Presenter’s Guide for the Idle Reduction and Clean School Bus Curriculum For Drivers and School Officials

The 'Presenter’s Guide for the Idle Reduction and Clean School Bus Curriculum For Drivers and School Officials' is a training manual developed by the Utah Clean Cities Program, National Energy Foundation, and Environmental and Energy Study Institute. It provides a structured 45-minute workshop designed to educate school bus drivers and officials on the health risks of diesel exhaust and the economic and environmental benefits of reducing engine idling.

• School buses provide a significant net benefit to air quality and safety by replacing numerous private vehicles. If students on one school bus were instead transported in 20 private vehicles, it would result in six times more Hydrocarbon, three times more Carbon Monoxide, two times more Nitrous Oxide, and five times more Carbon Dioxide emissions.
• Diesel exhaust poses severe health risks, containing over 40 toxic chemicals, 15 of which are carcinogenic. It is estimated that 70 percent of airborne cancer risk is attributed to diesel exhaust.
• Children are uniquely vulnerable to diesel exhaust because they inhale 50 percent more air per pound of body weight than adults, and their developing lungs cannot effectively defend against fine particulates, which can become permanently lodged in lung tissue.
• Unnecessary idling is detrimental to engine health and increases costs. Idling a diesel engine is estimated to cause twice the wear on internal parts compared to driving at regular speeds, and 500 hours of idling is equivalent to 64,000 miles of engine wear.
• Common beliefs that idling is necessary for engine warm-up or cabin temperature are identified as myths. Manufacturers suggest warm-up times of less than 5 minutes, and driving at a slow, steady speed is more effective than idling. Additionally, auxiliary heaters can maintain cabin warmth using approximately half a cup of fuel per hour, compared to half a gallon when idling.
• Small changes in idling behavior across the U.S. fleet can lead to massive cumulative reductions in pollution and fuel use. If every school bus reduced idling by just two minutes a day, it would eliminate 319 tons of Carbon Monoxide, 185 tons of NO/NO2, 8.3 tons of small particulate matter, and 41 tons of VOCs annually, while saving 1,500,000 gallons of fuel.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has implemented the National Clean Diesel Campaign to reduce emissions, including the '2007 Highway Rule' which aims to reduce harmful pollution from heavy-duty highway vehicles by more than 90 percent starting with the 2007 model year.
• The guide recommends a multi-step approach for school districts to implement idle reduction, including creating a departmental campaign with posters and pledge cards, establishing and enforcing clear idle reduction policies, and recognizing drivers who make exemplary efforts through award programs.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (n.d.). Presenter’s Guide for the Idle Reduction and Clean School Bus Curriculum For Drivers and School Officials. https://www.eesi.org/files/idle_reduction_guide.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Presenter’s Guide for the Idle Reduction and Clean School Bus Curriculum For Drivers and School Officials. n.d. https://www.eesi.org/files/idle_reduction_guide.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Presenter’s Guide for the Idle Reduction and Clean School Bus Curriculum For Drivers and School Officials |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/idle_reduction_guide.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitutendpresenters, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Presenter’s Guide for the Idle Reduction and Clean School Bus Curriculum For Drivers and School Officials}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/idle_reduction_guide.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }