Ed., AIF (Accredited Investment Fiduciary)
> Natural Investment Services
> P.O. Box 390595
> Keauhou, HI 96739
>
> Michael@NaturalInvesting.com
> www.NaturalInvesting.com
> 808-331-0910
> Toll-free: 888-779-1500
>
> Socially Conscious Portfolio Management & Hourly Consulting
> Sustainability Strategic Planning and Education
>
> "Be the change you wish to see in the world."
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> --
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "William Genest" <genest@pivot.net>
> To: "permaculture" <permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2005 1:14 PM
> Subject: Re: [permaculture] [permalearnersuk] IPC8
>
>
> Yeah good point Graham but maybe it's like Bill says about using
> heavy machinery - it is worth it if you will end up creating more
> energy than you use although how you'd quantify that I have no
> idea.... I'm getting a Prius - does that count ? :-)
> On Sep 22, 2005, at 6:46 PM, Graham wrote:
>
>
> > How do we get there without using up our lifetimes supply of carbon
> > points????
> >
> > Andy Langford wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > >  IPC 8 Invitation letter
> > >
> > > Boa Vista do Ramos, Amazonas, Brazil
> > > September 8th 2005
> > >
> > > To the many members of the world Permaculture community
> > >
> > > I would like to honor and thank the members of both the Danish and
> > > Croatian Permaculture Associations and the larger European
> > > Permaculture community that made IPC 7 such a wonderful
> > > gathering. In
> > > particular I would like to salute the venerable Tony Anderson whose
> > > strength of purpose and generalship reincarnated the IPC event after
> > > so many years of dormancy.
> > >
> > > The traditional rotation between continents has positioned South
> > > America as next in line for hosting IPC 8. During plenary vote in
> > > Croatia in June 2005, Brazil was officially selected as its next
> > > venue. The event, as decided, will be held in May of 2007.
> > >
> > > As the international project coordinator for Permacultura America
> > > Latina (PAL), which is the coordinating body for the Rede
> > > Permacultura do Brazil (RPB), I will be assuming the role of IPC 8
> > > coordinator. Permit me to confirm that this event will be held as
> > > stated and I look to your help and experience for guidance.
> > >
> > > During the last two months, and aside from the standard Convergence
> > > program, various themes for the Conference have been bandied around
> > > and one that has been consistently responded to has been the
> > > issue of
> > > Green Economics.  With the condition of the world monetary system
> > > increasingly uncertain the opportunity to devote several days to the
> > > full array of topics represented by this theme, has, arguably,
> > > arisen.  In short, we have before us the opportunity to hoist the
> > > banner of Permaculture on an International Economics Conference.
> > >
> > > Green Economics also represents an opportunity to engage the Latin
> > > American private sector, particularly in light of so much of the
> > > planet’s remaining natural resources concentrated on this continent.
> > > With so many sustainable development plans already being
> > > assembled to
> > > plunder these irreplaceable resources, it hardly needs explaining
> > > the
> > > urgency to clarify green economic misconceptions and clarify
> > > inevitable possibilities. After all, at present, the bankers have
> > > most of us by the balls.
> > >
> > > Australian permaculturists have offered to set up an IPC website as
> > > the technological mechanism for communications. The US Credit Union
> > > has offered its service and even possible funding. Previous IPC
> > > event
> > > organizers have likewise confirmed promises to provide whatever
> > > information and assistance may be available.
> > >
> > > For my part I am poised to begin the proposal and fundraising
> > > process
> > > and other foundations have offered to participate. Specifically the
> > > Swiss based Avina Foundation has offered to convene a pre conference
> > > gathering in early 2006 to articulate the final Conference agenda.
> > >
> > > Thus my friends I leave it to you to provide some feedback as
> > > soon as
> > > possible to justify both my personal and institutional resolve and
> > > reach that point of no return.
> > >
> > > I remain, as always, moist and tropically yours
> > >
> > > Ali Sharif
> > >
> > > ahmadalisharif@yahoo.com
> > _______________________________________________
> > permaculture mailing list
> > permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
> > http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/permaculture
>
> Best Regards,
>
>   William Genest
>
>   - Founder  Green Mountain Permaculture Institute of Vermont
> Solutions, Sustenance, Sustainability
> www.greenmountainpermaculture.com
>
> - Creator  "Regeneration - The Art of Sustainable Living"
>  From "Something-Must-be-Done" to Something we can do !
> www.regenerationshow.com
>
> - Ecological Coordinator
> Club St.Paul Ecological Golf Course
>
> - Vice-President  Green Party of Quebec "pour nous et nos enfants"
> www.pvq.qc.ca
>
> - National Spokesperson Green Party of Canada
> "The Future is Now ! "
> www.greenparty.ca
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> _______________________________________________
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Best Regards,

 William Genest

 - Founder  Green Mountain Permaculture Institute of Vermont
Solutions, Sustenance, Sustainability
www.greenmountainpermaculture.com

- Creator  "Regeneration - The Art of Sustainable Living"
From "Something-Must-be-Done" to Something we can do !
www.regenerationshow.com

- Ecological Coordinator
Club St.Paul Ecological Golf Course

- Vice-President  Green Party of Quebec "pour nous et nos enfants"
www.pvq.qc.ca

- National Spokesperson Green Party of Canada
"The Future is Now ! "
www.greenparty.ca



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