In addition to the Google news below, see
http://www.calcars.org/events.html for a rundown of Earth Day-themed
and other related PHEV events, including:
Coyote Point Museum (San Mateo) April 19, Woodside Environment Fest
April 20, UC Berkeley Haas School of Business April 26, Pacific
Coast Dream Machines Show (Half Moon Bay) April 27, 2008, Stanford
Energy Crosssroads May 1.



CalCars and a number of other nonprofit groups will benefit from the
global scope of Google to build awareness and get contributions from
people who want to do all they can to save the planet.

For Earth Day 2008, Google is encouraging its users to donate on
behalf of friends and family and support a variety of environmental
non-profit organizations -- including CalCars! Below we have the full
list of groups, and we also include below the short and longer
descriptions of CalCars that Google presents on our behalf. Funds we
receive from this program will be very welcome: CalCars remains a
largely volunteer organization because we are very short of the
resources we need to accomplish our ambitious goals. See this
donation program at http://checkout.google.com/earthday/

As you'll see, the campaign has a viral element, When you use Google
Checkout to donate on behalf of anyone you know, Google will create a
personal view of Google Maps that includes a marker representing your
donation. When the people you donate on behalf of follow your
example, their donation will be marked on the map and a line will be
drawn connecting you, showing you how your generosity spreads.

Participation requires signing up for Google Checkout. (Google also
explains: Because these non-profit organizations aren't charged fees
when receiving donations through Google Checkout, 100% of your
donation will directly to the non-profit organization.)


WHAT ELSE IS GOOGLE DOING TO SUPPORT EARTH DAY?
See Google's official blog posting, " We can't wait for Earth Day" at
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2008/04/we-cant-wait-for-earth-day.html
-- which also includes a link to this program and to the Google Earth
Day page at http://www.google.com/earthday08/ .



HERE'S HOW GOOGLE DESCRIBES THE PROGRAM:
See it and participate at http://checkout.google.com/earthday/
Team up with your friends and family this Earth Day

* Use Google Checkout to donate to an environmental
organization on behalf of your friends and family.
* We'll create a personal view of Google Maps that includes a
marker representing your donation.
* When your friends and family follow your example and donate,
we'll mark them on your map and draw a line to connect you, showing
you how your generosity spreads.
* Learn more.


THE GROUPS YOU CAN SUPPORT:
* Acterra * Arbor Day Foundation * California Cars Initiative * Clean
Air-Cool Planet * Earth Watch Institute * Keep America Beautiful *
The Nature Conservancy * Oceana * Rainforest Alliance * Seacology *
Trees, Water & People * Wildlife Conservation Society


SHORT DESCRIPTION OF CALCARS:
California Cars Initiative: A non-profit organization working to get
carmakers to build plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs) in an effort to
displace fossil fuels with cleaner, cheaper electricity, using
today's technology and infrastructure.

MORE ABOUT CALIFORNIA CARS INITIATIVE
The California Cars Initiative (CalCars.org) is a Palo Alto-based
nonprofit startup of entrepreneurs, engineers, environmentalists and
consumers promoting 100+MPG plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
Somewhat uniquely, we're ourselves a hybrid, focusing both on public
policy and technology development, and harnessing buyer demand to
help commercialize PHEVs. We're building demand among highly
receptive markets to encourage auto makers to produce 100+MPG
"no-sacrifices" high-performance, clean hybrid cars. The initial goal
of CalCars was to increase awareness and support for PHEVs, to
convince major auto manufacturers to mass-produce them. Now, General
Motors has announced plans to sell PHEVs by the 2011 model year, with
Toyota and others considering that. Between now and then, CalCar's
mission is to educate consumers and policymakers to promote the broad
adoption of PHEVs, expand the number of vehicles being converted or
being built from the ground up as PHEVs, and take further steps to
motivate automakers to expand and accelerate their announce plans.
CalCars seeks your help to accomplish these goals.



WHETHER OR NOT YOU'VE CONTRIBUTED TO CALCARS IN THE PAST
Your membership and donation will fund our efforts to accomplish our
goal to make PHEVs a near-term reality, thereby significantly
reducing our dependence on imported oil and reducing our nation's
greenhouse gas emissions. (See our end-of-2007 explanation of what
we'll do if with additional funds at
http://www.calcars.org/calcars-news/890.html ), we hope you'll go to
http://checkout.google.com/earthday/ and help now!

Thanks for all your help.

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Felix Kramer fkramer@...
Founder California Cars Initiative
http://www.calcars.org
http://www.calcars.org/news-archive.html
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