All Aboard the Electric School Bus!

By Ruth Kamnitzer

I never used to think much about school buses. Those big yellow diesel buses careening along, mornings and afternoons, September to June, were just part of the seasonal rhythms, as fall turned to winter and finally spring.

But for the past year, I’ve been leading an electric school bus campaign for a Canadian climate action group called For Our Kids. I’ve spent a lot of time reading about the health impacts of diesel school buses; the well established links between diesel exhaust and cancer, asthma, heart conditions and allergies, and suspected links with autism and other health impacts. I’ve been surprised by how many kilometers school buses clock up – in the US they are the largest form of mass transportation – and their cumulative carbon emissions. I’ve spoken with policy analysts and school bus operators who’ve pointed out the opportunities (predictable driving distances, publicly funded) and challenges (parking, charging) of switching to electric. And I’ve been excited about the recent funding announced in both the US and Canada which makes electric school buses – already cost effective in the long run – more affordable.