Picture this bit of environmental nostalgia: a Native American in a canoe paddling down a polluted, trash-ridden stream; he pauses at the end to weep for the camera. Now cut to 1990s gauzy ad campaigns with families picnicking in lush green parks, puppies and children frolicking in overtly happy and healthy ways, as wind turbines spin in the background. Each of these approaches is cut from the same mold, the message laid on as thick as hearty Vermont maple syrup, "We all have to band together to protect our precious environment."

Sensationalist? Moi? You may have worried about the potential effect of carcinogens in the water supply, or the possibility of a terrorist attack in your home town, or GMO foods and the effect they have on your endocrine system, but I'm willing to wager that you have rarely, if ever, considered this particular cognitive bias a threat to your existence.

In its latest report, SustainAbility, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based think tank and strategic advisory firm, provides insight about a variety of earth-friendly business models that are profitable but also benefit people and the planet. Over the next few months, I'll cover each of five unique business models, including: Social Innovation, Environmental Impact, Base of the Pyramid, Diverse Impact, and Financing Innovation. Each one can serve as a template or inspiration for a new and profitable paradigm.

Cultures around the world possess their own unique, deeply-ingrained beliefs and traditions for minimizing waste. For instance, the Yankee ingenuity helped America put down its early roots, and the Dutch custom of sharing unlocked community bikes at train stations inspired bike-sharing programs in New York, Paris and other world capitals. Many such notions are the inspiration for entrepreneurs who are fast at work introducing new products that can help all consumers prevent water, energy, food and various materials from going to waste.