The G20 will meet next week in London, and while police are bracing for clamoring anti-globalization and climate change protests, organizers say all the planned events will be peaceful.

While the failures of the banking system will take the forefront (get used to hearing the phrase “Bankers are wankers”), organizers have also planned protests to the G20’s response to climate change.

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Via:  Neatorama

The new head of the Nature Conservancy is a 24-year Goldman Sachs vet who thinks big and acts globally. The Ecosystem Marketplace talks to Mark Tercek about his past success, his current challenges and his vision for TNC’s future.

Mark Tercek’s kids are stoked. They’ve been on family eco-vacations to Greenland, Patagonia, the Galapagos Islands and Costa Rica — and now, their dad is in charge of a conservation powerhouse that protects many of the spots they’ve visited.

Tercek, who became president and CEO of The Nature Conservancy (TNC) July 15, ran Goldman Sachs’ Center for Environmental Markets and the firm’s Environmental Strategy Group.

Growing up in Cleveland, Tercek didn’t have extensive exposure to the natural world apart from local parks. Now as a parent of four, he’s gone global so that his own kids can experience nature firsthand.

Clearly, they love it. “When my kids learned I got the job as head of the Conservancy, they were just as excited as I was,” he says.

Along with enthusiasm, Tercek arrives at TNC with decades of experience in the investment banking world and, since 2005, he’s been bridging the narrowing gap between finance and conservation through Goldman Sachs’ environmental initiatives.

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Editor’s note: This week, Celsias writer Britt Gordon-McKeon looks at a new savings account option from socially conscious banking trailblazer ShoreBank. This post was originally published on October 16, 2007.

For the first time in the U.S., a triple-bottom line bank (working towards social, environmental and financial goals) is offering a high-interest online savings account. ShoreBank’s new ShoreBank Direct account currently offers a 5.00% APY with a $1 minimum, competitive with the best internet savings accounts currently available. The savings accounts can be managed online, receive direct deposits, and link to up to three checking accounts for electronic transfers.

I wrote about ShoreBank Pacific here a few months ago, and its focus on environmental banking in the Pacific Northwest:

While most banks make their lending decisions based solely on financial profitability, ShoreBank Pacific lends only to businesses and non-profits which are committed to improving their environmental footprint by using energy efficiently, working to reduce waste and pollution, and conserving natural resources. The bank has a scientist on staff and evaluates loan clients annually using a scoring system based on The Natural Step principles of sustainability, helping clients identify areas for progress and offering technical assistance. - Personal Banking for Environmental Sustainability

The money from this new account goes into the parent bank, ShoreBank, which also makes loans in the Midwest in cities like Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland. While ShoreBank Pacific places the environment as its top concern, ShoreBank has a more broad-based approach, attempting to balance environmental sustainability with community development; still, according to their annual report, 35% of ShoreBank’s 2006 loans were considered "conservation loans," promoting "efficient energy use and alternative sources of energy; the promotion of efficient use of materials and natural resources, the use of nontoxic materials, and the elimination of toxins; and the protection, increased capacity, and revitalization of land and water."

The new high-yield savings account beats interest rates at many of the online banks that have traditionally led the pack, such as EmigrantDirect (4.75% APY), HSBC Direct (4.50%), and ING (4.30%), as of 10/8/07. In fact, Bankrate.com currently lists only three no-minimum accounts that beat the ShoreBank rate, and those only by slim margins ( 5.05-5.17% APY)– a difference of less than $2 a month in interest per $10,000 in the account.

A key impetus for the unveiling of the program is the way the recent subprime mortgage crisis has hit low-income homeowners, although that is only one part of ShoreBank’s plans.

ShoreBank will use the deposits to help fuel its ambitious community development and conservation loan origination growth strategy. The strategy includes plans for rescuing more than 10,000 homeowners on Chicago’s South and West Sides at risk of foreclosure by helping them to refinance and consolidate debt.

