Archive for the ‘Alternate’ tag

An Investment in Alternate Energy Mutual Funds is an Investment in the Future of the Earth

If you are concerned about how modernization affects the environment and if you are looking for new investments, investments in alternative energy mutual funds may be the perfect solution.
Alternate energy mutual funds invest in companies that are developing ways to produce energy without harming the environment. You can join the huge movement of people who are interested in making money from alternative energy.
The world comes closer and closer to an energy crisis as the non-renewable sources of energy such as coal and oil, which are are major sources of power, become more depleted. This is the reason so many companies are scrambling to develop alternative sources of energy. They need money to do this, and alternative energy mutual funds can supply the money.
A mutual fund is an investment company that looks for small companies that have growth potential and then it invests in them. Remember the Microsoft story: a small company that was started in a garage.
Alternative energy mutual funds specialize in investing in companies that develop alternative energy. Some do this solely because they believe it is better for the earth. But others see alternative energy as the only option for power for the future.
Alternative energy is culled from the natural resources of the earth, such as wind, sun and air. Unlike the non-renewable sources of energy, these sources will continue into the future. People who invest in alternative energy mutual funds may not have to worry about their future! But there are risks to be considered with alternative energy mutual funds.
But all businesses have risk.
There are some viable alternative energy technologies that are not yet cost effective. The alternative energy mutual funds need to be selective about which firms they invest in. They have to make sure the company meets the environmental standards they may have, as well as the ability to use new technogies.
Change is inevitable, and everything in the world changes constantly, including people, their governments and their policies. These changes affect the companies that alternate energy mutual funds invest in.
How a company develops and grows will be determined by factors such as opportunities available and risks encountered. It is possible to make or lose a lot of money. But this, like everything in life is a gamble.
Alternative energy mutual funds have been primarily investing in other countries so that they can keep their investments diversified and take advantage of growth opportunities. But there are foreign exchange risks in this.
Alternative energy mutual funds are run by human beings, who are always prone to mistakes. One of those mistakes is to think they are investing in a company that has an alternate source of energy when all they are doing is adding additives to change the chemical makeup of the energy source. This is not a joke. Since the regulation of these companies is not strong, scams like this can happen.
There are many more riks that may have to be faced when considering investing in alternative energy mutual funds. But sometimes the end, helping the earth, is worth the risk.

The Coal based thermal power plants and the need for alternate energy sources for Green India

The complete article is also available at http://probebusiness. blogspot. com/2009/12/greener-side-of-greener-india-newer. html There was certainly an element of surprise in the market when the Indian GDP numbers for the September 2009 quarter were released. India had clocked a record GDP growth of 7. 9 percent as against the market expectations of 6. 3 percent. The Indian bellwether indexes Sensex and Nifty reached new highs for the year after the announcement of GDP numbers. India is witnessing a rapid economic growth, and so with it are the growing energy needs of the country. Power demand in the country touched an all-time high of 99,027 MW recently, a year-on-year growth of over 16%. This is in sharp contrast to the situation in US where the overall power consumption is expected to decline by over 1. 4%. According to forecasts from Mckinsey and company[2008], India?s demand for power is set to soar to as much as 315,000 MW by 2017 at an average GDP growth rate of 8% per year, which is more than double the demand for power from now. To meet these humongous energy demands the nation has to scale up rapidly its power generating sources. Currently the power needs of India are primarily met by Thermal?power stations followed by Hydro, Renewable (mainly Wind) and Nuclear power stations. Thermal power stations account for nearly 60% of India?s total power generation and these power stations are predominantly Coal based. India has got?domestic reserves of Coal but unfortunately around 80% of coal available in India is characterized by high ash content of 35-45%. Burning of this inferior quality coal, results in higher Carbon emissions and lesser efficiency. It also releases hazardous substances like Nitrogen Oxide, Sulphur Oxide, particulate matters, bottom ash and Fly ash. Causes of several diseases like Asthma, Tuberculosis, Black lung, kidney diseases and many more have been attributed to these emissions. Coal mining which is done to extract coal to feed into thermal plants is also hazardous. A Coal mine fire detected in Jharia of Jharkhand state for which illegal coal mining has been blamed, has now risked life of more than 80,000 people and the govt is looking for evacuation and rehabilitation measures. The environmental problems caused by burning and mining of coal are unrelenting. The operations of Thermal power stations aren’t going good either. The plants are now facing newer problems due to insufficient domestic coal supply. India is experiencing shortages in the production of domestic coal and has now started to import coal. Recently around 23 Thermal power stations including the Super thermal power stations like NTPC faced critical coal stock levels and had to cut down their production levels. The power cuts were imminent. As per a study India Inc has supposedly lost Rs. 43,205 crore in 2008-09 due to power outages. There are also growing fears now that at the current rate of coal consumption the coal reserves of India may get exhausted by 2040 and India may have to to depend entirely on coal?imports. Relying on imports for domestic energy production?? This is a serious energy security concern for India and is in stark contrast to India’s energy independence plans. To recall on the eve of the 59th Independence Day, the President of India had emphasized that energy independence should be India?s first and highest priority, and the nation must be determined to achieve this within 25 years. The President had called for ??an economy which will function well with total freedom from oil, gas or coal imports??. To achieve energy independence, India has to reduce its reliance on energy sources based on?imported fuels and look for indigenous sources of power generation. If not for the reasons of environmental pollution and global warming, at least for the costs of operating, shortages of coal supply and for achieving energy independence, India has to move aggressively towards non coal based power generation sources. The alternatives available for non coal source are not only much efficient but also much greener. The important ones among the alternatives are Solar Energy, Nuclear Energy, Wind Energy, Natural gas and Biomass. The Carbon emissions from these sources are significantly low compared to Coal based thermal power stations. To satisfy the humongous power demands of the nation and hence for the economic development of India,?Going Green seems to be the only way to go.