However, I am concerned at just how eco-friendly they are. These new buses are CNG (compressed natural gas) buses.

I applaud the effort to reduce carbon emissions. I am all for reducing our dependence on foreign fossil fuels in exchange for local made green fuels, yet is natural gas the best option?

I think not. I am much more enthusiastic about biofuels that do not release carbon into the air at all and fuel that does not destroy the environment upon its extraction from the earth.

I also am not excited about the use of transportation money for buying more new vehicles that still emit carbon.

If we are going to buy buses, why only go part way when we could buy electric shuttle buses or any other carbon-neutral option.

One very feasible option would be retrofitting diesel buses, just as UCSD has done with the Greenline Shuttle, making it run on 100 percent biodiesel. UC Irvine has also started retrofitting their buses.

The process of converting to biodiesel extends the life of the diesel buses. In other words, we can use the buses we already have and not buy new ones. That is innovation. —Lara Isaacson Sophomore, Eleanor Roosevelt College