"The ShoreBank online high-yield savings account will streamline the deposit process and provide a more efficient way to manage our banking relationship and account activity while making a greater impact," said Joseph E. Hasten, President and CEO of ShoreBank. "Besides providing depositors with access to a competitive rate of return, it is the vehicle by which the bank will use to raise core deposits to fund mortgage lending and rescue homeowners at the risk of foreclosure as well as finance new environmentally-friendly, sustainable development opportunities," added Hasten. - ShorbankCorp

Whether you desire to buy trees to help the environment for personal reasons, for investment purposes or you simply refer others to buy trees through our Affiliate Program,  PanAm BioFuels has made the process so simple that everyone can find a way to participate in it.

1) Purchase Trees for Investment

Jatropha trees can be bought directly from Pan-Am Biofuels for only $4 each in lots ranging from 250 trees for $1000 to 25,000 trees for $100,000.  Though delivery is possible for larger volumes, we will believe most people will take advantage of our Contract Farming Program where we will actually plant your trees on our plantations. 

With our Contract Farming Program we do all the work from planting to harvest to sale of the oil.  The only fee for all of this is a 10% fee from profits.  Then 90% of the profits are passed on to you, the tree owner.  All you have to do is purchase your trees in lots for only $4/each.

If you have priced trees at your local nursery you will see most prices range from $10 to $25. So now you may be thinking…

"How can you produce, plant and sell these trees at only $4 each?"

There are several reasons, including, but not limited to,

• Because the cost of living as well as labor is much cheaper in Central America where our nurseries are located.
• The efficiencies and economies of scale we enjoy by the huge volume of trees our nursery outputs allow us to save a tremendous amount of money passing the savings on to you.
• Our nursery is in close proximity to our Jatropha Tree plantation in Costa Rica where our Contract Farming Program is being implemented so there are minimal transportation expenses.

"So how much money do I stand to earn by buying your Jatropha Trees? What is the return on my investment?" 

Your trees can potentially bring  as much as 45% PER YEAR calculated  from your original investment once the trees start producing within 3-4 years.   Jatropha trees start bearing seeds the second year and reach maximum production at about 4 years.  You can review the full details and Financial Projections once you register and login.

Pan-Am Biofuels has truly created a unique situation and opportunity for the average person to take advantage of.

Now you can participate in an industry that has produced the wealthiest individuals and corporations in the world. The only difference is, instead of drilling for oil and destroying the environment, you will be growing oil and restoring the environment by owning oil producing Jatrpha Trees

2) Sell trees for Commissions as an Affiliate

We will pay you to refer customers! Pan-Am Biofuels has created a lucrative opportunity for webmasters,  business owners and individuals alike. By becoming an Affiliate you can help promote our Jatropha tree project, earn commissions and at the same time you’ll be doing your part to better our environment.  Learn more about how our Affiliate Program works.

Whether you just cashed in with a winning lotto number or just have a bit of extra cash lying around, investing can be easily overwhelming and intimidating. If you want to avoid financing companies that sell products such as weapons or oil, there are options which offer more control over the direction of your investments, with Shared Interest playing a vital role in Fair Trade through financial assistance.

In 1984, the first ethical investment funds were introduced in the UK. While concerns about poor performance of ethically-based investments still linger, there has been no correlation discovered between the two. In fact the "performance of ethical funds is just as reliant on good management techniques as that of conventional funds."

Shared Interest is a UK-based co-operative lending society of over 8,400 members which seeks to help finance and support Fair Trade projects. Shared Interest achieves this goal through two avenues: one focused on the developing world; the other on Fair Trade businesses in the developed world. Trade finance is given to producers against both individual orders and through long-term loans to help with business development and expansion. As Shared Interest is supportive of Fair Trade, they understand the limitations faced by producers, such as collateral and credit history, and take such into account when evaluating applicants. On the buyer side, capital is provided to both help new stores acquire initial inventory of Fair Trade items and to assist in bridging the gap between advance payments to producers and subsequent sales. The latter is especially important within the Fair Trade movement as it is the prepayment which allows a direct trade to be successfully established between the retailer and producer.

