Social Funds Outperform the Market
The "do-gooder" funds are doing well themselves. One of the more interesting bits of information to come out of the recent turmoil on the stock market is the fact that social funds are actually outperforming.
Alternative Energy Could Face A Tough Battle for Funding
As oil prices fall, alternative energy is shunted aside.
XTO Plans to Reduce Debt
On Monday, energy stocks got a bit of a boost as speculations over an OPEC production cut sent oil prices a little bit higher, and as bargain hunters began looking for what quality could be had for bargain prices.
Will Black Silicon Light Up Your Solar Portfolio?
Sometimes the best scientific discoveries are made by accident. "We were doing research on the chemical reactions on metal surfaces and, on a hunch, I said let’s look at semiconductors, without a clear plan," said Eric Mazur, a physicist at Harvard University, about an experiment done in 1998. A decade later, it looks like his…
Segway Inventor Dean Kamen Set to Turn Cow Pies into Electricity
Photo: Skinnyde, Creative Commons, Flickr In developing countries there are serious challenges to providing cheap and environmentally-friendly sources of electricity and clean drinking water. But Dean Kamen, the inventor of the Segway, wants to try to overcome them. Recently he unveiled two of his latest projects at the Lux Executive Summit: an electricity generator that…
Cleaning Up Oil Spills with Microbes: A Really Great Idea
Photo: gari.baldi, Creative Commons, Flickr Microbes are a class of living organisms that include bacteria, viruses and fungi.
The Oil in Your Backyard
Photo: SchultzLabs, Creative Commons, Flickr Oil runs the world, fueling industrial processes that make everything from computers to plastic containers. Without it, vehicles, airplanes, trucks that bring food to grocers shelves, and ships that bring steel from China wouldn’t run. The modern world would grind to a halt.
Energy Stocks Got a Boost Monday
Right now, as the stock market rally eases a bit in terms of the financial sector, the energy sector is holding gains. A measure of confidence is returning, thanks to remarks from Ben Bernanke regarding his dedication to stimulate the economy. Also helping the energy sector is the expectation that OPEC will soon be cutting…
Exxon Mobil (XOM) Works On Its Eco Image
Photo: cackhanded, Creative Commons, Flickr Even in this down economy, there are people who are still interested in environmental issues, and Exxon Mobil (XOM) is not about to be left off the bandwagon. The company is releasing ads that highlight its focus on environmental protection and alternative energy. The question, though, is whether this is…
Big Oil Falls with the Stock Market
Photo: tsevis, Creative Commons, Flickr As the stock market tumbles for yet another day, Big Oil stocks find themselves hard hit. Indeed, energy investments, from Big Oil companies like Exxon (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) to the Amex Natural Gas Index (XNG) to alternative energy like First Solar (FSLR) are suffering massive losses as the hemoraging…
Why I Like Obama on Energy
Photo: law_keven, Creative Commons, Flickr Tonight I watched the second presidential debate. Both John McCain and Barack Obama pointed out that energy is a foundation of our economy. But from what they said about energy and the environment, I agree more with Obama’s view of things.
Reframe It: Reading Between the Lines
Sometimes socially conscious investing works.
Tesoro (TSO) Fights California Ethanol Mandate
Back in August, California’s Air Resources Board passed a mandate requiring that Photo: arbyreed, Creative Commons, Flickr ethanol blend in gasoline be upped to 10 percent (from 5.7 percent). Oil refineries in California have until 2009 to carry out the changes that would bring companies in compliance with the mandate. Tesoro (TSO), however, is fighting…
Climate Change and the Power of One
A recent Wall Street Journal article cites a McKinsey & Co study claiming that American consumers influence 65% of the countrys greenhouse gas emissions. (Consumers in the rest of the world only influence 43% of emissions.) The findings demonstrate that it is the individual and not industry that has power over climate control.
Sarah Palin to Fall In Line With John McCain’s Energy Policy
Vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin does have a record of taking on Big Oil and forcing companies like Exxon (XOM — who is suing the state) to make unpleasant concessions in her home state of Alaska.
What Would Big Oil Invest In?
Does Big Oil see which way the wind is blowing (and where the sun is shining)?
XTO Energy (XTO): A Good Pick?
If you are looking into energy stocks (which are rather volatile right now, what with all the oil fluctuations), it can be difficult to decide what to go with. ExxonMobile (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) seem a little expensive — even if they are gaining along with the rest of the stock market. This is part…
American Lifestyle, American Emissions
Photo: Dead Air, Creative Commons, Flickr Reports from reputable scientific groups like the Global Carbon Project of Australia indicate the rise in global carbon dioxide emissions last year exceeded even the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change‘s (IPCC) predictions. This is pretty alarming, considering the IPCC is far from optimistic.
Occidental Petroleum (OXY) Plans to Buy Oil and Gas Fields in the Midwest
OXY to buy out Plains Exploration & Production (PXP) for $1.25 billion.
ExxonMobil (XOM) is Hoarding Cash and Stockholders are Paying the Price
Bloomberg reports that XOM’s cash stockpile is contributing to share price drop.
Chevron (CVX) Continues Its Deal with Saudi Arabia
Saudi allows CVX to continue its operations in the kingdom on behalf of the government.
Energy East (EAS) Could Be Acquired by Iberdrola
Photo: -Marlith-, Creative Commons, Flickr Iberdrola (IBE.MC), the wind energy giant from Spain, has been trying to buy Energy East (EAS) since June 2007. However, it has run up against hurdles as different public service commissions in the states that would be serviced by the new arrangement put the deal up for a vote. Now,…
Geothermal Exploration to Begin in Western States
AltaRock secures rights for geothermal development.
BP (BP) Gets Bloggers Involved
Photo: jnxyz, Creative Commons, Flickr The power of bloggers is once again being put in the spotlight as BP (BP) encourages bloggers to use the latest product offering from the company, BP with Invigorate. BP offered some schwag to the bloggers in exchange for their thoughts on exclusively using BP with Invigorate. According to the…
Getting Us Off Oil: Barack Obama and the Alternative Energy Presidency
In his Democratic presidential nomination acceptance speech on Thursday night, Senator Obama said: For the sake of our economy, our security, and the future of our planet, I will set a clear goal as president:In 10 years, we will finally end our dependence on oil from the Middle East.