The Politics of Influence and our Long Recovery
By Cliff Feigenbaum, founder amd publisher

Welcome to the long recovery. Many thought, as I did, that our economic “downturn” would end as quickly as it began. But it seems the downturn has exposed lingering problems in our society and financial world as well as in energy, education, and healthcare, just to name a few. And in this election year, let’s not forget the problems in politics.

So yes, many challenges are not being adequately addressed. High unemployment and the trillions of debt accumulated by the US government and other nations are chief among these challenges. When we borrow too much, as the US has done, it makes us vulnerable to our lenders. Furthermore, our oil addiction has trapped our military in the Middle East, while many of those countries loan us money, along with China and Japan. Thus we see the need for more private sector jobs, more renewable energy, and less government spending/borrowing.

Innovative and prosperous solutions, however, are forthcoming. Many in Sustainable Investing and Business are working on these new ideas, which of course we've continued to highlight here. Though we believe investing money ethically can have a positive impact, this election year has spotlighted the unfathomable amount of dollars available to (unduly) impact and influence politics and politicians.

The overwhelming stream of election dollars is not transparent, since the Supreme Court's “Citizens United” decision permitted Super PACs to do unlimited funding (from US and even foreign sources) of political campaigns. Simply put, politics and money are out of control.

Much of this could be addressed if companies, especially publicly traded companies, were required to disclose how much and to whom they give political contributions. Lobbying firms and lobbyists should also disclose their money sources well before the elections. It is important for ALL political parties to disclose this financial information. It is also fair and reasonable for voters to know which candidates are beholden to which organizations and companies.

We believe that transparency and accountability are keys to sustainability. The more open and honest a company is, the less likely something they’ve been hiding will be uncovered.

This Spring 2012 issue commences GreenMoney’s 20th Anniversary year. We begin by interviewing eco-adventurer and environmental advocate Philippe Cousteau. Then, as we do every few years, we offer a full update on the NI Social Ratings on our Mutual Fund Performance Chart (in the Print editions), with insights by Michael Kramer of Natural Investments.

And because where you invest your money and where you bank matters, we feature articles on The Cooperative Fund of New England and on the New Resource Bank, based in San Francisco. Both are making positive impacts in and beyond their communities.

Also here on GreenMoney.com you’ll find several new books overviewed by their authors, including Cary Krosinsky who edited “Evolutions of Sustainable Investing,” and Jed Emerson & Antony Bugg-Levine on “Impact Investing.” Then check out our large Global Green Events calendar for information on numerous events such as the CERES Conference in Boston in April, the US SIF Conference in Washington, DC in May, and the TBLI Conference in Hong Kong also in May.

As mentioned, this is our 20th Anniversary Year. Coming up in Summer 2012 is Part 1 of two Special Anniversary issues. In the Summer 2012 special e-Newsletter you will read solutions-based articles on “The Next 20 Years” by Barbara Krumsiek, CEO of Calvert Funds; Gary Hirshberg, co-founder of Stonyfield Farm; Cheryl Smith, president of Trillium Investment Management; long time friend and SRI professional Hal Brill; and Megan Epler Wood of Planeterra on ecotravel. Be sure to sign up for this e-Newsletter here on GreenMoney.com

In closing, editor Ted Ketcham and I thank our readers, advertisers, sponsors and writers for a great first 20 years.

-Cliff Feigenbaum, Publisher and Founder, Greenmoney Journal

Feature articles
	The GreenMoney Interview: Philippe Cousteau, Explorer, social entrepreneur and environmental advocate One of the more enjoyable tasks at GreenMoney is interviewing true leaders in our world. Interviewed by Cliff Feigenbaum, founder of GreenMoney Journal
	CFNE and the Cooperative Response to the Economic Crisis We’re all aware of the confluence of crises facing our communities, our nation and the world, including climate change, economic stagnation, and corporate control of government, to name a few. By Rebecca Dunn
	Investing Deposits for a Sustainable Economy Do you know where your money spends the night? By Vincent Siciliano, President and CEO, New Resource Bank
	The Big SRI Umbrella: Many Shades of Green 2012 marks the 20th anniversary of the NI Social Rating (the Rating), the nation’s first sustainable and responsible (SRI) mutual fund rating system that made its initial appearance in Investing from the Heart, the 1992 book by Natural Investments’ founder Jack Brill. By Michael Kramer
Additional Online Articles
	Riding The Wave: Impact Investing for Blended Value We believe today various parts of what has to date been segments of an investment spectrum are discovering a new realm of possibility. By Antony Bugg-Levine and Jed Emerson
	Evolutions of Sustainable Investing: Strategies, Funds and Thought Leadership Most people would agree that we are entering a world of peak oil and rising energy prices. There are pending fresh water and food shortages in many parts of the world coupled with theoretically unsustainable yet inevitable increases in population. Edited by Cary Krosinsky, Nick Robins and Stephen Viederman
	Green Transition Scoreboard® to Top $3 Trillion! Hazel Henderson, president of Ethical Markets Media, LLC, has shared Green Money Journal's interest in the emerging green economy since she wrote The Politics of the Solar Age in 1981.
	2012 MacArthur Award for Creative & Effective Institutions Center for Responsible Lending - Durham, North Carolina - Defending American Consumers
	Mutual Fund Designed to Help Banks Meet Their Community Reinvestment Act Investment Exam Reaches $1 Billion in Assets Investments have met banks’ credit and community development needs.
	Generation Investment Management’s Al Gore and David Blood call for creation of sustainable investment consultancy Boutique’s founders issue blueprint for sustainable finance by Daniel Brooksbank, Responsible Investor (February 15, 2012)
	The 2012 Investor Summit on Climate Risk & Energy Solutions AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka spoke to more than 400 leading investors at the Investor Summit on Climate Risk & Energy Solutions at the UN on January 12, 2012 and proposed hosting a dialogue on the risks of climate change and the need to move forward in a way that ensures broadly-shared prosperity and a sustainable future.
	Historic signing finalizes organic equivalence arrangement between EU and U.S. The world’s two largest markets for organic food expand organic market access