Clean Air for Kids: Soy Biodiesel in Ohio’s school buses

Mrs. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus webquest

Get Money for Your School

http://geleerd.net/cafk/grantinfo

Clean up your school buses! Apply for a grant that off sets the cost of using cleaner burning biodiesel fuel! Here are some other ideas to reduce the effect of diesel bus exhaust…

  • Make a bus map: Observe the area where buses drop off or pick up kids. Is it close to any buildings? Could bus exhaust get inside the buildings? Draw a map of the loading area showing windows, doors and air vents. Give the map to your principal and ask for a new waiting area for buses, if needed.
  • Start an anti-idling campaign. Use a timer to measure how long bus engines stay on when parked outside your school. Ask drivers to take a pledge to turn off buses when parked. Consider combining a bus anti-idling campaign with an all-vehicle anti-idling campaign (see below).
  • Chart clean fuels: Research cleaner school bus fuels. Look up “biodiesel,” “bio-fuels,” “LP gas,” “compressed natural gas” or “CNG.” Find out where fuels come from and how much pollution they cause, then make a chart comparing cleaner fuels with diesel.
  • Campaign for cleaner buses: Find out who is in charge of making decisions about new school bus purchases. See what it costs to switch to cleaner buses. You can write a letter or start a petition.