You might have heard us say it before John, but about 25% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the United States comes from the transportation sector. And while heavy-duty vehicles are only 10% of the total traffic, they account for the most air pollution.
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The catch is that heavy-duty vehicles aren’t just delivery and freight trucks along highways, warehouse districts and truck routes. They also include garbage trucks and school buses that drive through all of our communities. This means all of us, especially folks living in low-income communities and communities of color, are affected by the harmful pollutants from heavy-duty vehicles.
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School buses are a surprising example of the harm we face from heavy-duty vehicle pollution. Tailpipe pollution is not only emitted along the bus route. It also seeps into the bus and gets trapped inside, meaning children and drivers get stuck breathing it in. This can trigger asthma attacks, interfere with lung development and affect children’s ability to learn.
Here’s the good news. The U.S. is already making historic investments in electric vehicle manufacturing and infrastructure. And now it’s cheaper than ever to make the switch! In fact, we expect to see many zero-emission trucks to be cheaper than their diesel counterparts later this year.
But that’s not enough. EPA’s proposal takes a different angle, setting climate pollution standards for vehicle manufacturers so that up to 50% of all new buses, urban delivery and freight vehicles will run on zero-emission technology. Together, these keep the U.S. on a path to zero tailpipe emissions from new vehicles by 2035.
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Onward and upward,
Taylor Vos
Online Engagement and State Advocacy
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