Canadian environmentalist David Suzuki said gas stoves should be restricted because they cause household pollution and climate change. .“Gas stoves release dangerous pollutants into homes, buildings and the atmosphere, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, formaldehyde, and particulate matter,” said Suzuki in a blog post. .The blog post said an analysis of 27 studies on the effects of gas appliances on children concluded 12.7% of current childhood asthma cases in the United States can be attributed to them. It said this ranges from 3% in Florida to 21.1% in Illinois. .The United States Environmental Protection Agency found nitrogen dioxide concentrations are 50% to 400% higher in homes with gas stoves than those with electric ones. Nitrogen dioxide can cause cardiovascular and respiratory problems and exacerbate illnesses such as the flu and COVID-19. .Gas furnaces and water heaters cause less indoor air pollution because many jurisdictions require them to be vented outside, contributing to outdoor air pollution and climate change. Research shows buildings in California emit more nitrogen oxides than power plants and almost as much as cars. .Suzuki said health issues around gas appliances have been known since the 1980s. He said industry has “put considerable resources into downplaying or denying the dangers, and into promoting gas appliances.”.These efforts are increasing as many jurisdictions consider banning gas stoves for new homes and buildings. The tactics range from large ad and influencer campaigns, fake grassroots groups and supporters to advocate for gas over electric, lobbying politicians, and threats. .Industry argued proper ventilation will resolve indoor pollution issues. The blog post said ventilation will move pollution outdoors, and most jurisdictions do not require venting to keep indoor air pure. .It said the advantages of cooking with gas over conventional electric stoves are about convenience. It argued newer induction stoves, which use magnetics to heat, are more efficient, safer, and better for indoor and outdoor environments. The main problem with removing them is they do not work with all types of cookware, but it can be overcome by placing these pots and pans on a suitable metal heat plate..Not every one can replace their gas stoves, but the blog post recommended incentives, regulations, and building code updates to eliminate gas. If people continue to use gas stoves, it said they can vent the outside or keep the windows open while using them. .Suzuki concluded by saying using gas to cook was never about efficiency or affordability. He said the goal was “to get people to buy and burn more to enrich the most profitable industry in history.” .“Instead of recognizing the true value of these limited stores of concentrated solar energy that took millennia to create, our growth-driven economic system has long relied on burning them up as quickly as possible,” he said. .“It’s time to change that, for the health of our children, ourselves, and the planet.”.Republicans and fossil fuel supporters rallied behind gas stoves on January 11 as a flash point in the US’s ongoing culture wars and a source of conservative resistance to President Joe Biden’s environmental agenda..The controversy was ignited when United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Commissioner Richard L. Trumka Jr. said he would not rule out a ban on the appliances, prompting the agency to pivot two days after and say he did not intend on it. .Trumka’s comment prompted loud complaints from Republicans, who accused the CPSC of trying to snatch the stoves from the 40 million homes relying on them.
