How Gas Stoves Became a Weapon in the Culture Wars

Gas stoves were already developing a reputation as a climate villain. Then came a report linking their use to childhood asthma and a US regulator’s comment that they might be banned, and they were suddenly a part of the country’s left-right culture wars. Dozens of cities including New York and Los Angeles have approved rules banning or discouraging new gas hookups for appliances, and the US Consumer Product Safety Commission is examining emissions from appliances including stoves. Many US conservatives mock those efforts as alarmist and dictatorial.

Natural gas stoves emit air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter during combustion, at levels the US Environmental Protection Agency and the World Health Organization say are unsafe. Exposure has been linked to respiratory illness, cardiovascular problems, cancer and other conditions. Scientists have been warning for decades that some of the pollutants are emitted through leaks, even when the stoves aren’t in use. The study published in 2022 by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health put a finer point on the risks, finding that roughly 12% of childhood asthma cases in the US could be attributed to gas stove use. The fossil fuel, restaurant and appliance industries say the harms are overstated. The American Gas Association cites a study published in 2013 that found no link between gas cooking and asthma, and the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers says all cooking produces airborne particles and what’s important is that people ventilate their kitchens.