Motivated to care (Image: Andrzej Krauze)

HAVE you ever noticed a friend or neighbour driving a new hybrid car and felt pressure to trade in your gas guzzler? Or worried about what people might think when you drive up to the office in an SUV? If so, then you have experienced the power of reputation for encouraging good public behaviour. In fact, reputation is such an effective motivator that it could help us solve the most pressing issue we face – protecting our planet.

Environmental problems are difficult to solve because Earth is a “public good”. Even though we would all …