Investing in Renewable Energy: Making Money on Green Chip Stocks

Chapter 13. CONCLUSION: THE GREATEST INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY OF THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Imagine the year is 1908, and a skinny, middle-aged man by the name of Henry Ford asks you if you'd like to invest in his new company that's about to mass-produce a vehicle called the horseless carriage—a European invention that he believes will change the entire landscape of the United States. But not only that, he also asks you if you'd like to invest in a young, seven-year-old oil company called the Texas Company (also known as Texaco) and a tire manufacturer called Firestone that would soon be supplying the tires for these horseless carriages. Knowing everything you know now, would you take him up on his offer?

I know, it seems like a pretty dumb question. But back in those days, there were a lot of folks who couldn't wrap their minds around the idea that this new horseless carriage would actually be accepted, on a large scale, by the general public. In fact, many initially saw them as nothing more than expensive toys for the wealthy and eccentric. So, trying to convince the average investor that this industry would eventually become one of the most profitable in U.S. history was certainly a challenge. But investors who did believe, and had the foresight to look to the future instead of muddling around in the past, became some of the country's wealthiest individuals. And those who ignored it missed out, and most likely became one of the loyal Ford, Texaco, and Firestone customers for years ...