Magic (Fuel Efficient) Bus

For most environmentally conscious parents, a drive with the kids includes organic snacks, drinks packaged in recyclable bottles and a journey in a hybrid. But when those children head to school, they typically pile into an old gas-guzzling school bus, which might or might not have seat belts, gum under the seat and the stench of gym bags wafting inside.

Come September, some L.A. students will be able to get to school and limit their environmental footprint at the same time. The Los Angeles Unified School District recently signed a contract with Student Transportation of America — a school bus company with a green conscience — to get kids in the San Fernando Valley to and from school. To get the job done, STA bought 71 extra-fuel efficient buses which run on propane. (And if you're in the area and want a sneak peak before the fall, STA's having an open house on Wednesday at their special state-of-the-art fueling station in North Hollywood that's pictured.)

Environmentally-friendly buses are nothing new for STA: The company operates Ontario, Canada's largest fleet of biodiesel-fueled buses, and uses compressed natural gas in its Riverdale, Calif., fleet.

Essentially, this fall, for valley girls and boys, green will be the new, um, yellow. Make sure you let your Valley friends know about the event this Wednesday!