a new way Indicate that your political affiliation may be emerging and is close to home. So close, you’ll find it in your kitchen.
The debate over gas cooktops reignited this week and moved along ideological lines in America: As researchers, regulators and Democratic politicians point to emissions from gas appliances, conservatives are asserting their right to choose how they cook.Well, things heat up pretty quickly, like on a gas range: “If the lunatics in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it out of my cold, dead hands. Come and take it away!!” Congressman Ronnie Jackson from Texas told Twitter. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York fight back: “Did you know that continuous exposure to nitrogen dioxide from gas stoves is associated with cognitive decline[?]”
Much like the EV divide — President Joe Biden has pushed for new electric options, but some Republicans see them as costly and inconvenient — stoves find themselves at the center of a culture war. People have a very strong feeling for the roaring flames of a gas hob and enjoy the speed and precision of cooking. It’s another nitpick for Republicans as they tear up Biden’s climate agenda and paint the policy as government overreach.
There is little new intelligence to advance the debate. Scientists have known for some time that gas stoves emit toxic substances that harm the environment and people’s health. But one good thing about politicians bickering on Twitter: More and more people are learning how their powerful gas stoves, perfect for searing steaks and heating cast-iron cookware, are adversely affecting their health.
“We found that the stoves weren’t as clean as we thought,” said Eric Lebel, a senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy, a policy institute focused on energy, public health and the environment, who studied gas from gas stoves. “It’s not just a climate or health issue. But both are happening at the same time.”
Lebel’s research found that gas stoves emit methane, an important greenhouse gas. These emissions are produced even when the furnace is not in use. But as the burners burn, gas stoves also emit nitrogen dioxide, which can irritate the respiratory system.
Scientists have also begun to directly link gas stove emissions to health problems. A December 2022 study led by environmental think tank RMI found that 12.7% of childhood asthma cases in the US could be attributed to gas stoves. Researchers in Australia came to similar conclusions in a 2018 study, finding that 12.3 percent of childhood asthma cases were attributable to stoves (a figure that drops to 3.4 percent if kitchens have efficient ventilation systems). But asthma is a complex disease, influenced by genetics, allergies, infections, and exposure to pollutants other than the stovetop, such as air pollution and smoke.
Another study by Lebel showed that gas stoves also leak benzene, a cancer-causing gas. In a small kitchen with poor ventilation and a high-emissions stove, those levels could be equivalent to living with a smoker, Lebel said.
burn out
The latest incident over stoves was sparked by a statement from Richard Trumka Jr. of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, who called them a “hazard” and told Bloomberg this week that “any choice is at stake.” on the table”, including a possible ban.He clarified that such Regulation Will apply to new products. Biden does not support plans to ban gas stoves. The chairman of the committee issued a statement explaining that it was “researching gas emissions from cookstoves and exploring new ways to address health risks” and did not intend to ban gas cookstoves.
But it’s a trend that’s already happening. Several US cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and New York, have imposed various bans on gas appliances in new construction, with New York Governor Kathy Hochul backing an ambitious mission to make the state All new construction in the country is fully electric. But people are resistant, there are a lot of gas stoves out there. More than one-third of Americans and more than 30 percent of Europeans own a gas stove. Restaurants worry they won’t be able to cook certain dishes as accurately as a roaring flame, and electricity bills keep going up because electricity costs more than gas.