As you’ve likely heard, a Chinese company will soon own the Hummer brand. Heh, let’s count the ways this transaction epitomizes the new economic landscape…

1. A Chinese company now owns an automaker that will build and sell cars in the U.S. – a first.

2. That company – Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery – doesn’t even make cars. For its first foray into passenger automaking, it’s chosen Hummer, perhaps the world’s most challenging and polarizing brand.

3. Business is so booming at Tengzhong HIM (its core is road construction and energy equipment) that the company will completely self-finance the deal…not one yuan borrowed from the Chinese government.

4. While neither party will disclose the price, Hummer was likely sold for a song…less than $500 million.

5. The White House is billing it as a victory: It’s “good news for the 3,000 Americans who will be able to keep their jobs, the two American plants

Many forms of new clean and sustainable energy will be required to power tomorrow’s world. Some will rise from energy ideas currently being put forth while many will come from new and innovative ideas yet to be conceived. Regardless of where these new forms of energy come from, all need to be given a solid assessment for practicality and profitability. If they are not practical, they will fall by the way side. Each opportunity, however, needs to be given a solid shot at helping the world out of a dire clean energy mess. When an energy source that can meet these two criteria is found, huge profits will result.

Startech Environmental Corp., an alternative energy equipment and services provider, works to develop, implement and market proprietary, stationary hydrogen producing plasma engines and services. The engine is designed to convert waste products, of several types, to clean sustainable electricity. The process, available

“Around the globe, wind-generating capacity has been expanding at a rapid 30% clip in recent years,” notes value investor Nathan Slaughter.

The editor of Half-Priced Stocks looks at industrial products firm Trinity Industries, adding, “Its most promising division is the production of structural wind towers.” Here’s the latest “deep-discount’ buy.

“Led by states such as Texas and California, wind farms around the country will generate almost 50 billion kilowatt hours of electricity this year. Of course, the U.S. is still playing catch-up with many other regions.

“In fact, countries such as Spain, Portugal and Denmark all rely on wind farms for as much as one-quarter of their total power needs.

“Across Europe, wind turbines will account for roughly one-third of all new generating capacity installed over the next few years and could provide electricity for 90 million people by 2010.

“The outlook is even brighter in many booming, energy-hungry Asian markets. In China, installed wind