Alternative Energies

Alternative energies can be divided into three key groups:
 
          Renewable energies (solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, biomass)
          Fuel cells & hydrogen
          Energy conservation and enabling technologies

Alternative energies:
  
          conserve natural resources
          are more environmentally friendly than conventional oil and coal. 

Wind, flowing water, energy conservation and geothermal heating are ancient resources which can now be exploited using new, advanced technologies that really work - for example, solar cells, hydrogen and fuel cells, and ocean energy. The cost-effectiveness of some of the latest technologies is variable.

Alternative energies do not include:
 
          Oil
          Coal
          Nuclear

Oil and coal are fossil fuels and their extraction causes environmental damage, while burning them releases pollution. By contrast, alternative energies are cleaner and future technologies may be developed to transform coal into a clean energy source. We invest in natural gas, the cleanest of all the hydrocarbon fuels, particularly when used in modern turbines and fuel cells. Natural gas is often used as a replacement for more polluting fuels.

Being unsafe and expensive, nuclear energy is not among the areas of our alternative energy investments. We avoid nuclear energy because of the:
 
          significant potential for severe accidents or terrorist attacks
          unresolved radioactive waste disposal problems
          frequent opposition from nearby communities 
          costs of decommissioning nuclear energy facilities as they age or depreciate; such costs would probably exceed the original construction cost.

Our Fund may invest in conventional energy companies actively developing or producing technologies such as photovoltaic solar cells, fuel cells or other products and technologies related to our areas of interest.