NewsElectric school buses in a Phoenix district not only safeguard children but also facilitate their learning
May 16, 2023
In the Isaac School District of Phoenix, located in a predominantly Latinx part of the area, an event was held to celebrate the benefits of six new electric school buses awarded as part of the EPA Clean School Bus Program.
Photo by Unsplash
- The EPA program was funded with $5 billion from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and funded 2,490 electric replacements nationwide at a cost of just under $1 billion.
- Hazel Chandler recalled witnessing children having to use their asthma inhalers while waiting for a bus due to air pollution. Studies have shown that air pollution affects health negatively, particularly among communities of color who live nearby major highways, freight hubs, and high-traffic areas.
- The World Resources Institute administers a program in partnership with the Bezos Earth Fund that aims to help get U.S. school buses electrified by 2030; other initiatives are also contributing to decarbonize transportation sector which is responsible for almost 40% of nation’s greenhouse gas emissions trapping additional heat in atmosphere and raising average temperatures.
- Electrifying school buses six at a time is an important step towards reducing fossil fuel emissions while offering extra health, infrastructure and economic benefits to specific communities where they are in operation.
