Green Investing 101

There's a lot of buzz over going green, sustainability, and responsible investing these days. The age of "it's all about me" is over and both companies and individuals are looking for ways to smart economic decisions that yield positive results for the environment, their longevity, and their posterity.

The truth is, even with the entire buzz, very few of us actually understand why "green investing" really is. So, this is the start of a series on arguably the fastest growing financial investment subject - fiscal sustainability.

Fiscal sustainability is, in its simplest form, the responsibility corporations, organizations and individuals have in making wise investment decisions. By wise investment decisions, I mean that those making the investment decisions must be mindful of the effects such decisions have on others - from impacts on the climate to changes in carbon footprints.

That being said, green investing is about more than throwing money at solar electricity initiatives or planting a few trees in the rainforest. According to The Free Dictionary, green investing is "the choosing of investments of companies that have a positive environment record. Green investing is a special category of social investing." Fiscal sustainability, therefore, involves a particular focus on preventing unjust hiring and inhumane employment practices, avoiding the use of products that harm human health and/or nature, and generally viewing each decision as one that will have impacts on generations to come.

In coming news posts, I'll investigate and share with you the means necessary to make fiscally responsible decisions that have their roots in sustainability.

Photo credit: Flickr/photosteve101