A new pilot project is getting kids to school in an eco friendly way. The first hybrid bus in Canada recently hit the road in Kelowna, British Columbia, as well as being introduced in 11 states in the U.S. The buses are expected to reduce fuel emissions by as much as 90 per cent compared to standard diesel buses. The news buses cost about $50,000 more than a regular bus, priced at $240,000.

Central Okanogan School District superintendent Mike Roberts expects to see savings not only in terms of emissions, but in the costs of the buses as well.

"Having hybrid buses is important for two reasons," he said. "First of all, it's right for the environment — less pollution. Buses put on a lot of miles and the less diesel we use the better. The other thing is it's a real cost saving for the school district. Over the life of the bus there's a significant fuel saving and certainly that helps us meet our bottom line budget."

These hybrid buses set a good example. Ideally, kids would put down the video game controller for a few minutes to ask a few questions about the hybrid bus: what makes it so great and why are they such a big deal? And hopefully the end result of that will be an increased awareness of environmental impact.

» CBC