Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Value Investing -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: E_K_S who wrote (43513)	7/23/2011 12:02:26 PM
From: Ken Ludwig	2 Recommendations Respond to of 78670

EKS, Coastal lands, far from "marginal" in the sense I think you mean, are often the brackish nurseries of many species and the home of the critical organisms at the bottom of the food web. We already have seriously impacted these most valuable areas of the planet with non-point source run-off from large scale agriculture. It is in fact the largest polluter of our water. Adding more nitrogen based fertilizer leads to algal blooms and they in turn create hypoxic zones which kill all life. This occurs now in large areas of the Gulf of Mexico from upstream effluent from the Mississippi and in the Great Lakes, particularly Lake Erie. The rate and volume of flushing and subsequent dilution of the Sea of Cortez into the Pacific is unknown to me but does raise questions about Global Seawater's ability to recycle enough of its production to avoid these kinds of unintended consequences. I'll read up on them as soon as I can. Figuring out these complex problems is precisely what we need to be doing and we need to do it quickly. We also need to be smart about it. The binary nature of the "discussion" about environment vs. capitalism is just stupid. We need complex models and approaches and one of the optimal ways forward is to take the best science, the best business practices, marry them to high standards of ethical behavior and make a lot of money over a long period of time at good margins. All that said, I have followed your writing about Marine Harvest, looked at their record and assessed their ability to both make money and behave responsibly and invested accordingly. Market risk is high but so are growth a opportunities and good margins. I agree enough in the growing need for protein that I've committed substantial funds and will add to the food sector as high risk/high reward opportunities present themselves. Thanks for your many fine writings. I've learned a lot and earned a lot. best, ken