Energy and Construction - Clima2007

Brent Said:

What is going on with the stock market!!!? All 3 of my index funds are sinking like crazy...?

We Answered:

From the tone of your question, it sounds like you have taken on more risk than you can tolerate. That indicates that you are probably in the wrong investments. If you did not do this when you bought your funds, its time to consider why you should won these investments, and what catalyst will cause you to sell.

Each or your funds is reacting to slightly different catalysts.
1;) alternative energy index: This fund will tend to move with the price of crude oil. Crude has fallen back down to the $90 level. Its fairly normal for oil to sink as we approach the end of the heating season, then pick up again when the summer driving/hurricane season starts. If you believe the long term trend for energy demand and oil prices is up, just ride it out and keep this fund. If you believe that oil has peaked and will continue to fall, sell.
2.) total stock index: the general market has been down since the beginning of a year. Most technical analysts are now saying we are in a bear (down trending) market. If you have a short time frame (less than a year), sell on an up day. If you have a longer time frame, ride it out.
3.) International stock index: Most of the world markets have been experiencing a pull back. Pull backs are normal and expected. I f you believe that the worldwide expansion is intact, hold on. If you believe we are heading into a worldwide slow down, get out.

Elmer Said:

what's a good topic for a problem solution essay? choices are posted.?

We Answered:

Either one of these topics are good and can be answered pretty easily. List all the good and bad about each one and find one that you find interested and want to learn more about. It will be easier to write that way.

I would personally be interested in Internal Adoption: number of kids that need homes in other countries vs USA; cause of child being left by parents, etc...

Overweight kids: lifestyle, parents, genetics, environment, race, etc....

Homelessness: income, location, drugs, alcohol, personal choice, easier - no bills, kids in homeless families and affects on them, etc...

Herbal Supplements: do they really work? Scientific proof? Side Effects?

Good luck.

Alan Said:

alternative energy research grad programs?

We Answered:

A friend of mine quit a product marketing management job at a major high tech company and went into the sustainable energy program. He got an MBA in Sustainable Management from Presidio School of Management in San Francisco.
I'd also check out the websites below.

Clara Said:

Does anyone know International organisation participating in alternative energy sources?.?

We Answered:

Exxon-Mobil and almost all of the major oil companies are actively participating in development of alternative energy sources.

Darryl Said:

Fossil fuel subsidies 12 times more than renewable energy subsidies - what's wrong with this picture?

We Answered:

Let's clarify the topic and discuss what oil we're talking about. With approximately one-fifth of the world's proven oil reserves and some of the lowest production costs, Saudi Arabia is expected to remain the world's largest net oil exporter in the near and long-term.

Even some portion of the cost of our military presence in the Gulf is typically included in the "oil subsidy" figures:
"Quantifying the national security costs associated with ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of foreign oil is difficult. The Congressional Research Service estimated in 1997 that those costs may be anywhere between $0.5-65 billion, or 1.5 cents to 30 cents per gallon for motor fuel from the Persian Gulf. Agreement about the extent of the military’s 'oil mission' is difficult because military and foreign policy expenditures are generally tasked with multiple missions and objectives, and oil security is simply one mission of many. Analysts disagree about how to divide those missions into budgetary terms."
http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/2007/01/1…

Due to the Bush family's close ties with the Saudi royal family, for the past 2 decades much of the energy policy and foreign policy in the United States has been centered around doing favors for them, like inexplicably attacking their enemy Iraq, even though it was 15 Saudis who attacked America on 9/11.

Once the war broke out, Saudi Arabian citizens continued to attack us where we were closest and most convenient... in Iraq.

"Of 1,200 suspected suicide bombers arrested by Syrian authorities since the beginning of the war in 2003, 85 percent have been Saudis." (2005)
http://www.militaryphotos.net/forums/sho…

So why is the U.S. doing all of this? You can be sure that out of those billions in oil subsidies allocated by our elected officials, a healthy flow of cash returns to line their pockets in the form of so-called "campaign contributions" which they are free to pocket and use as they please.

"I summon my blue-eyed slaves anytime it pleases me. I command the Americans to send me their bravest soldiers to die for me. Anytime I clap my hands a stupid genie called the American ambassador appears to do my bidding. When the Americans die in my service their bodies are? frozen in metal boxes by the US Embassy and American airplanes carry them away, as if they never existed. Truly, America is my favorite slave." King Fahd Bin Abdul-Aziz, Jeddeh 1993

So how much does it cost to buy an oil-friendly, Saudi-friendly Congress?

A while ago I ran across statistics stating that Senator James Inhofe alone had accepted over $500,000 from the fossil fuel industry. Do you suppose that his vote on oil subsidies might possibly have a statistically significant alignment with those contributions? Hmm, I wonder...

Lets live in the real world for a moment, and not kid ourselves and dream that this is about right or wrong.

We either need to outlaw bribery and properly categorize it as treason and a hangable offense, or the renewable energy industry needs to ante up and pay off all of Congress in an amount competitive with the fossil fuel industry's payoffs. Half a mil to every outstretched hand, requiring a budget of roughly $300 million, may be required before renewable energy can be seriously discussed at the bargaining table.

Of course our Saudi benefactors and other cumulative forces of Big Oil would respond and raise the stakes, and our civil servants will draw out the battle for years to milk the competition for all its worth before doing anything that might end their windfall cash flow. So the total budget required to see this issue through to the first healthy discussion will probably be over $5-10 billion, just in politician payoffs (not counting additional tens to hundreds of billions in pork barrel projects they'll require as well on any related bills, to additionally reward their friends and donors).

Let's face it, our current system of government is extremely corrupt, and the disconnect between politicians and the public good is only getting worse. You'll have to change the system (start by outlawing bribery) before you'll get any different results. What have you done to move that sort of change forward?

Political parties are simply a red herring to give us teams to root for; aside from their propaganda and marketing slogans, they're identical. Neither party proposes to do anything about illegal immigration and the associated rampant identity and healthcare fraud which is bankrupting us. Neither party cares that 400,000 ADDITIONAL H1-B visas are issued for a term of 3 years, easily extended to 6, to legally put up to 2.4 million Americans out of work each year, simply because that foreign labor costs less.

The problem is rampant, systemic corruption, not one political party or the other. Solve the problem (campaign financing), then we can make some progress on the symptoms (including counterproductive resource allocation).

James Said:

Are we really serious about dealing with climate change?

We Answered:

Basically more foreign dependency's,with a higher tax base, and rising prices. Over 30yrs of gov inaction and maybe 10yrs of public reaction. Toss in some more useless mandates and regulations, that make the rich better off. Move more jobs over sea's, or outsource just about everything. Promote credit lines with interest rates so high the people will never actually be free, or own anything. Create some more special gov organizations,and increase the war chests. That's not what I see, but what people are experiencing.

Loretta Said:

Can you recommend a "green" national (USA) or international organization to affiliate with?

We Answered:

You both may be interested in Green Buildings. They combine many disciplines such as solar, recycling, and gardening. They have tours and conferences in your area.