Last chance - because you can have your cake and eat it too

Yesterday I was describing what Sphere does to someone I had just met, and her reaction was to ask: "But have you heard of the expression: Don't mix your carrots with your peas? Because what I've heard from the professionals is you should only have one goal when investing, and that should be maximizing profit. Mixing in personal values is a bad idea."

This is not the first person to tell me they've heard this advice. And it drives me crazy, because there is so much data showing that you don't have to choose between making smart investments and having a livable planet to retire on. In fact, the fossil fuel industry has had the worst returns of any sector of the economy over the last two decades.

This graph is on the Sphere home page. We shout this news from the rooftops whenever we can. Because not only are most people not aware of the above data - most financial advisors are not aware of it. That's right - most people whose job it is to know what makes a good investment and what doesn't could not tell you how the oil and gas industry has stacked up against other industries over the past decade or two.

My theory is that's because they're susceptible to short-term thinking like the rest of us, even if they're advising clients on long-term investments like retirement savings. That's because they read the daily financial news. And news of oil and gas being on a tear after Putin invades Ukraine makes headlines. The fact that the industry lost all its gains in the following year doesn't.

But on top of that, the fossil fuel industry itself has done a fantastic job of shaping the narrative over the past few years. Have you heard anyone on TV or in the news recently say something like "Well, you've got to choose between investing with your progressive values or investing for good returns." Politicians have been using that phrase to justify new laws attempting to ban climate-friendly investments. And data shows those laws originated in the back rooms fossil fuel lobbyists. In my own conversations I've started to realize more and more people are starting to believe that they truly do have to separate their carrots and their peas - and set their beliefs aside when investing their money.

That's why we're helping over 500 actors shout from the rooftops that we don't have to make that choice. We can invest to grow our savings for retirement and protect this planet we call home.  Because the more we can spread the word that you can have your cake and eat it too, the sooner we will start investing in - and building - the world we want to live in.

Are you in? Will you help us shout it from the rooftops?

This is your last chance to become a shareholder of Sphere. We'd love for you to join us.