The California Governor's office wants to distribute $50 million to reduce emissions from school buses throughout the state, but environmentalists are upset because nearly one-third of the money will go to promote diesel engines.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Gov. Gray Davis and his administration want to put into effect a program that will provide school districts across the state $40 million to buy 400 new buses, plus an additional $10 million to buy particulate traps for up 1,500 old buses.
The article said that natural gas engines, which are far cleaner than existing engines, will power $25 million worth of the new buses. However, environmentalists are upset that the state Air Resources Board plans to allow $15 million to be used for buying "green diesel" motors, which are cleaner than those in use today, which environmentalist say produce more ozone-forming emissions than alternative-fuel models.
Critics say the governor's office yielded to heavy lobbying by Chicago-based International Truck & Engine Co., which is a big proponent of green diesel.
Environmental groups hope to reverse the decision before it is finalized by the agency's governing board, which meets Dec. 7 in Sacramento, the Times reported.