While my mom always told me to "clean my plate" and not waste food - including the Brussels sprouts I attempted to hide under my napkin - we Americans throw out 40% of our total food supply. That's a staggering amount of food, when you think about it. Picture the typical 18-wheel truck hauling food from state to state, and nearly half of each truck going straight to a landfill. Now think about how much clean water it took to grow the vegetables, or feed the cows and chickens (at a time when water in our best farming regions is …

Nearly three-quarters of consumers believe that the private sector is failing to take care of the earth and society, according to the recently released UN Global Compact and Accenture study, "From Marketing to Mattering." Surveying 30,000 consumers across 20 countries, the report reveals valuable insights for marketers regarding the impact of sustainability on a brand's reputation, optimism and expectations on both government and the private sector.

The path to changing attitudes and behavior is never unilateral, as much as advertising gurus might clamor. Last month, I wrote about the power of passive aggression and shaming, as strategies to counter our inherent lack of concern about the effects of climate change. Now, it's time for the carrot.

Let's face it, we all lie. Various studies have concluded that the average person lies 1.58 times per day, but frankly, there is some concern that the participants in those surveys were, well, lying. I know a number of people who might politely be called outliers ... on the high side.