Is a 'nudge' in the right direction all we need to be greener? Is a 'nudge' in the right direction all we need to be greener?

What's the best way of encouraging men to pee more accurately in public urinals? Answer: Give them a target.

That's what a maintenance man working at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport suggested: Etch an image of a house fly on the urinals to give men something to aim at. Overnight, the quantity of misdirected urine fell by about 80%, according to the airport.

The painted fly is an example of a "nudge" -- a subtle way of influencing behavior without offering material incentives or imposing punishments.

"Normally, if a government, employer or even parent wants to promote a certain type of conduct, they introduce rules, offer a financial reward or both," says economist Richard Thaler who, alongside fellow academic Cass Sunstein, popularized the concept of "nudging."

Subliminal sway

Whether we're conscious of them or not, nudges -- of a sort -- are all around us. From the rumble strip along motorways -- gently encouraging motorists to remain in the correct lane -- to rows of brightly colored candy wrappers, less subtly inviting us to pick them up and place them in our shopping cart.

Click here to continue reading: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/08/tech/innovation/green-nudge-environment-persuasion/index.html