For the first half of 2010, almost two thirds of money managers are bullish, according to Barron's. In fact, 54% are bullish, and 5% are "very bullish." Responses suggest that the Dow Jones Industrial Average is expected to gain another 5% by the end of the year.

According to Barron's, "Today's bullish investors see the major stock indexes making steady progress through next June, amid signs the U.S. economy is on the mend after a searing recession."

The clean technology private equity momentum continues. In New York, a group of partners has launched NewWorld Capital Group, a private equity firm that will focus on mid-market investments in clean energy infrastructure companies in the United States and selectively in Europe.

The new fund will work closely with Ambienta, a European environmental assets private equity firm in Italy. Both said they plan to collaborate on finding and analyzing investment opportunities -- with NewWorld taking care of the United States and Ambienta addressing Europe.

Well, what have you done for me lately, right? Investors, less than thrilled with the returns that venture capital funds have been delivering, are taking their money and going home. The number of new funds launching has thus dropped precipitously, and it looks like the industry will be smaller, with fewer players, according to the National Venture Capital Association.

Of course, the next wave will attract many to ride it, and that could be enough to turn the tide (once again).

The clean technology wave just got a little bigger. This tends to be a side-effect of interest from billionaire investor George Soros. And, as usual, it's more than just money; it's more than just a return. Soros, yet again, is trying to save the world. Interestingly, the bold move was announced at a meeting on climate change sponsored by Project Syndicate – an international association consisting of 430 newspapers from 150 countries (and thus with clear ties to the past, rather than future).

The investor and founder of Soros Fund Management LLC is planning to put $1 billion into clean-tech opportunities using what he calls "rather stringent criteria," which involves being "profitable but should also actually make a contribution to solving the problem [i.e., of clean technology adoption and proliferation]." Soros didn't provide any other details on the nature or scope of his investments.

We're tired of bubbles, right? Anyone 30 or older has lived through two big ones so far, with a brief period of prosperity separating the decimation of dot-com largesse and mortgage-fueled paper wealth. It could take until 2014 for the jobs lost to be replenished, and there's little reason for optimism.

So, with the economy in the tank, we can focus elsewhere -- maybe on saving the planet. If we can't put green in our wallets, maybe we can add some to our lifestyles. Or, you could do both. Green technology could be the next boom in the United States, even if we do lag some parts of the world, and investing in clean solutions is really nothing other than investing in the next big thing. Even if you don't give a damn about climate change (or don't think it exists at all), the green market could likely become your employer -- or trigger the economic growth that will create your next job.

Some signs are visible already.

Rajendra Pachauri, U.N. climate scientist, has good news and bad news. I'll give you the latter first: eat less meat. Doing so will help slow global warming. The good news, also related to climate change, is that Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for the United Nations, investing in green technologies now is a smart move. So, by following Pachauri's advice, you cut down on your meat but reward yourself with a decent investment return.

If you take his advice as a whole (pretending you don't know you can do one part without the other), it's like getting paid to eat your veggies. Everyone who's been five years old at some point knows that being given green to eat green is ample motivation. The fun part, here, is that you're financing it by investing in green. It all matches!

The World Bank Group's financing for renewable and efficient energy projects increased 24% in the last fiscal year. Reaching $3.3 billion, the bank's clean technology investments have reached their highest level ever.

At the Bonn International Renewable Energies Conference in 2004, the World Bank committed to increase its contribution to cleantech investments by $1.9 billion through 2009. Not only did last fiscal year's result more than double the five-year commitment, the World Bank's support surged by $7 billion.

If you want to feel like what you do for a living makes a difference, you'll soon face an embarrassment of riches.

The alternative energy industry -- the green business -- is about to ramp up its hiring, with the next year likely to show an increase in demand, according to U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

We're still in the early stages of this trend, but it's pretty clear that the green energy sector is fast becoming a venture capital darling. Today, for example, five deals were announced in one publication alone (three VC, two acquisitions). The three investments account for $47.4 million in VC investment. And only yesterday, Solazyme picked up another $57 million in its Series C round.

In what remains a capital-constrained market, the cash is still flowing. In the private equity space, investments in clean technologies have remained steady from 2007 to 2008, despite broader economic calamity. Such commitment this early in the game may hint at what the next bubble will be.

Investments in clean energy projects and companies reached $155 billion last year, surpassing fossil fuel investments. According to a United Nations report, $13.5 billion in new private investment was directed to companies that are developing new technologies, with almost half that (according to Private Equity Intelligence, Ltd.) coming from clean technology-focused private equity funds.

Clean energy sources account for the majority of energy investments last year, with $105 billion spent on developing 40GW of wind, solar, small hydro, biomass and geothermal energy generation capabilities. Large hydro (25GW) accounted for another $35 billion in investments.

Totaling $140 billion, this accounts for 56% of investments in power last year. The aggregate 65GW, however, represents only 41% of new capacity developed in 2008. Renewable energy dominated the clean technology space, 75% of the total at $117 billion.

Investments in clean energy technology grew 5% from 2007 to 2008, leading to a second consecutive record-setting year. Emerging markets made the difference last year – particularly China and Brazil. China has become the second largest wind market in the worlds (as measured by new capacity) and the world's top photovoltaic manufacturer.

Geothermal appears to be on the horizon for several countries, including Australia and Kenya. Nonetheless, the ongoing financial crisis has put the squeeze on the clean energy space. U.S. investments fell 2%, and growth slowed considerably in Europe.

According to the number-crunching from PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, there was an 8% increase in venture funding for 2007 (it's the fourth consecutive increase). That translates into a juicy $29.4 billion.

OK, so where's the action? Of course, there was strength in Web deals as well as biotech (yes, these sectors always seem to need capital).

But, in light of the surge in oil prices, there was a big jump in funding in energy deals and clean technology. That is, the deal volume went from 124 to 187 financings. In all, there was about $2.5 billion invested in the sector. Interestingly enough, one company -- Project Better Place – pulled in a cool $200 million first round.

Oh, and as should be no surprise, it was California with the most deal action. Last year, the region saw $14 billion in financings.

However, with the wrenching volatility in the equities markets, there could be trouble ahead. In such times, it can be challenging for M&A transactions and IPOs, which drive the enthusiasm for venture capital deals.

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.

The last three decades have oscillated between private equity and venture capital. Right now, VCs are down and private equity is up. But 'clean tech' -- technologies that save energy and otherwise allow for a cleaner, greener world -- could revive VCs in the next decade while private equity licks its wounds.

In the 1980s, private equity was king. LBO firms were able to borrow huge amounts from banks and the junk bond market to finance hostile takeovers. The LBO boom ended badly with the collapse of junk bond king Drexel Burnham and overreaching in the form of the bidding war for the largest LBO in history --- RJR Nabisco.

In the 1990s, private equity imploded and watched with envy as venture capital prospered. It wasn't until the middle of the decade that VC firms like Kleiner Perkins were able to prosper from their investments in the Internet – beginning with the 1995 IPO of Netscape. The dot-com boom ended badly in 2000 with NASDAQ plunging -- it's down 54% from its March 2000 peak of 5,038 to its current 2,327.