The sound tires make rolling on the road is the sound of friction and friction is a leading factor in burning more fuel to push the car down the road. Michelin, the high-end tire maker (and host of the Michelin restaurant guide) just announced its $6.8 million research program on making tires more friction-free. The company is teaming with Michelin Americas Research Co. and the International Center for Automotive Research of Clemson University in South Carolina.

The Federal Trade Commission is exploring ways to hold companies accountable for misleading green marketing, following the lead of regulators in Europe who have already implemented a variety of rules. Predictably, advertising trade groups are fighting any increased regulation, citing already existing laws that prohibit misleading advertising. But the existing laws are rarely enforced, and advertisers figured out a long time ago how to suggest that a product has certain advantages without making any legally binding claims.

Americans spend around $16 billion dollars a year on blue jeans, most of which are now made overseas. But if you're curious about where your jeans really come from, the words "made in Bangladesh" are probably telling you only the end of a story that spans thousands of miles, touching the lives of people in as many as five or six different countries.

No company wants to be known for employing children in sweatshops or coating their products in lead paint, but intricate supply chains filled with contractors and subcontractors have helped to insulate global corporations from the responsibility of ensuring that their products are safe and ethical.