Submitted by EnergyTechStocks.com
Every energy expert says there is no single “silver bullet” for solving the global energy crisis. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a bunch of silver bullets, each one of which might solve a part of this crisis, and do so in a way that makes investors a lot of money. EnergyTechStocks.com has loaded up its six-shooters with silver-bullet solutions to different aspects of the energy crisis which, in its opinion, aren’t just technologically feasible but, just as important, politically and financially viable as well.
Silver Bullet #6: Blanket the airwaves with Energy Star advertising, to the point where shopping for, say, a new dishwasher, TV or car is as much about buying the most energy efficient model as it is about getting the best price.
Everyone agrees that energy efficiency is by far the most cost effective way to deal with the world’s energy problems – far cheaper than spending billions to build new power plants and extract new oil. In Energy Star, Washington has the best energy efficiency program in the world. If just half as much money was spent blanketing the airwaves with Energy Star commercials as has been spent this year by America’s presidential candidates, Americans’ shopping habits might be permanently changed.
Often it’s the most energy inefficient models that carry the lowest price tags. Through blanket advertising, Americans would come to understand that, over the life of that dishwasher or TV they buy, they will wind up saving money (through lower utility bills) if they pay more up front for the most energy efficient appliance. Such a campaign could even include home-buying, with the emphasis on how buying an energy efficient home lowers the monthly utility bills, saves money and thus allows a purchaser to qualify for a bigger mortgage.
The more energy efficiency took hold in Americans’ shopping culture, the more manufacturers would know that, if they want their products to sell, they must make them more efficient. Manufacturers would reshape their own advertising to emphasize the energy efficiency of their products, thus adding to the government’s advertising efforts.
Investors would benefit by owning shares in companies that make the most energy-efficient models of every energy-consuming product on the market, from computers to coffee makers. A number of companies already are distinguishing themselves with environmentalists, Sony, for example, having recently been singled out by Greenpeace. Actually, finding good stocks to buy would become as easy as researching the list of Energy Star corporate partners that the federal government has available online, which isn’t a bad idea even now.
Coming tomorrow, April 1, Solution #7 – fast-tracking the legal battle over LNG terminals to avoid a natural gas crisis in America