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CHARLIE NEUMAN/UT SAN DIEGO/ZUMAPRESS.COM
NEW RIDE: Electric buses create fewer harmful emissions than classic diesel models.
Each day, 26 million students in the United States ride a bus to and from school. Most of these buses are powered by diesel engines. They release greenhouse gases that trap heat in Earth’s atmosphere, contributing to climate change. That’s why, this past spring, President Joe Biden announced the Clean School Bus program. It will provide $5 billion to schools to replace old diesel buses with cleaner models. These include buses that run on electricity or fuels like hydrogen and natural gas, which produce fewer harmful emissions.
ROBERT DAEMMRICH PHOTOGRAPHY INC/CORBIS VIA GETTY IMAGES
JUICE IT UP: An electric school bus being charged
In addition to contributing to climate change, exhaust from diesel buses worsens air pollution. “Kids are more susceptible to air pollution than your average grown-up,” says Sara Adar, an epidemiologist who studies the health effects of pollution at the University of Michigan. “That’s partially because their bodies are still developing.” People of color are also more likely to live in areas affected by air pollution. Upgrading to eco-friendly vehicles, says Adar, could help protect these communities and the planet.
Nearly 1.8 billion tons of greenhouse gases were produced by transportation in the U.S. in 2020. Which form of transportation was responsible for the largest percentage of greenhouse gases? What could be done to reduce these emissions?
SOURCE: EPA