Mothers Out Front Fairfax has set a goal of transitioning the 17,000 school buses across Virginia to all-electric in the next 10 years.
Electric school buses make sense for our children’s health. Diesel buses produce toxic fumes laden with carcinogens and other particulates that can cause asthma and other respiratory illnesses. Electric buses emit no tailpipe pollution.
Electric school buses also make sense for our climate. The 15-year lifespan of a diesel bus is too close to the UN Climate Panel’s 10-year cut-off limit to turn back greenhouse emissions so that we can avoid the worst effects of climate change. Replacing diesel buses with electric is a concrete way to show our kids that we adults are taking this threat seriously—that we care about their future.
The Clean School Buses Grant Fund Bill, patroned by Del. Mark Keam, will create a grant program that any school system in Virginia can apply for to help fund the purchase of electric school buses plus the necessary charging infrastructure and training.
The bill prioritizes communities that are most impacted by diesel pollution—communities with the highest asthma rates and lowest air quality. It puts environmental justice and our children’s health first.
And it meets the deadline we must meet to address the climate crisis. It aims to fully convert Virginia’s school bus fleet by 2030. It prioritizes our children’s future.
Send an email to your delegate today to let them know you support #CleanBuses4Kids
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