Those Yellow Buses Get Cleaner &
Greener
In
the U.S., around 480,000
yellow buses
drive nearly 3.5 billion miles each year transporting school students. These
buses, along with students driving personal vehicles, emit tons of greenhouse
gases into the environment, which contribute to global warming and impact
health.
As
concerns around climate change grow, many schools are making the switch to
cleaner transportation.
Reduced Idling Time
According
to experts, diesel exhaust contains significant levels of particulate matter, which can lodge
into the heart
and lungs and cause premature death. Not only does diesel exhaust pollute the
area around the bus, but it can also enter the school building through air
intakes and entrances.
Some
drivers leave engines idling because they believe restarting the bus will
produce more pollution. However, continuous idling for more than three minutes
emits more particulate matter than a restart. If the engine is on, the bus
should be moving. Drivers should turn the vehicle off at loading and unloading
areas.
Retrofit Diesel Technology
A simple retrofit, such as adding a diesel particulate filer to an older bus, or modification to the school bus’s engine, can reduce some types of emissions by more than 95 percent. Schools that made the switch saw significant improvements in students’ respiratory health, along with an increase in aerobic capacity scores.
Districts
can perform relatively inexpensive engine retrofits to increase student health
and performance significantly. This method is often overlooked in the fight to
make school transportation cleaner.
All-Electric Replacements
Many
schools are making the switch to fully electric vehicles. These zero-emission
vehicles educate students about the importance of protecting the environment
while also emiting no local pollution.
Electric
school buses often come equipped with cutting edge technology, including
AI-powered internal and external motion detection. These features can detect students
who may be stuck and unnoticed by classmates and the driver. In the future, they could
also be used to optimize routes and reduce power consumption.
Walking and Biking Alternatives
It’s
better for the environment for students to all pile into a big yellow school
bus than drive to class separately. However, it’s possible to reduce emissions
by cutting vehicles out of the equation entirely. As an alternative, schools
are encouraging students to take active transportation, whether it’s walking,
biking or skateboarding.
One
international movement, Safe Routes to School, promotes convenient and healthy
opportunities for children to walk, reversing the decrease in students’
physical activity. As a bonus, these communities
alleviate traffic congestion and improve air quality.
How to Make School Transportation Cleaner
Climate
change is a pervasive issue that won’t dissipate anytime soon. As a result, the
world—including schools—must change.
While
the traditional old school bus pumps out harmful toxins, alternatives, from
retrofitted engines to electric buses and bicycling, reduce emissions and
improve student health.
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