Investing To Beat The Climate Crisis

How can I invest my money without contributing to the climate crisis?

Eve Andrews, October 3, 2019 (Grist)

“…If the various companies that make up your mutual fund or index fund do well, you get some money. And if any of those companies are involved in fossil fuel extraction, then you made that money on climate change…[If your priority is ethical purity, don’t] invest at all…[But if] your priority is doing everything you can as an individual to mitigate climate change, ignoring the entire world of finance might actually not be the most productive choice…[Because] there is truly no way to construct any of the infrastructure or rehome any of the people who will be displaced or develop any carbon-saving technology without money… [A government bond] is investing in a fossil-fuel friendly federal government…

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...[A municipal bond] might be a greener way to invest…[But climate change is putting municipalities in jeopardy, making] munis a riskier bet…[I]ndividual shareholders of major companies do not have a significant enough stake to actually make their opinions matter… [T]here are a growing number of “green” funds offered by major brokerage firms that you can opt into…But a lot of them are playing pretty fast and loose around the definition of ‘green’…You can get a loan from a commercial bank to green your house or your community yourself…[You can support green community banks that] exist to support climate-forward community projects…[And you can vote out of office] the people who keep passing backwards legislation subsidizing fossil fuel companies…” click here for more

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