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Posted
Jun 06 2008, 08:18 AM
by
Robert Walberg
Rating:
With Sen. Hillary Clinton expected to officially concede on Saturday, Sen. Barack Obama has finally secured his party's nomination for president. As such, the time has come for investors to start thinking about how the November election might impact their portfolios. In what is sure to trigger a response from many of you, it is my belief that Obama will win and win big. Before I get to what stocks might benefit from an Obama presidency, let's take a look at why he will win.
First and foremost my prediction has nothing to do with party preference or policy issues. It has to do with simple math and if you are into electoral math, as I am, you need to take a look at Web site FiveThirtyEight.com. While the site suggests that the race will be extremely close, similar to the past two presidential elections, if you dig a little deeper you see that if the Obama can increase the turnout of young
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Posted
Jun 05 2008, 01:38 AM
by
Jon Markman
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One of the most awesome things about the world energy shortage is that it has encouraged every wingnut science professor, inventor, entrepreneur and lawmaker with an ounce of moonbeam in their veins to announce a wacky solution. Maybe they can all generate heat just by making us laugh. Where is Rube Goldberg when we really need him?
So as my tip of the hat to World Environment Day – which is June 5, by the way – I would like to call your attention to my new column on solar thermal energy, and my favorite idea, which comes courtesy of the Australian National University.
Australia, you have to understand first, is one of the world’s largest exporters of coal, oil, natural gas and uranium. It’s like a floating strip mine which every resource-hungry nation of the world is doing its best to hollow out. Yet folks there
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Posted
May 27 2008, 12:24 PM
by
Douglas McIntyre
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Solar energy may be the wave of energy's future, but companies like Google and Chevron may best start-ups in getting to the benefits. A number of large American companies with tremendous balance sheets are pouring money into solar energy based on the fact that it is becoming more competitive with oil.
According to Bloomberg, "Costs for the technology will fall below coal as soon as 2020, the U.S. government estimates. JPMorgan and Wells Fargo invested last year in the biggest solar plant built in a generation; Chevron and Google are funding research; and Goldman Sachs is seeking land to lease as demand out-paces wind turbines and geothermal."
Given the potential size of the bonanza, the investments should not be surprising, but they could squeeze smaller solar energy companies out of the market. Firms like JA Solar and SunTech bet their entire futures
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Posted
Feb 10 2008, 11:54 PM
by
Jon Markman
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Corn-based ethanol production is sure to go down as one of the greatest mistakes ever in U.S. energy policy, yet it is so heavily embedded in election-year politics it just won't go away.
The government's recent move to boost ethanol production -- embedded in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 -- panders to Midwestern and Southern farm-state electorates that are influential in presidential races, yet will end up costing the nation billions more than it purports to save.
I wrote about this scam back in October in a column titled, "Shuck the ethanol and let solar shine," but apparently for some reason my expression of outrage was not enough to prevent Congress from passing a law in late December that will cost taxpayers as much as $550 billion over the next four years.
Now scientists have finally completed research that shows ethanol is not only bad business but also bad for the environment. According to news reports, the latest issue of Science magazine highlights studies showing that biofuels produce more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels when all of their production inputs are accounted for.
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Posted
Nov 08 2007, 08:27 AM
by
Matt Koppenheffer
Rating:
 The report on crude oil inventories yesterday showed that inventories fell less than expected. This may have slowed oil's mad rush to the magical number of $100 per barrel, but if recent history is any indicator of the future, the respite may be temporary.
As much as we all may hate high oil prices, for those working towards a world less dependent on fossil fuels, the skyrocket price of crude may be a big help. After all, the bottom line usually ends up being the bottom line, and as long as oil continues to be a cheaper source of energy than alternatives, those alternatives will have a tough time hitting the mass market. For "green" energy sources, though, higher oil prices helps level the playing field.
On The Motley Fool's CAPS service, players have had a mixed reaction to many alternative energy stocks, but have identified Suntech Power and MEMC Electronic Materials as top plays in the solar market, and they also have liked Archer Daniels Midland for its work in ethanol.
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