The very first Tesla/Mercedes Benz electric A-Class, at Tesla headquarters in Palo Alto, California. (Jim Motavalli photo)

PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA–I got an unexpected treat during a recent visit to Tesla Motors’ headquarters near San Francisco: They let me be the first journalist, ever, to drive the electric version of the Mercedes A-Class.

Let me say up front, I was totally captivated by this car, a product of the growing collaboration between Tesla and Daimler. Some 500 will be built, likely for delivery to “hand raisers,” probably mostly in Europe. From behind the wheel, it seemed like an ideal mix of functionality and fun in a battery-powered vehicle. Unlike many of the EVs coming out later this year and early next, it’s a four-seater, and approximately the size and utility of one of my favorite cars, the Honda Fit. (I own a 2007 Fit.) If you’ve never heard of the long-running Mercedes A-Class, it’s because it has never been imported into the U.S. But I think America is ready for it. Here’s what the car looks like on video:

Archeologists say that digging through a civilization’s garbage can reveal more about peoples’ lifestyles than just about anything else. Take a minute to look through your trash — items you’re recycling as well as sending to the landfill — and learn how you can save money and the Earth’s resources at the same time.

Dryer Lint

Dryer lint represents the life of your expensive clothing being beaten and cooked out of them by an electric dryer. Save hundreds of dollars a year by drying your clothes on a clothesline instead; they’ll last much longer, and you’ll save on electricity and appliance costs, too.

Packaging

Too much packaging in your trash can be a sign that you need a smart-shopping intervention. Afterall, packaging costs money, which consumers pay for in the end. Buying in bulk and larger sizes is usually cheaper and saves resources. Sometimes shopping at “big box” stores can even be a greener choice.

Texting while driving: Just the beginning of the distractions. (Flickr/Jason Weaver)

What high-tech feature would you want to see in your car (that’s not there now)? Autobytel.com asked that question as part of its “What’s Hot Now?” report, and the results indicate that people must get lost a lot-30 percent, by far the largest number, would like to have an in-dash GPS navigation device. Me, I can live without one.

In fact, just as cars are connecting big time, we’re electrifying them, and many of the early EVs will be kind of skimpy on personal tech, trying to increase battery life and increase range.

In the old days, the advertised list price of an entry-level car got you a really bare-bones vehicle with a “blanking plate” where the radio would have been. In England, even the heater was optional, which makes no sense in a country with perpetual “pissing down rain.” But now everybody wants cars loaded (try to find one without air conditioning) and CD players and iPod Connectivity are nearly standard. And that’s why it’s interesting that the second-most popular choice in the survey (24 percent) was “I can live without technology…”

Studies have shown that tomatoes grown organically have more heart-disease preventing antioxidants than tomatoes grown conventionally, with industrial fertilizers and pesticides. In fact, there has been a considerable amount of buzz around antioxidants in the media and in advertising for some time, with supporters claiming that they offer a number of key health benefits. This graphic from Medical Insurance Blog takes a closer look:

Days ago, I was surrounded by a pod of Spinner dolphins off the coast of Maui, Hawaii. There must’ve been at least fifty of them, including babies that looked like silver nerf balls skimming the surface as they bounced up and down, budding their small heads.

The dolphins were not in any hurry, so they flipped and dived around us in almost choreographed repetition, some flipping airborne at least three feet above water. Our small eco tour group cheered at each leap and delighted as they swam close enough to our raft to touch them.

After this experience, I couldn’t help but think about “Blood Dolphins,” an upcoming three-part series on Animal Planet produced by Ric and Lincoln O’Barry, the father/son activists featured in last year’s Oscar award-winning documentary The Cove. I recently attended a Television Press Tour Q&A with the filmmakers, where a reporter queried, “Why save dolphins?”

The elder O’Barry responded with the thoughtful passion that bears out his five-plus decades of marine work: “[Throughout history] dolphins have saved the lives of humans. That’s special. That’s altruism. That’s communication.” He believes they are highly intelligent, self-aware and complex creatures. The surreal experience of these seemingly foreign creatures practically performing, and interacting with my raft group, made me appreciate their supreme nature all the more.

Witnessing dolphins swimming free in their habitat first-hand is one thing, but O’Barry is vehemently opposed to captive environments. “We’ve been brainwashed into thinking that dolphins belong in a concrete tank doing tricks for us, and somehow that translates into conservation,” says the activist who once trained Flipper, America’s favorite dolphin. “Flipper was a blood dolphin. Shamu is a blood dolphin. That is the reality of it. My hope is that with ‘Blood Dolphins,’ viewers will think twice about seeing a captive dolphin show.”

“One of the dirty little secrets is, where did these animals come from?” offers the younger O’Barry. “They didn’t just magically appear in these aquariums. In countries where they allow the slaughter of dolphins, typically they’re also allowing the export of dolphins.”

