That economic stimulus check headed to U.S. taxpayers will be stimulating the booming petroleum industry; Major League Baseball takes a swing at going green; and the Phoenix Mars Lander arrives safely at the Red Planet. It’s Memorial Day in the United States: welcome to your Monday edition of The Daily Five.

Spending Probably Slowed, Confidence Sank: U.S. Economy Preview: If you live in the United States, you’re probably waiting for your Economic Stimulus rebate check. But here’s some frustrating news — it’s mostly spent already. Higher fuel prices will cost U.S. consumers about $90 billion more this year than in 2007. The total stimulus plan amounts to about $110 billion. So 80 percent of your tax rebate is destined for the pockets of the petroleum industry. (Bloomberg)

Major League Solar: Baseball Goes Green: It’s back to the ballparks, and Major League Baseball has been busy greening their stadiums during the off-season. The Seattle Mariners have now played their very first fully carbon-offset game, purchasing 230 tons of credits for a one-time event. But other clubs are making long-term commitments Boston now features 28 solar hot water panels at Fenway; the Colorado Rockies are lighting their big LED scoreboard with solar photovoltaic power, and the league is encouraging other stadiums to follow suit. (Earth2Tech)

European Parliament Gives Go-ahead to €1B Fuel Cells and Hydrogen JTI: The EU is taking a stab at a hydrogen economy infrastructure. The European Parliament has given the go-ahead for a €1 billion ($1.58 billion USD) Joint Technology Initiative. The project will focus on hydrogen supply issues, targeting fuel cell-powered consumer devices by 2010 and mass-market transport availability in 2020. (Green Car Congress)

Low CO2 models have up to 9 month waiting lists in UK: If you live in Europe and are hoping for one of the new low-CO2 cars now hitting the market, you’re in fora wait. High demand will probably push delivery of your new vehicle into 2009. The VW Polo Bluemotion is one of the hotter super-efficient models — but the waiting list currently weighs in at nine months. (Autoblog Green)

NASA’s Phoenix Spacecraft Lands At Martian Arctic Site: Strictly speaking, this isn’t a green tech story. But the relationship between planetary science — even when that planet is Mars — and the Environment is quite clear. So a lot of EcoTechies watched with great interest Sunday evening as the Phoenix Mars Lander completed its voyage to the Red Planet. The craft is down safe and already sending pictures of a remarkably flat arctic plain. You can follow the mission at the University of Arizona’s Phoenix home page. (University of Arizona)