About The Program¹

School buses are the safest way for children to get to school. However, pollution from diesel vehicles has health implications for everyone, especially children. By working together, we can reduce pollution from public school buses and make sure that school buses are also a clean way for children to get to school. Adopt-A-School Bus brings together partners from business, education, transportation, and public health organizations to work toward these goals:

• Upgrading ("retrofitting") buses that will remain in the fleet with better emission control technologies and/or fueling them with cleaner fuels.
  
  
• Replacing the oldest buses in the fleet with new, less polluting buses.
  
  
• Encouraging policies and practices to eliminate unnecessary public school bus idling.

  If your child's school, however, is not already participating in the program, please click on the "Please Contact My School" button to help get your school involved.

  

 Health Facts

Children breathe 50% more air per pound of body weight than adults.² This means that more pollution is going into smaller bodies.

Idling buses tested had higher concentrations of particulates and carbon monoxide than moving buses.³

Exposure to particulate matter leads to increased use of medication and more visits to the doctor or emergency room. Health effects include the following:

• Coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath

Aggravated asthma Lung damage (including decreased lung function and lifelong respiratory disease)

Premature death in individuals with existing heart or lung diseases

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When carbon monoxide is around, less oxygen is delivered to the body. The brain and heart need a lot of oxygen and they do not function normally when a person breathes carbon monoxide. When exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide, a person might notice shortness of breath or a slight headache. These symptoms will be more intense if the person is exercising or has a weaker heart or lungs.⁵
 

The World Health Organization reports that three million people now die each year from the effects of air pollution. This is three times the number who die each year in auto accidents.⁶

A 1999 study by Southern California's South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) found that diesel soot accounts for 71 percent of the cancer risk from all toxic air contaminants.⁷

Only 2 percent of all vehicles on the road in the U.S. run on diesel, yet diesels account for 27 percent of the smog-forming pollution and 66 percent of the soot produced by all of the nation’s motor vehicles.⁸

Over 30 human epidemiological studies have found a link between diesel exhaust and lung cancer.⁹

Researchers from Natural Resources Defense Council, the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health and the Coalition for Clean Air performed a study that found concentrations of diesel fumes inside school buses are more than eight times higher than average ambient levels in California. The study estimated that diesel fumes in school buses will result in an additional 23 to 46 cancer cases per million children exposed.¹⁰

Idling Vehicle Facts

Idling is not an effective way to "warm up" your vehicle, even in cold weather. Driving is the best way to warm it up. With modern engines you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before starting to drive.¹¹

Excessive idling can damage your engine's components, including cylinders, spark plugs and the exhaust system.¹²

Frequent restarting has little impact on engine components, such as the battery and starter motor. Component wear caused by restarting is estimated to add just $10/year to the cost of driving, which is likely recovered several times over in fuel savings.¹³

Excessive idling can be hard on your engine. Because the engine isn't working at peak operating temperature, fuel doesn't undergo complete combustion. This leaves fuel residue that contaminates engine oil and makes spark plugs dirty.¹⁴