Actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr. was honored this week at the 2008 Alternative Fuels and Vehicles conference and expo “for his passionate commitment to living lightly on the planet.” Begley was presented with the “Vision 20/20 Award” by the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Institute (AFVi).

As an actor, Begley is best known for his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich on the long-running hit television series, “St. Elsewhere.” However, he has become better known in recent years for his environmentalism. He serves on a number of environmental boards, stars with his wife, Rachelle Carson, in their own reality television series called Living with Ed, and is the author of a new book, Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life.

This week was the 14th annual Alternative Fuels and Vehicles conference and expo, featuring alternative fuels and advanced transportation technologies.

Tuesday was Fleet Day featuring a Ride-n-Drive event offering test drives in the latest alternative vehicles on a mapped out course. Indy Racing League team owner and former Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal did the honors of opening the event by cutting the green ribbon and then jumping into a flex-fuel vehicle with Begley to take a spin around the course.

Pictured from left to right are Robert White with the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, Rahal, Annalloyd Thomason with AFVi, and Begley.