An Illinois congressman wants to know why the nation’s leading consumer protection agency has not established safety standards or provided warnings to consumers on the health risks that he and at least two major studies believe come with the air pollutants emitted from popular gas stoves.
The lawmaker asks for an update on any new attention given to the issue or whether the commission believes legislation should address the health impacts from the popular appliance. The reach is significant: over one-third of U.S. households — more than 40 million homes — cook with gas, and that doesn’t include restaurants.
Some studies have shown that children living in homes with gas stoves have a 42% greater risk of experiencing asthma symptoms and a 24% greater risk of being diagnosed with asthma, which some experts equate to living with second-hand cigarette smoke. A recent Stanford University study, meanwhile, was more focused on the climate- change impact of gas stoves. But global warming itself has also raised concern in the medical field as the primary public-health issue of our time. Stanford researchers included a look at the shorter-lasting but more-potent methane, in addition to carbon dioxide. Fossil-fuel combustion CL00, -0.65% for energy accounts for about 74% of total Earth-warming U.S.
New York City, for one, has a law that prohibits the combustion of fossil fuels, namely gas, for cooking and heating in select new buildings. The ban will apply to new structures under seven stories tall starting in 2024, and to larger buildings in 2027. That measure is significant not only because of the city’s population size, but also because of its colder climate. The state was considering its own bill, but the effort died in budget talks this spring.