EDITORIAL:

Environmentalists can make statements in several ways.

They can recycle, conserve energy, take action to reduce carbon emissions, and inspire others to take similar steps.

But one of the most effective methods to support sustainability is with dollars.

This is why activists boycott certain products. This is why there are whole books dedicated to giving concerned consumers tips on what companies they should and shouldn’t patronize.

And this is why Mayor Debbie Cook, an outspoken protector of the environment, has recently been scrutinized for her investments in oil companies.

Cook has defended her stocks, saying that investing in oil is not hypocritical.

She likes to make the comparison that investing in mortuaries wouldn’t mean a person is pro-death. True, but mortuaries aren’t the cause of death. And the first priority of Big Oil is not environmentalism.

“I’ve never bashed the oil industry,” Cook has said.

But perhaps she should. ExxonMobil, one company in which she has invested, was ranked sixth on the Political Economy Research Institute’s “Toxic 100” list of U.S. corporate air polluters.

Additionally, even if some oil companies tout clean energy practices, the act of drilling in itself destroys the environment.

When companies extract oil, it requires much more than a pipe.

The land around the area is cleared and leveled, and roads are built for the equipment. The process also requires a source of water, and we all know how precious that resource is becoming. Other holes are dug and resources used.

Basically, this is no simple task.

Still, if Cook does not believe she has made a wrong choice, why would she feel the need to highlight her environmental actions as a defense?

“I’ve done my part to reduce my consumption of energy: having one child, not eating meat, reducing my water consumption,” Cook contends.

These are all admirable things.

Even more admirable are all the efforts Cook has made in her career to increase awareness about green living, which we applaud her for. But one cannot work against something in one area of their life while supporting it in another. This would be like a dentist who fights cavities in the office while holding stock in Hershey’s.

The bottom line is, there are ways for environmentalists to make sound investments in companies that work against pollution and the downfall of the environment.

Cook’s own website states, “Investment in a clean energy economy will create new technologies and industries in America and give us the technological edge to compete globally.”

We couldn’t agree more. One company that makes this possible is Global Environment Fund, where investors can make money off of environmentally friendly technologies.

If you hope for the future of a world less dependent on oil, shouldn’t you focus investments on green energies, one of the fastest-growing industries in the country? Unless, of course, you’re unsure about stability. But if one believes green technology is the future, the biggest statement to make is one that includes your own financial prospects.