Reportedly, America is considering banning gas stoves. The move is based on the fact that indoor air pollution causes asthma in children. (America thinking about banning gas stove)
The US Department of Consumer Product Safety has been mulling moves to ban gas stoves for the past few months. In October, the agency had asked for public comments on the issue. In an interview with Bloomberg, the CPSC says that gas stove use is a hidden danger. Agency Commissioner Richard Trumka told Bloomberg that the unsafe ones could be banned.
A December 2022 study in the Internal Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health points to gas use in homes as one of the causes of asthma in children. The study says that 13% of childhood asthma is caused by the use of gas. Another study found that gas stoves emit nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide, which can be harmful in homes without proper ventilation. Breathing nitrogen dioxide for a short period of time can cause asthma attacks in children. Studies have shown that prolonged exposure to NO2 can lead to worsening of the disease. But former IMA president Dr. Abraham Varghese told Twentyfour that burning a gas stove does not lead to health problems.
According to estimates, gas stoves are used in 35% of American homes. In states like California and New Jersey, about 70 percent of people rely on gas stoves. US cities such as Berkeley, San Francisco and New York City have already banned the use of natural gas in new buildings.
Banning gas stoves eliminates the cost-effective method of cooking used by a large percentage of the country. At the same time, Jill Notini, who works in the guage agency, said that even if gas stoves are banned, there is a possibility of indoor air pollution due to other cooking methods. The American Gas Association also pointed out that switching from gas to electric can be a costly process.
But there is a counterargument to this. Under the Inflation Reduction Act approved by Biden, a consumer who buys an electric stove will receive a subsidy of $840. And a $500 subsidy will be given to customers who switch from gas to electric stoves.
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