As back-to-school anxieties start to climb for many U.S. students, those with disabilities often have something else to worry about: how they’ll safely get to school. It’s not just about the health challenges that can come from breathing in toxic exhaust from diesel-powered buses. "I experienced accessibility problems at least three times a week," one student said. "The wheelchair securements were set up in a really awkward configuration that required me to contour myself like a pretzel."
Roughly 15% of K-12 students — more than 7 million kids — have a disability, and for many of them, school buses are their only way to get to school. A series of interviews by WRI and SeededGround with students with disabilities, their parents, school district and transportation professionals found inadequate or missing accessibility features for school bus riders. But the electric school bus revolution can play a role in righting these historical wrongs. Read more.
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A public school bus outfitted with a wheelchair platform picks up a student at Lopez High School in south Texas. Federal funding to shift school buses from diesel to electric can help school districts purchase more accessible buses as they transition their fleets. Photo by Bob Daemmrich / Alamy Stock Photo |
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James Wakibia/SOPA Images/Sipa USA/Alamy Live News |
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Kenya and East Africa experienced devastating flooding this past April and May that left a path of deadly destruction. With a death toll of 294, and many more missing, plus more than 65,377 acres of farmland decimated, rebuilding will be a difficult task. WRI experts lay out measures Kenya can take to intentionally strengthen its resilience as it faces increasing flooding and other weather disasters that are exacerbated by climate change. Read more.
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Martin Anderson / Alamy Stock Photo |
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Some large cities in Europe, Asia and North America are pioneering a new approach to lowering air pollution from cars, trucks and buses: Zero-emission zones. This emerging solution limits gas powered vehicles’ access to certain parts of a city to encourage walking, biking and electric vehicle use. Read more. |
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With summer heat in full swing, millions across the globe are at risk from the impacts of higher temperatures and drier air. Among the global population, 50% are living in areas that face extremely high water stress for at least one month out of the year. The hot weather is only poised to make a bad situation worse. Read more.
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Around the United States, more and more school districts are shifting from diesel to electric school buses, and momentum is only growing. |
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