From Mr. Potato Head to Ms. Pac-Man, The Daily Green’s audience has submitted more than 100 creative homemade Halloween costume ideas. These are just a few of our favorites.

For better or for worse, your doctor doesn’t always tell you everything, and what you are told isn’t always presented with complete objectivity. In most cases, this is done to prevent you from worrying too much, or to deter harmful activities you might be indulging in. In other cases it’s simply because they’re trying to solve your issue as efficiently as possible, without discussing other potential problem areas or making things overly complicated.

To help you get started with your list of things to discuss with your doctor, our friends at the Term Life Insurance Blog have come up with the following infographic, which hopefully may make the process a little easier, and make things more clear.

For better or for worse, your doctor doesn’t always tell you everything, and what you are told isn’t always presented with complete objectivity. In most cases, this is done to prevent you from worrying too much, or to deter harmful activities you might be indulging in. In other cases it’s simply because they’re trying to solve your issue as efficiently as possible, without discussing other potential problem areas or making things overly complicated.

To help you get started with your list of things to discuss with your doctor, our friends at the Term Life Insurance Blog have come up with the following infographic, which hopefully may make the process a little easier, and make things more clear.

Hawaii’s Bio Beetles offer more than 35 mpg. (Jim Motavalli photo)

Hawaii is green, or so its boosters tell you incessantly. Of course, you have to ignore the thick smoke from the sugarcane-field-burning operations and the runoff chemicals used to control roadside plants, mountains of tourism-generated waste, plus a huge complement of invasive species.

An encouraging sign is the 30-megawatt wind farm visible from most parts of Maui, providing 10% of the island’s electricity. Unfortunately, most of the rest is from diesel oil. But during a recent stay, I saw some evidence that the islands are starting to really go green, especially when it comes to transportation.

There’s not much public transit in Hawaii (a light rail system is still stuck in the planning stage) but there is the Bio Beetle company, which rents a fleet of 20 biodiesel VWs and other cars in Maui. Also on Hawaii’s second biggest island, the rapidly growing Maui EVs converts trucks and cars to batteries — and has a backlog of orders.

The Korean EV company CT&T recently met with Governor Linda Lingle about opening a battery car assembly plant in Hawaii that could put 10,000 cars on the road annually, for local use and export. It’s not clear where that plant would be located.

Since August 1, Hawaiian residents have been able to tap into a $4 million state-administered pot of stimulus funds for buying EVs ($4,500 maximum) or installing an EV charging station ($500). Bio Beetle is one of the applicants, hoping to add cars such as the Nissan Leaf to its fleet as soon as that car is available (expected to be at the end of this year).

In my week here, I visited David Noon at Maui EVs, took a ride in his Gem neighborhood vehicle, and saw a Ford Ranger XLT he was converting to run on 23 Optima marine batteries. Another is waiting for conversion, and there’s a customer backlog that includes a Hummer H2, Mini and 1950s Studebaker.

Noon also operates Internet-based TV and radio businesses, but he thinks EV conversions are likely to be more lucrative.

Hawaii’s Bio Beetles offer more than 35 mpg. (Jim Motavalli photo)

Hawaii is green, or so its boosters tell you incessantly. Of course, you have to ignore the thick smoke from the sugarcane-field-burning operations and the runoff chemicals used to control roadside plants, mountains of tourism-generated waste, plus a huge complement of invasive species.

An encouraging sign is the 30-megawatt wind farm visible from most parts of Maui, providing 10% of the island’s electricity. Unfortunately, most of the rest is from diesel oil. But during a recent stay, I saw some evidence that the islands are starting to really go green, especially when it comes to transportation.

There’s not much public transit in Hawaii (a light rail system is still stuck in the planning stage) but there is the Bio Beetle company, which rents a fleet of 20 biodiesel VWs and other cars in Maui. Also on Hawaii’s second biggest island, the rapidly growing Maui EVs converts trucks and cars to batteries — and has a backlog of orders.

The Korean EV company CT&T recently met with Governor Linda Lingle about opening a battery car assembly plant in Hawaii that could put 10,000 cars on the road annually, for local use and export. It’s not clear where that plant would be located.

Since August 1, Hawaiian residents have been able to tap into a $4 million state-administered pot of stimulus funds for buying EVs ($4,500 maximum) or installing an EV charging station ($500). Bio Beetle is one of the applicants, hoping to add cars such as the Nissan Leaf to its fleet as soon as that car is available (expected to be at the end of this year).

In my week here, I visited David Noon at Maui EVs, took a ride in his Gem neighborhood vehicle, and saw a Ford Ranger XLT he was converting to run on 23 Optima marine batteries. Another is waiting for conversion, and there’s a customer backlog that includes a Hummer H2, Mini and 1950s Studebaker.

Noon also operates Internet-based TV and radio businesses, but he thinks EV conversions are likely to be more lucrative.