A small article in today’s China Daily reported a startling number that revealed the true depths of China recession – giving investors pause for any near-term recovery in the country’s blistering economic growth of years past.
On September 5th we reported that Silicon Valley, the major green booster, had retrenched by pulling out of long-term investments in alternative energy. Today, the other shoe dropped. The Cleantech Group in San Francisco reported that venture-capital investment in clean technology fell 35% in Q4 from the prior quarter, the steepest quarterly drop in two years.
“Made in China” is a hair-trigger slogan that would often ignite a tirade about lost jobs, junky products and sweatshop labor. Well, it looks like “Made in China” will be a relic of the past as the Communist Party goes up-market.
When China announced its colossal $600-billion stimulus package back in November, we cautioned investors against irrational exuberance on the overall impact it would have on commodities, stocks and heavy equipment.
The trillions of dollars that Washington is throwing at beleaguered American industries could have unforeseen consequences in the longer term viability of domestic investment opportunities. Washington’s handouts may come at the expense of funding important R&D projects that could give the U.S. a long-term competitive edge that it appears to be losing to Asia.
As President-elect Obama toots his green-energy horn, the smart money in Silicon Valley is reversing its position on the moneymaking potential of wind, solar and geothermal power sources.
A new report by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) shows that oil consumption will remain flat through 2030, shedding light on the slow growth of hybrid and electric vehicles.
The EIA report says that increases in fuel-efficiency standards, use of renewable fuels and advances in technology will translate into less dependence on imported oil. At the same time, the reports projects that hybrid vehicles will comprise 38% of total sales by 2030 – a hefty share if any investor is willing to wait 21 years for that kind of growth.
While some form of battery-powered vehicle will emerge in the coming decades, the U.S. market will also see a diversification in fuel consumption flex-fuel, hybrid, and diesel vehicles, according to the…
Forget the fact that you’re an investor with a penchant for green opportunities, and instead consider yourself a hard-nosed businessman looking for the best return on your money. You run a spread sheet to determine the ROI of electric cars, based on current gas prices, and suddenly you’d be looking elsewhere for investments that would ensure your retirement.
An article in the Wall Street Journal caught my eye, leading me to wonder if green investors may be crying the blues in 2009 and beyond.