Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had a deep love for the outdoors. My family loves hiking in the Wasatch and climbing up Little Cottonwood Canyon. In third grade, these activities became more challenging for me. Out of nowhere, I started struggling to breathe. I went to the doctors and was diagnosed with asthma, although the inhaler I was given didn’t provide much relief.
As a kid, I couldn’t comprehend why I faced such difficulties breathing. Growing up and learning about Utah’s unhealthy air quality and pollutants, I realized it wasn’t something wrong with me; it was the poor air quality that was impacting my ability to breathe. Here in Utah, over 50,000 children like me have been diagnosed with asthma.
As a sophomore in high school in the Granite School District, I joined Granite Clean Energy to advocate for climate solutions in my school district. We have been organizing for clean energy since the summer of 2020 in Granite District. We’re proud of our successes, such as collecting over 1,200 signatures in support of clean energy, and most recently, helping the district receive grant funding to develop a clean energy plan. But there’s more work to be done!
Right now, Granite School District has an incredible opportunity to pursue electric school buses through EPA’s Clean School Bus Program. Electric school buses would not only help the climate, but it would improve the air quality in our neighborhoods where students live and play. We must do everything in our power to protect our futures and that of our planet by encouraging Granite District to apply for this historic funding.
Please voice your support by calling the GSD transportation office at 385-646-4280 and ask them to apply for electric school bus funding today!
Samira Eller, Salt Lake City
