School buses a health hazard in US
"Going to school should not be hazardous to our kids' health," points out an activist of the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). The group has conducted a study which concludes that children in the US are being exposed to toxic air pollutants from diesel school buses. The 'Pollution Report Card: Grading America's School Bus Fleets' rates the California and Washington diesel school buses as the worst polluters.
Most of the states in USA rely on diesel school buses to transport children. The 'pollution report card' analyses emissions of school buses across the US and assigns each state fleet wide grades based on the emissions of toxic particulates, smog-forming pollution and heat-trapping greenhouse gases. The grading system in the report has rated only six states and the District of Columbia as "ahead of the curve" rank, which means these states have a relatively new fleet of buses. Twenty-three states have received a "middle of the road" ranking, while the remaining 21 have got poor grades.
The US school bus fleet spews almost 95,000 tonnes of smog forming emissions and more than 3,000 tonnes of particulates every year. The report recommends natural gas-powered buses, since they run on the "cleanest commercially available technology". It adds that a strong natural gas infrastructure can be a stepping stone to another green fuel - hydrogen.
"Diesel pollution harms everyone, but our children and their developing lungs are hurt the most," concludes a UCS member.