Turn a Profit From Global-Warming Stocks

Just so the coal folks don't think I'm picking on them, I'd put corn-based ethanol in the same camp -- lots of rhetoric and not much long-term future. Still, that rhetoric should be enough to make Archer Daniels Midland(ADM - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr) a profitable holding. (To be completely fair, the company is pushing ahead into other biofuels that hold more long-term potential.)

The technology of denial: On my Christmas visit to the coast north of San Diego, I got to witness the hugely expensive effort being put in to stabilize ocean cliffs by lining them with bulkheads and then injecting concrete into the dirt. If we're willing to spend millions to protect a few seaside condominium complexes, think how much we'll be ready to spend to protect farms on marginal land that has suddenly become even more marginal. I don't think you have to be a cynic to expect that we'll spend billions on desalinating sea water and on genetically engineering seeds to be more resistant to salty soils, to take just two examples.

Stocks to watch: To bet on this very deep-grained desire to protect what we have from change, I'd suggest General Electric, a leader in the water business, and Monsanto(MON - Cramer's Take - Stockpickr), a leader in the genetic engineering of seeds.

At the time of publication, Jim Jubak owned or controlled shares of the following equities mentioned in this column: Consol Energy, Garmin and Zoltek Cos. He does not own short positions in any stock mentioned in this column.

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