Forget a gas-guzzling tour bus or a giant carbon footprint creatin’ private airplane. Reeves, James and Rubarth are hitting the road on Vespas for a two-week tour up the California coastline.

And who needs a fancypants hotel? The singer-songwriters will be roughing it and just packing camping gear, along with their musical instruments.

“It seems like back in the late 60s and early 70s, people turned to folk singers and songwriters for inspiration and answers to difficult questions,” Reeves said. “We were very motivated by that idea and hope to influence a new generation to become more environmentally aware as they grow up and take command of their future.”

The tour kicks off at The Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, April 30 and winds down at Café Du Nord in San Francisco, May 12.

Additional stops include Sutra Lounge in Costa Mesa (May 1), Roxy in Los Angeles (May 3), Downtown Brew in San Luis Obispo (May 7) and Monterey Live in Monterey (May 10).

On tour the singer-songwriters will lead discussions about the environment as well as songwriting sessions with community activists and kids from local schools.

Here’s why the artists decided to make a statement by riding Vespas:

“If the 69% of Americans who own two or more cars would just switch one set of four wheels for two, the reduction in fuel consumption, emissions, congestion and cost would be significant – not years from now, but right now,” said Paolo Timoni, President and CEO, Piaggio Group Americas.

“Even if Americans were to switch just 10% of their total mileage to scooters, they would consume 14-18 million gallons less fuel per day and carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 324 million pounds per day.”

The singer-songwriters have teamed up with Greenpeace, who is sending volunteers to the shows to educate attendees about how important it is to take action now to protect California’s forests, coastal areas and farmlands from the devastating impacts of global warming.

Concert attendees will be asked to write letters and make phone calls to their local representatives, asking for their support of global warming solutions and legislation.

A photographer and film crew will document the Vespa Experiment with footage and photographs edited into webisodes on each of the artists’ Web sites and at myspace.com/TheVespaExperiment.

Check out the Vespa Experiment MySpace page by clicking here.

Click here to check out the U.S. government’s Earth Day Web site to find out ways you can take action and go green in your home, your classroom and at work.