Author Annie Leonard has started a crusade against our global obsession with stuff. Starting with her book The Story of Stuff and continuing with a corresponding film series, she attempts to demystify our consumer culture and promote a "sustainable and just world." Her book and films target a variety of products and habits.

A United Nations report says that use of bottled water is increasing worldwide, but it takes more than three quarts of water to produce one quart of bottled water. In the United States alone, production of bottled water takes an additional 17 million barrels of oil.