Getting rid of gas is no longer a matter we can put on the back burner
New York’s decision to become the first U.S. state to ban installing gas stoves in new housing developments has sparked an unexpected debate: Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer parodied Republican fears when he recently said, “nobody is taking your gas stove away,” shortly before the ban, and then found himself roasted.
Why are gas cookers suddenly a political hot potato? Firstly, because science and the data support a ban: they generate harmful emissions; methane leaks occur even when the stove is not in use, and nitrogen oxides are generated during combustion at levels that exceed those advised by regulatory agencies, potentially causing or aggravate respiratory problems, especially in children.
Methane and carbon dioxide are greenhouse gases that contribute to the climate emergency. We might think that this is small compared to, for example, a car, but if 35% of American households have a gas stove (30% in the European Union), the volume generated is clearly palpable.
What to do then? Well, instead of banning something that is found in a third of homes and that is many people’s preferred way to cook, simply impose a ban on its installation in new homes from now on, and add incentives such as subsidies for people who want to replace their gas cooker with an…
