By: Stephanie Reese, Director of Strategic Implementation and Justice, Moms Clean Air Force
Date: January 29, 2025
Event: EV Day at the Virginia Capitol, Richmond, VA
Good morning, everyone. Thank you, EV Noire, for the invitation to speak today at this momentous EV day at the capital event.
I’m Stephanie Reese, Director of Strategic Implementation and Justice with Moms Clean Air Force, a community of over 1.5 million parents, caregivers, and volunteers dedicated to protecting our children from the harmful effects of air pollution and our changing climate.
I’m standing here today because I feel passionately about the air we breathe and the health of our children. I’m the mother of two amazing and very active boys, so I understand the importance of safeguarding our children’s health and well-being. Like so many of you, I want to give my children—and all children—the chance to grow up without the impacts of breathing toxic air. I know we can do better. I know that we have to do better.
Pollution caused by emissions from diesel cars, trucks, and buses is a critical part of a larger public health and climate issue that directly affects millions of families every day. This is not an abstract issue. Pollution is settling in our neighborhoods as we speak and affecting the air we are breathing right now. This is about children, like mine, who get onto the school buses every morning and come home, on those same diesel fuel powered buses, every afternoon. And it’s about deciding whether we as parents and caregivers choose to act boldly to protect them—or whether we let the opportunity to make progress toward cleaner air slip away. I think the choice is clear.
This issue truly hits home for me. Like many parents, I understand the difficult tradeoff between making sure your children get to school and balancing the demands of work. I rely on school buses to get my children to and from school safely, and every day, I'm reminded of the impact those emissions are having on the health of our children and communities across the country.
We know that emissions from transportation accounts for about 28% of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, making it the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. Every year, diesel buses release an estimated 8.4 million metric tons of carbon pollution into the air, along with over 40 additional toxic air contaminants, adding to the toxicity of the air we breathe and worsening the climate crisis.
We know that diesel exhaust contains harmful particles and gases that can trigger asthma, stunt lung development, contribute to poor learning outcomes, and even increase the risk of heart disease. In fact, according to the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA), exposure to diesel exhaust poses the highest cancer risk of any toxic contaminant the office evaluated. For children’s developing lungs, brains, and hearts, the consequences of this exposure can ripple through a lifetime. Black and Brown families are disproportionately impacted because they are more likely to live near busy highways and areas with concentrated pollution. Minoritized communities endure nearly 8 times higher rates of pediatric asthma and 1.3 times higher risk of dying prematurely from exposure to pollutants. This is not just an environmental issue but an issue of justice.
Despite these challenges, I remain hopeful. Virginia has been making meaningful strides toward cleaner transportation, and I am proud of the progress we’ve seen across our state. Virginia now ranks fourth nationwide in the number of electric school buses either on the road or on order. Fairfax County Public Schools received $16.5 million from the Environmental Protection Agency to purchase 42 electric buses, and Lynchburg City Schools secured funding to bring 25 electric buses into their fleet. These milestones show us that the transition to electric school buses is not only possible but already happening.
We know that this progress doesn’t happen by accident. It takes intentional policies, strong funding, and partnerships to make these changes a reality. And right now, that progress is at risk. Key programs, such as the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program—established under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—are at risk of rollbacks due to proposed funding cuts. The Clean School Bus Program has been instrumental in helping school districts across Virginia and the nation transition away from diesel-powered buses. Without adequate funding, it will become significantly more challenging for other school districts, particularly those that are under-resourced, to make this important shift toward cleaner transportation.
We cannot afford to let these cuts happen. The stakes are too high. The Clean School Bus Program is more than just an initiative—it’s a lifeline. A lifeline for children, families, and communities who deserve cleaner air, healthier environments, and a more sustainable future. It’s proof that when we invest in attainable solutions, we can make a real difference. Because our children deserve better, they deserve clean air to breathe, a healthy climate to grow up in, and the chance to travel to school safely without compromising their futures. Protecting and expanding programs that invest in clean energy is not just the right thing to do—it’s a necessary action. If we are serious about equity, climate action, and the health of the next generation, it’s an action we have to take.
We have the solutions. But progress requires all of us—parents, community members, advocates, and policymakers—to work together. We must demand strong policies, robust funding, and a commitment to protecting these clean energy programs. We’re not powerless. Every day, I see the movement for electric school buses growing, and every parent, advocate, and community leader who speaks up is helping to drive this change. Together, we can ensure that school districts across Virginia and the country can access the resources they need to make the switch to electric power. We can make sure that no child—regardless of their zip code—is left behind in the transition to clean transportation.
So today, as we celebrate the progress we’ve made, let’s also remind ourselves of the work still ahead. Let’s commit to fighting for policies and funding that prioritize our kids’ health and protect their futures. Every electric school bus is a step toward cleaner air, healthier communities, and a more sustainable future.