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

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.