Shared Interest qualifies companies on individual basis, but typically asks that they be members of Fair Trade groups such as International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT), Fair Trade Federation, or Fair Trade Labelling Organizations (FLO), to ensure Fair Trade practices are being followed. To create an understanding with consumers about the need for Fair Trade, Shared Interest has created the Beekeeper game, which allows you to make the tough decisions faced by poor producers in a "choose your own adventure" setting, and to see where they take you. This drives the point that without Fair Trade and financing opportunities, the producers face choices of bad or worse, jailed in a cycle of poverty frequently exploited by traditional international trade systems. Consumer impact is also achieved through stories about producers and buyers and the success they’ve found with Shared Interest support.

With over $40 million in share capital, Shared Interest is able to support many avenues, making a significant impact upon individual lives and within the Fair Trade movement. While becoming a member is currently limited to residents of the UK, hopefully the success of such companies as Kiva will inspire expansion or others to fill the gap and offer investment opportunities in other developed countries.

Maybe you don’t read the NY Times religiously, but hey…you don’t have to be Warren Buffet to know oil is going up, or that America is in the midst of a corn frenzy. Food prices are rising faster than inflation. All of a sudden people are trading in their SUV’s for hybrids and Wal-Mart is going solar. Home Depot even just slapped it’s new "Eco-Option" labels on 60,000 of their products…and now they sell organic worm poop? Boy, times have changed.

The Ripple Effect

The bottom line is that you don’t have to be a genius to know that the market is shifting. All you have to do is look at your grocery bill. The cost for some of the most basic food items has literally skyrocketed over the past year, thanks to our new ethanol obsession and record-breaking corn prices. Cola-Cola is even looking for a corn-syrup alternative. The price of raw milk jumped by 23% and a gallon may even set you back $5 by September. The ethanol demand is not just driving the price of corn up….it’s also having a ripple effect on everything from cotton balls to cornflakes. So, maybe we’ll end up saving a few cents at the pump, but we can all count prices going up for 1300 other consumer products.

How to Start Investing in the Ethanol Rush?

Well, for starters, it’s definitely not with an ethanol producer! These companies are the epitome of volatile and super sensitive to both oil and corn prices. Why? Simply because U.S. ethanol is made from corn, and then transported by rail or truck, which both use oil.

Expensive + Expensive Oil = Skimpy Net Profits…and that doesn’t make a very sexy balance sheet. Then, when some of America’s largest ethanol producers started fetching stock prices lower than their IPO’s, Wall Street started to lose interest, and investors began looking for other ways to profit from America’s ethanol binge. Where exactly are investors looking now? Outside of the "ethanol box", that’s for sure…

4 Ways to Profit from the Ethanol Rush

1) Corn-Related Farm Products

Fertilizer, soil conditioners, agricultural machinery, genetically engineered seeds that can increase crop yields, etc. are gaining popularity with farmers. Because of the stress being put on increasing output, companies that can provide products that will enhance yields while reducing input costs will increase in demand.

Why Now?

Farmers are feelin’ good and making more loot than ever. With pressure to be even more productive, they don’t want just any kind of corn-seed, they want really “special” seeds (AKA: "genetically modified"). In addition, with climate change making weather conditions unpredictable, seeds that grow drought & disease resistant crops will be ideal.

Hot Picks:

Monsanto. They’re the largest corn-seed producer in the world, genetically modified seeds are their specialty and US farmers are flocking to them for supplies. DuPont has some pretty hot kernels too, but they produce all sorts of agricultural products, allowing Monsanto the company of choice for the entire farming sector. More corn to grow = More seeds to plant.

2) Agricultural Machinery

Why Now?

This year, farmers planted 90.5 million acres of corn, the largest crop since WWII. Within just 5 years, we can expect to see ethanol production triple. It’s sure going to take a lot more corn to produce all that ethanol! With more corn to grow, farmers are forced to extend their acreage. With more land to farm, incentive to produce, and farmers making more money per bushel…farmers are demanding more agricultural machinery.

