Going to School May be Hazardous to Our Children's Health!
You pack their lunch and help them with their homework making sure your kids are healthy and happy. But did you know the school buses in your community might be hazardous to your children's health?
Millions of kids are exposed to unhealthy levels of air pollution as they travel to and from school in some of the dirtiest vehicles on the road. Over 440,000 school buses are aging diesel vehicles built to outmoded health and safety standards. Help replace these school buses with clean, safe alternatives.
Diesel pollution has been linked to increased asthma rates, missed school days, hospitalizations, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, cancer, and even premature death.
There are clean and cost-effective alternatives to standard diesel-powered school buses. Natural gas is a clean, safe choice, reducing toxic soot by up to 93 percent compared to older diesel buses. Though not as clean as alternative fuels, diesel technologies are evolving and becoming cleaner. New low emission diesel buses will be available in some areas of the country in the next few years.
Please sign now and urge the Senate to support and fund a dedicated grant program for school districts to replace older buses with cleaner, new alternative fuel or low-sulfur diesel buses.
Dear Senator:
The school buses that carry millions of our children are among the dirtiest vehicles on the road. Many of the over 440,000 school buses on the roads in this country are aging diesel buses built to outdated safety and health standards. These older buses emit clouds of harmful soot and smog-forming pollution - fumes that can seriously harm our children. Diesel pollution has been linked to increased asthma rates, missed school days, hospitalizations, chronic bronchitis, heart disease, cancer, and even premature death.
Alternatives do exist. School buses powered by natural gas and other alternative fuels emit significantly lower levels of soot and smog-forming pollution. New low-emission diesel buses are also becoming available. To ensure that children travel in these cleaner buses, school districts need federal support.
We urge you to support passage and funding of the Clean School Bus Grant Program. We look forward to hearing from you about your support for this important grant program.
Sincerely,
