As one of the largest U.S. public transportation systems, school buses provide an essential service for our children. In fact, according to the American School Bus Council, the school bus system transports over 26 million students to school
[1], averaging four billion miles each year
[2]. Approximately 480,000 school buses are in use today
[1], with more than 90 percent of these fleets running solely on diesel fuel. While the school bus service provides benefits for the entire
community, they contribute disproportionately to poor ambient air quality.
Grouped in the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) transportation sector, school buses played a sizable role in accounting for 29 percent of the anthropogenic (human-made) U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)
[3]. These carbon emissions are getting trapped in our atmosphere and are undermining our earth's climate. This in turn impacts extreme weather events, disrupts food systems, and increases incidence of disease
[4].
On top of the school bus's adverse environmental carbon contribution, research is currently evaluating the negative side effects of school bus self-pollution as their emissions migrate to the inside of the passenger compartment and are
inhaled by our children [5]. These emissions are wreaking havoc on our most vulnerable populations and our children's respiratory systems while they are still developing by exposing them to destructive pollutants. With carbon dioxide being
at a record high, we have to do better for our kids.
With a worldwide intensified focus on the long-term effects of greenhouse gasses and dependence on foreign oil, we at American CNG see our obligation in finding a path to mitigate school bus carbon emissions and increase their fleet sustainability profiles. We are proud to say that we have the solution!
As a solution-based company, American CNG is excited to announce our partnership with Ingevity. This partnership is a commitment to bridge the gap between today's problems and tomorrow's technology. With the goal to breathe better air and utilize domestic resources, we have developed our diesel displacement solution in tandem with Ingevity's adsorbed natural gas (ANG) technology that will revolutionize the industry and this essential transportation system. This simple and affordable turnkey solution will allow existing school bus fleets to utilize renewable natural gas. This is a cost-effective and environmentally impactful solution to significantly reduce their carbon footprint and achieve near-zero emissions.
This never-before-achieved technology is ready now! And we look forward to sharing more in the near future and showing the world how American CNG and Ingevity are leaders in creating sustainable solutions for our communities.
5.
Marshall JD, Behrentz E. Vehicle self-pollution intake fraction: children's exposure to school bus emissions. Environ Sci Technol. 2005 Apr 15;39(8):2559-63. doi: 10.1021 es040377v. PMID: 15884349