Hot pick:

Deere & Co., the world’s largest maker of farm equipment takes the cake. If you bought this company this time last year, you’re probably one happy clam right now. BusinessWeek is calling them a "Revolution on Wheels" because it’s not just U.S. corn farmers who are scrambling to buy its products, either: farmers in developing countries are demanding Deere quality too. Other farm equipment and agro-processing companies like Agco Corp, CNH Global NV, and Bunge are typically in a position to gain momentum when commodities are hot.

3) Capitalize on Soft Commodities

Why Now?

It’s no mystery corn’s pretty pricey right now. But with the biofuel boom, oil prices high, and 1.4 billion people in China that don’t plan to stop eating any time soon, analysts are predicting that prices for a slew of other crops are expected to skyrocket, just like corn. For instance, we can already seen this with sugar. Sure, that sweet goodness seems super cheap right now, but it’s actually at 24-year high. Then, factor in Asia’s rising sweet tooth and the fact that 60% of the world’s ethanol is produced from sugar….and we’ve got one big "sugar high" on our hands. Bottom-line: as we begin divert our food crops to fuel, supplies will decrease, giving way to rising demand for raw materials.

Hot Pick:

The Rogers International Commodity Index is a favorite amongst anyone wanting to benefit from commodities. It’s created and managed by the investment guru, Jim Rogers. The other “edge” that investors like about this this index is that it contains 35 different commodities (weighted according to their importance in international commerce), making it much more diversified than the other indices. Another easy option is to buy "Rogers TRAKRS," which allow investors to gain exposure to agricultural, energy and metal commodities with just one transaction. There’s no minimum, and it’s similar to buying a share on a stock exchange. It’s that easy. More information can be found here.

Other Commodity Index Funds:

• Oppenheimer Real Asset Fund
• PIMCO Commodity Real Return Strategy
• Goldman Sachs Commodities Index
• Deutsche Bank Liquid Commodities Index
• Dow Jones AIG Commodities Index

*You can also buy other ETC’s and ETF’s (“Exchange Traded Funds”) that invest in a particular index. The fees are minuscule, and you can take your investment out at anytime.

4) Profit from the Packaging

The price of raw materials is on the rise, and a way for commercial retailers to cut costs is by using affordable, eco-friendly packaging. Something biodegradable, and made from something ridiculously cheap and NOT petrol-based will help maximize profits. Keep an eye out for anything recycled too.

Why Now?

For starters, commodities like sugar, coffee, soybeans, corn, wheat, oil etc. are all hitting record highs, meaning more expensive grocery bills for consumers. As a result, the efficient, low-cost packaging just became incredibly important.

Hot Pick:

Metabolix (MLBX), the maker of a biodegradable sugar-based plastics has developed over 60 different types of applications for consumer products, agricultural products, and packaging. They also just partnered with ADM, the biggest ethanol producer in the United States. As environmental regulations continue to gain momentum, major corporations will be looking to "green" packaging companies to help increase their profits.

When was the last time we saw so many major companies make a mad dash to become more "eco-friendly"? From oil companies to banks, "green" is becoming pretty hot these days. And it's not just another "consumer trend" either…the financial sector is paying close attention too. "Going Green" is not just about changing your lightbulbs anymore; it's something that has managed to trickle over to the financial market, attracting major investment dollars as well some of the world's most sophisticated investors.

It seems that energy saving alternatives for just about everything are springing up these days. There's always a more 'eco-friendly' version of this, an organic version of that, for nearly every consumer product known to man. So, what about investing? Is there a way to make your investment dollars….greener?

There are plenty of ways for the average investor to start greening their nest-egg now, in a rather more profitable & secure way you might think.

So, where to start? Depending on your investment objectives, you'll probably want to have a little chat with your financial advisor first. If you don't have one already, and investment bankers creep you out, you can find someone that suits your style at SocialFunds.com.

