Investing in the environment

Leading climate scientists said on Friday that global warming was "very likely" man-made, largely as a result of burning fossil fuels.President George W. Bush broached the environment topic in his State of the Union Address, calling on Americans to slash their gasoline use by 20 percent over the next decade. His initiative includes a significant increase in domestic fuels, such as ethanol. Investors looking to make some green moves of their own have many options, from companies involved in biofuels, such as ethanol, to hybrid automobiles.

Many of these "green" companies are already attracting attention. In the days leading up to the State of the Union Address, investors flocked to call options on companies related to ethanol , including Aventine Renewable Energy Holdings Inc. (AVR) and Pacific Ethanol Inc. (PEIX). Additionally, Vinod Khosla, Silicon Valley's biggest alternative energy investor, recently forecast a rapid rise in cellulosic ethanol production and utility-grade solar power.

With all of the attention on global warming, it should not be surprising to see that many companies are touting their environmental initiatives, including such firms as General Electric Co. (GE) and BP plc (BP). Even Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), which Thursday announced record profits thanks to high oil prices, indicated a possible move into ethanol, if it can see a viable business reason.

LOOKING AT ETHANOL story continued