Natural Investing

In this article from Information Press, an indepently-owned newspaper, Scott writes about the volatile economy and the role of sustainable investing.

www.informationpress.net/index.php?option=com
content&task=view&id=133

Natural Investments founder Hal Brill describes his "improbable journey" in a probing interview published in The Journal for Financial Planning, a magazine for financial professionals. His story is entwined with the modern evolution of Socially Responsible Investing, starting with a focus on avoiding harmful activities and growing into a powerful force for creating a sustainable world. This article gives Hal a chance to explore the deeper issues around money and how Natural Investments became a leading player in the quest to deploy capital in ways that generate financial, social and environmental benefits.

 Hal Brill - Journal of Financial Planning 3.54 Mb

Published by The GreenMoney Journal in 2004, this seminal article is an investor's call to action. It was cited in the book Megatrends 2010 by Patricia Auburdene as a visionary framework for conscious capitalism.

Investment decisions made today will shape the world of tomorrow. SRI has emerged as a beacon of hope, guiding some investors towards financial decisions that integrate ecological and social values. But SRI investments are almost exclusively directed into the secondary markets for stocks and bonds. In the face of worsening environmental and social crises, new strategies must be implemented that mobilize capital directly into activities that will catalyze a sustainable future.

www.greenmoneyjournal.com/article.mpl?newsletterid=31&articleid=351 

Michael Kramer published the following article,“Your Money Still Has Power” in the Summer 2008 Issue (#46) of Yes! magazine after the editor asked Portfolio 21 CEO Leslie Christian for ideas on who could write something meaningful on weathering the current economic storm. How nice that Leslie thought of us - we certainly think of Portfolio 21 quite often too! Yes! has been a leading national journal covering social justice and ecological sustainability for many years; you may recall it’s earlier iteration as In Context magazine. It’s always been one of our favorites because of its positive, solution-oriented approach, so it’s a perfect fit for our take on regenerative economics.

www.yesmagazine.org/yes46kramer

The fragility of Hawaii and the high cost of living here requires special consideration of how money is used. Much attention is focused on the impact of major corporations on what has largely been a locally-owned economy. While “buying local” does have the positive effect of circulating money locally before profits leak away, the lower prices found at national retailers are changing customer loyalties. Ethical issues further complicate consumer choices. For example, is it more socially responsible to buy local, conventionally-raised eggs or cage-free, hormone-free, organic eggs from the mainland that cost more? Is it better to buy lumber from Home Depot, which has a policy against selling old-growth timber, or from a locally-owned company with no such policy?

Intimacy is not typically something people associate with their money.  In fact, money often triggers an opposite feeling such as the fear of inadequacy, obsession with its accumulation, or the disgust of materialism or greed. Indeed, it is because money has such an emotional charge for most people that it is one of the most intimate relationships we have.

The world is getting hotter. Global warming has now been verified by about every legitimate scientific body in the world. And, most believe that man made carbon emissions into the atmosphere is the major contributor to this serious global problem.

But, concerned, action-oriented people see problems as opportunities. And the investment industry is based on finding opportunities to put money to work with the hope of earning good returns. In a free enterprise system, capital will always be drawn to the most promising solutions to the most pressing demands of the day.