Green Banking

When it comes to choosing the right bank, there are tons of options. All of them are scrambling to offset their emissions and throwing money at climate change, so which are bluffing? Which ones have a widest range of investment tools and financial products? If you're looking for an eco-friendly 'one stop shop' (banking, advising, investing, etc.) you might want to look into the following:

• HSBC - Committed $90 billion to environmental initiatives. HSBC will also help you green your accounts, go paperless for everything, give discounts on eco-friendly products. Bonus: If you pay 3 bills online, they'll even give you a free "Green Kit"!
• Citibank - Just committed $50 billion to fight climate change; $30 billion of that is specifically for financing investments in geothermal, solar, wind and other renewable energy projects and technologies (guess they had to try and top Bank of America)
• Bank of America - Committed $20 Billion to make green loans to "eco-preneurs" with environmentally friendly/sustainable businesses and finance environmental projects around the world. They also recently unveiled plans for a new online carbon trading program. Bonus: Employees get a $3,000 incentive towards the purchase of a new hybrid

I'll give Wells Fargo an honorable mention. This bank has topped it's fair share of 'Eco-Friendly Lists' lately, seeing as 40% of the company runs on renewable energy. As far as services & products for consumers, there is no doubt that Wells Fargo is competitive, however, they like to play hard-ball with fees.

Need Solar Financing?

Besides Bank of America and Citibank briefly touching on this topic, here a few other smaller green lenders that will help you go solar:

• Wainwright Bank -Some green banks will give you loans to slap solar panels on your house at low rates (which helps you save some green for the future)

• New Resource Bank - Get solar just by paying your monthly utility bill

Greener Returns

If you're not skilled trader, odds are you're probably leaning towards a broader, more diversified group of investments. For many American's, this means stocks. Yet again, prepare to be overwhelmed with choices. The most typical, and easiest way to get started, are usually index funds, mutual funds, and exchange traded funds (EFTs). Before you dive in head first and throw money into an investment vehicle, make sure you have a nice, long chat with your financial advisor first. If you don't already have one, you can find one at SocialFunds.com

Just how profitable is this new wave of socially conscious investing? Well, according to an article found in Newsweek, the returns have proved to be rather hefty:

"Wall Street's own change in climate is nothing less than astonishing. "Save-the-planet" investing has suddenly, well, heated up. Four major investment banks - Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, Lehman Brothers and UBS - have recently issued fat global-warming reports looking at stocks and industries likely to gain or lose. Investments in clean energy have more than doubled, to $70.9 billion worldwide, in just three years. In just six years, assets in U.S. "green" mutual funds have soared by 695 percent."
Read more: Newsweek

Determining Investment Objectives

Are you looking for something high growth? Or do you prefer security & risk management with a smaller, more conservative return? Small-cap or large-cap? Do you want fund that is entirely "green" or one that just focuses on alternative energy? Do you just want to avoid investing in cigarettes and alcohol, or do you want stocks that are environmentally sustainable and produce 'fair trade' products? The list of criteria you can apply are endless…Need something to narrow your search? Try the Social Investment Forum.

There's a great research firm called Innovest Strategic Value Advisors. They're an independent third party that just objectively analyzes and ranks companies according to various eco-friendly, social criteria. They've even made a list of the top 100 Most Sustainable Companies in the World.

Environmentally Sustainable Indexes:

• Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes - Includes 300-400 companies said to represent the top 10% of leading companies committed to sustainable practices worldwide.
• ABN AMRO Climate & Environment Total Return Index
• Claymore/LGA Green (GRN) - Claymore tracks an index of 225 large stocks in all the major industries…yes, even mining and oil, but they choose only the "greenest" companies.
• KLD Indexes - Constructs indexes for investors who integrate environmental, social and governance factors into their investment decisions. KLD's indexes are designed to be transparent, representative and investable
• Next-Generation Energy (NGE) Index - Fuel cells, solar power, alternative fuels, energy storage and other supporting technologies

Social Investment Funds

• Winslow Green Investment Funds - Out-performed the S&P 500 and the Russell 2000 for 5 years in a row
• Calvert Social Investment Equity - has outperformed both the typical large-cap blend and the S&P 500)
• Vanguard Calvert Social Index - growth-orientated fund
• TIAA-CREF's Social Choice Equity - mid to large cap fund
• Domini Social Index Portfolio - oldest and largest
• Green Century Funds
• The Spectra Green Fund

Rural electric cooperatives ("co-ops") are nonprofit organizations that distribute electricity and are owned by their customers. There are more than 800 of them across the U.S., and more than 50 of them own a power plant. The co-ops plan to spend $35 billion to build old-fashioned coal plants over the next 10 years. A sobering reality check: That’s enough to offset all state and federal efforts to cut CO2 emissions over that time.

