Last month, crippling blackouts followed a deep freeze across the South, threatening millions with deadly cold, contaminated water, and interrupted medical care. Climatologists cited climate change as a likely cause of the prolonged and highly unusual cold. The storm was a glaring example of the suffering caused here and now by climate change.
This isn’t a problem in the far off future. It is harming us now. It is clear that we need bold action to address the climate crisis. And we need to move quickly if we are going to ensure our children have a healthy and stable future.
The transportation sector is the largest source of climate pollution in the US, and the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas pollution in the world. If we are going to protect our families from the climate crisis, we need to transition to 100% clean electric power for our cars, trucks and buses.
Luckily, there is real leadership in Congress right now moving in that direction.
Senator Cortez Masto (NV) has joined with Senator Patty Murray (WA) and Representatives Jahana Hayes (CT-5), and Tony Cárdenas (CA-29) to introduce the Clean School Bus Act. This bill would fund the transition of dirty diesel school buses to clean electric buses. This effort is especially important because children riding school buses can be exposed to levels of diesel pollution inside the bus cabin several times higher than levels outside the bus. Moms Clean Air Force supports this effort to protect our kids from breathing harmful pollution while addressing the climate crisis.
But leaders in Congress didn’t stop there. The Clean School Bus Act is one of a suite of 8 bills from Senator Cortez Masto and other climate champions in Congress that promote a comprehensive transition to clean transportation. In addition to the Clean School Bus Act, the suite of bills includes the following:
- The Green Spaces, Green Vehicles Act: This legislation creates a ‘‘Green Spaces, Green Vehicles Initiative’’ run jointly by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and DOE to build charging infrastructure on public lands managed by the federal government—allowing millions of visitors to the nation’s scenic areas to access charging and refueling infrastructure. The Act would also work to convert Park Service and Forest Service fleets to zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) technology, with priority for service shuttles.
- The Electric Transportation Commission and National Strategy Act: This legislation establishes a joint working group between the Departments of Energy and Transportation to strategize and report on the barriers and opportunities to national coordination on electric transportation. The working group would be required to compile a resource guide for localities, consumers, and businesses.
- The Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act: This legislation requires DOE to study access to EV charging stations, particularly in low-income communities and communities of color, and implement the findings through a new grant program. The Department would also have to ensure that its programs benefit communities of color by providing access to electric vehicle infrastructure, addressing clean transportation needs, and improving air quality in such communities. The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.-09).
- The Greener Transportation for Communities Act: This legislation allows tax exemptions that permit state and local governments to more easily fund electric charging and hydrogen refueling infrastructure projects, particularly when those projects are part of airports, affordable housing, docks, green buildings, and other major infrastructure.
- The Green Bus Tax Credit Act: This legislation provides a tax incentive for more domestic manufacturing of electric and hydrogen fuel-cell buses, making these innovations more affordable and creating jobs in the field of green technology.
- The More Access to ZEV Equipment (MAZE) in Transit Act: This legislation allows Federal Transit Administration programs to fund zero-emission vehicles charging infrastructure at transit stations and parking lots.
It is exciting to see this kind of comprehensive and ambitious attention to transportation pollution from Congress. Thank you, Senator Cortez Masto and the other co-sponsors of these bills. This is what climate leadership looks like.
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