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January jobs report: Unemployment rate falls to 4%, wages rise more than forecast; Trump signs order imposing sanctions on International Criminal Court over investigations of Israel; Ten Commandments in public schools debate reaches South Dakota; Virginia ranks among worst states for wage theft; Mexican long-nosed bat makes appearance in Arizona.

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Attorney General Pam Bondi strikes a Trump tone at the Justice Department, federal workers get more time to consider buyouts, and an unclassified email request from the White House worries CIA vets.

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During Black History Month, a new book shares how a unique partnership built 5,000 schools for Black students, anti-hunger advocates say ag communities would benefit from an expanded SNAP program, and Americans have $90 billion in unpaid medical bills.

Advocates tout electric school buses in Nevada, ask for more resources

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Monday, September 9, 2024   

Nevada has secured 60 electric school buses to take students to and from school and as the school year kicks off, advocates want to see more of the buses on the road.

Rodrigo Gonzalez, community organizer for the environmental advocacy group Chispa Nevada, said diesel school buses are big polluters, leading to poor air quality and directly affecting the health of students who rely on them.

He argued electric buses lead to substantial cost savings as they have little to no maintenance and cut back on harmful diesel tailpipe emissions. While Gonzalez noted the benefits of electric school buses outweigh the negatives, he added more funding sources should be considered.

"I do think that it is important to continue trying to get the government to allocate more resources and funds," Gonzalez urged. "Precisely for the clean-energy transition and electric school buses."

Earlier this summer, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded $900 million of Clean School Bus Program funding to about 530 districts across the country, some of which came to Nevada. Gonzalez stressed despite the substantial level of investments already made, more will be needed.

Brittany Barrett, deputy director of operations for the electric school bus initiative at the World Resources Institute, said diesel buses have historically operated in school districts with more residents of color, low-income households and in rural areas but data from the initiative show it is changing. Barrett acknowledged some school districts are still apprehensive to embrace change.

"They're concerned these buses can't go far enough to meet their needs but the main plate range of all of the current models on the market are between 75 and 300 miles," Barrett pointed out. "That is going to reliably cover most routes in operation."

Kevin Matthews, head of electrification for First Student, North America's largest school bus operator, said for every diesel fueled school bus taken off the road and replaced with an electric one, it reduces about 54,000 pounds of greenhouse gases annually.

"It is a very significant change and improvement in the environment," Matthews emphasized.

Matthews added as the transition gets underway, more must be done to ensure there is adequate charging infrastructure in Nevada and around the country.


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