Plug In America

Transportation is Nevada’s biggest source of air pollution and greenhouse gases, and some of the worst vehicles on the roads are old, dirty diesel trucks and buses. To protect the health of Nevada’s children, we need to make sure more of their rides to school come from a zero-emissions electric school bus. 

The 2019 State of the Air report from the American Lung Association gave Clark and Washoe Counties an F grade for ozone pollution, a major component of smog, and vehicle emissions are a primary cause. The ALA reports show that this air pollution has been getting worse. The 2020 State of the Air report ranks the Las Vegas-Henderson metro area as the 9th most polluted in the country for ozone and the 25th most polluted for particulate matter. 

Air pollution from gas-powered vehicles including carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, and volatile organic compounds can worsen health problems. Children, the elderly, and people with conditions such as asthma or heart disease have a harder time breathing with these pollutants in the air. Low-income families and communities of color are often closer to major roads and bear the brunt of these health issues. 

And dirty diesel school buses spew that pollution at families’ doorsteps, across their neighborhoods, and in front of their schools.

“The transition from diesel particulate matter in the buses to a zero-emission technology-driven school bus is a really great way to invest in our children’s health and invest in cleaner air in the community at the same time,” said Will Barrett of the American Lung Association.

Clean Car Standards would help reduce these pollutants from passenger vehicles and give Nevadans the option to drive cleaner cars. A similar initiative, called Advanced Clean Trucks, would push a similar transition for larger vehicles including buses and semi trucks. Learn more and support Nevada’s zero-emissions future by visiting About Clean Cars today!