A Mobile, Green Museum

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A Mobile, Green Museum
The Clean Air Club Bus teaches kids in Chicago, Illinois, what they can do to help the environment
By Vickie An

All aboard! This Earth Day, students across the Chicago area will be taking a spin on the Clean Air Club Bus. It's a former yellow school bus that has been recycled into a green museum on wheels. The mobile exhibit features a variety of hands-on activities that teach kids how they can help the environment.

An Eco-Friendly Mission
The Clean Air Club Bus has been making stops at schools, libraries and special events in Chicago since Earth Day 2008. Inside the brightly painted bus are interactive stations. At each display, students learn about the hazards of air pollution, the benefits of clean fuel, what they can do to be green, and more. For example, at the air pollution display, students can pull down a window to see what the Chicago skyline would look like if all vehicles used clean fuel.
Geoffrey Watkins is one of the onboard educators for the Clean Air Club Bus. He says he tries to make learning about the environment fun for students who visit the exhibit. "Sometimes in the beginning, some kids think it'll just be another boring presentation," Watkins told TFK. "But the hands-on displays bring the information to life. By the end of the tour, all of their hands are going up! They want to stay on the bus to learn more."
Breath of Fresh Air
The Clean Air Club Bus was created by the Cook-Illinois Corporation, one of the nation's largest independent school bus companies. Most of the company's 1,700 buses run on biodiesel fuel. That includes the Clean Air Club Bus. What is biodiesel fuel? It is an alternative to gasoline. Biodiesel uses fat from animals and plants, including soybeans and corn. It creates less air pollution than regular gas.
Organizers hope that a visit to the Clean Air Club Bus will encourage students to take a more active role in keeping Earth beautiful. "Hopefully, by the time they leave the bus they'll be a little more aware of our environment," says Watkins. "That's the one thing I try and leave them with. Instead of just sitting back, there are things they can do to be environmentally friendly, too."
You don't have to live in the Chicago area to join the Clean Air Club. Visit CleanAirClub.net to learn how you can do your part for the planet.

Michael-In Earth day everyone needs to clean the environment. People use special things to decrease the waste that we produce. There is a clean air bus. They use special fuel called “biodiesel fuel”. It is made of some natural things. It can protect the earth. I think if everyone uses this kind of fuel. It will help a lot on protecting earth.