High fuel prices are finally changing drivers’ habits; biodiesel prices soar out of sight; and that Playstation 3 of yours is an energy hog. It’s the Tuesday edition of The Daily Five.

NPD Finds Consumers Making Long-Term Changes: With $4 a gallon gasoline finally here — and the prospect of higher prices ahead — are people finally taking things seriously? Yes, says a new research project by the NPD Group. Some 43,000 drivers were surveyed to see how their habits have changed in recent months. The results: 12 percent says they’ve canceled vacations; another 12 percent are carpooling; 8 percent vacationed closer to home or have tried public transportation, respectively; and 6 percent have bought a more efficient vehicle o started telecommuting. (NPD Group)

Think $4 Gas Is Bad? Try $6 Biodiesel: Gasoline isn’t the only thing going up: biodiesel prices are also setting new records. That’s causing some companies to rethink switching their fleets from regular diesel. The cost increases are partially due to escalating production cost and sharply rising demand. But at least part of the problem lies with farmers, who are choosing to grow more profitable corn stocks for ethanol, rather than the soybeans commonly used in biodiesel. The best short term hope for biodiesel startups: rising diesel costs. A break on soybean proces would be helpful, too. (Earth2Tech)

GM - Chevy Volt Battery Contract Not Decided Yet: General Motors scrambled the talking heads Monday. The Pr blitz followed reports this weekend — reported here on EcoTech daily — that Korea’s LG Chem had landed the battery contract for the upcoming Chevy Volt electric hybrid. No so, says GM spokesman Rob Peterson: both Conti/A123 and CPI/LG Chem are still under consideration. We’ll keep you posted. (GM-Volt blog)

Toxic Algal Blooms May Cause Seizures In California Sea Lions: California’s iconic sea lions have long struggled to live side-by-side with humans. Now researchers have identified a fresh threat: algal blooms, which have become increasingly common in coastal areas. The current online issue of Marine Drugs points a finger at domoic acid, which is produced by algal blooms and makes its way up the food chain to the sea lions. Domoic acid appoears responsible for seizures and nervous disorders in sea lions. The blooms are caused by human sewage and nitrate-rich agricultural runoff. (Science Daily)

Playstation 3 is a Huge Energy Hog: If you own a Sony PS3, you probably already know that it runs as hot as a Victorian waffle iron. There’s a reason for all that heat — it’s a power pig. The folks at EarthFirst.com report that the Playstation 3 consumes five times more energy than a medium-sized refrigerator, and ten times more than than Ninendo’s beloved Wii. It’s perhaps another reason Playstation sales have remained lukewarm.

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