oakland
Newsletter
Credit: Denise McQuillen/Pixabay
Electric school buses could reshape transportation for kids
Oakland’s school district launched the country’s first fully electric bus fleet, highlighting both the benefits and challenges of transitioning away from diesel-powered transportation.
In short:
- Oakland Unified School District deployed 74 electric buses that can also supply power to the local grid.
- Electric buses reduce pollution, improve air quality and can help mitigate climate change, but infrastructure upgrades are needed.
- Federal and state funds are driving the adoption of electric buses, but grid limitations remain a barrier.
Key quote:
“At this stage, we’re in a transition period that’s about replacing your old buses that are wearing out with the new electric versions. There’s still a lot of capacity on the grid available to do that.”
— Sue Gander, director of the Electric School Bus Initiative.
Why this matters:
Diesel school buses contribute to air pollution and disproportionately harm low-income communities. Electrifying buses not only cuts emissions but also improves public health, especially for children.
Related: School buses get a green boost with $1 billion EPA investment
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Photo by Mathew Schwartz on Unsplash
Could sensors help catch wildfires before they burn out of control?
Starting this month, 10 sensors placed in hilly areas east of Oakland, Calif., will be monitoring the air for signs of wildfires. The sensors, which can detect and measure gas, particulate matter and heat, are intended to help more quickly identify, locate and track blazes that could threaten the city.
Photo by Rodrigo Soares on Unsplash
West Oakland faces a test: Undoing decades of environmental injustice
Highway and city planners saddled a once-proud Black community with freeways and diesel fumes, while more affluent neighborhoods were spared such burdens.
5 U.S. cities where bike commuting is booming
A new report from the League of American Bicyclists traces how long-term planning and infrastructure investments allowed some cities to grow their share of bicycle commuters.
www.eastbayexpress.com
Cannabis companies take pains to polish their eco-friendly image
Even in the best circumstances, growing and selling weed can be incredibly damaging to the environment.
States and cities scramble to sue oil companies over climate change
Connecticut is the latest state to allege wrongdoing against an oil company over global warming.
Under orange skies, the Bay Area sees the future
As Western wildfires transformed the skies over San Francisco into an apocalyptic spectacle, the perils of climate change became impossible to ignore.
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