The Office of Management and Budget wants to end the loans for new power plants and limit the ones for transmission projects in the most remote areas. But the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association is a powerful lobby, and sent 3,000 members to Capitol Hill last week to keep the lending program rolling, arguing that the new coal plants are needed to keep energy cheap and reliable.

Glenn English, chief executive of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, pointed out that taxable utilities get tax breaks to encourage renewable energy projects and efficiency measures, but rural co-ops can’t. He wants Congress to give the nonprofit co-ops incentives too, like no-interest loans.

Besides political influence, co-ops often carry a lot of clout in their communities because they are more involved than just distributing electricity. English explained that one co-op reopened a gas station that went out of business. Another bought and kept open the local Dairy Queen.

Others argue that many of the co-ops shouldn’t qualify as rural anymore because of their expansion into densely populated zones, like Dallas-Fort Worth area and Atlanta. Additionally, the low-interest money they receive removes any incentive to promote energy efficiency or go after renewable resources. In fact, rural co-ops get on average 80 percent of their electricity from coal, compared to 50 percent with the rest of the country. Their energy demand is also growing at twice the national rate.

This is going to be a tough political issue for Congress to tackle. Both sides may have valid points, but the system must be restructured to be a more efficient process that emphasizes clean, renewable, local energy. If not, than all the state and federal goals, programs, and initiatives that aim to cut climate change emissions will be simply blown away.

Washington Post

The $1.5 million United Nations-backed project aims to increase the number of homes using solar power in the Karnataka state of southern India. The number of homes using solar power has risen from 1,400 just four years ago to 18,000 today. Indian banks have also helped out by financing the solar systems, which can cost $300-$500 in an area where annual family income is $1,200. The UN’s involvement cut initial interest rate payments, but will be phased out over time.

A UN report to be released this week at the UN Commission for Sustainable Development shows that the solar power is cheaper and healthier than using the common kerosene lamp (no fumes to inhale or dim light to strain the eyes), and it doesn’t emit global warming pollution.

The solar systems allow for a few hours of power to run light bulbs, a radio, fan, or television. But that's enough to make a big difference, according to a UN statement:

“[The lighting] has been credited with better grades for schoolchildren, better productivity for cottage-based industries such as needlework artisans, and even better sales at fruit stands, where produce is no longer spoiled by fumes from kerosene lamps.”

Because of the project's success and its affordability, plans are in the works to expand the model to other developing nations. Efforts are underway in Tunisia, and future projects are planned for China, Indonesia, Egypt, Mexico, Ghana, Morocco, and Algeria.

Reuters, via Environmental News Network
United Nations Environment Programm

Wells Fargo credit card and bank card customers have another choice in redeeming rewards points. Now, in addition to gift cards or airline tickets, Wells Fargo is offering up wind power. 5,000 points will get you 6,000 kilowatt hours, which they say is "equivalent to the clean air benefits of three acres of pine forest storing carbon for one year." 10,000 points will probably offset your carbon output for a whole year.

The green power points will be available to cardholders in May, which is the same time Bright Planet's Bright Card is set to launch. Bank of America isn't far behind Bright Planet on the US front, and The Barclaycard will hit the UK this summer.

So, the big question is (aside from, "What's in Your Wallet?") will people take advantage of these green credit options or will they stick with the emission intensive air miles? Would you choose to support wind power projects or put your spending power towards travel?

Via Environmental Leader; Paymentsnews.com