{"id":187254,"date":"2022-02-13T11:49:55","date_gmt":"2022-02-13T10:49:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=187254"},"modified":"2022-02-13T11:49:56","modified_gmt":"2022-02-13T10:49:56","slug":"gas-stove-alarmism-fails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=187254","title":{"rendered":"Gas Stove Alarmism Fails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Master<\/strong>Resource<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Roger Donway<\/a> \u2014 February 11, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ed. This piece is adapted from a LinkedIn post <\/a>by Steve Everley, a communications advisor in the field of energy.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A study last month generated some scary headlines about the supposed \u201chealth risks\u201d of your gas stove \u2013 an appliance that most homeowners prefer (and for good reason). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you were frightened, take a deep breath. You were misled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, the headlines that the study generated were alarming. Things like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGas stoves are a threat to health and have larger climate impact than previously known, study shows\u201d (CNN)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGas stoves in kitchens pose a risk to public health and the planet, research finds\u201d (Washington Post<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cStanford scientists find the climate and health impacts of natural gas stoves are greater than previously thought\u201d (official release)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But it gets worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the researchers said in the press release announcing the study that you should replace your gas stove with an electric one: \u201cWhy not reduce the risk entirely? Switching to electric stoves will cut greenhouse gas emissions and indoor air pollution,\u201d said Dr. Rob Jackson, a Stanford professor and study coauthor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Jackson also told the Washington Post<\/em> that it\u2019s a \u201cgood idea\u201d to replace your gas stove with electric, although he did issue the caveat \u201cif you have the financial ability to do so.\u201d Probably wise, because electric is more expensive than gas, often considerably so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here\u2019s the best (worst) part: After weeks of those scary headlines proliferating, the lead author of that study\u2014in a comment buried deep in a story <\/a>published February 10 in Popular Mechanics<\/em>\u2014said: Actually, replacing your perfectly fine gas stove is \u201cnot the right response at this time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t want people to go out and completely ditch a perfectly good gas stove,\u201d lead author Eric Lebel said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wait, what?!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After weeks of reports that your gas stove was secretly hurting you and your family, we find out that you just need to ensure proper ventilation (which is true regardless of whether you use gas or electric, by the way).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the damage was already done. Google \u201cgas stoves and health\u201d and you\u2019ll find endless headlines about that study that could frighten working families into making costly replacements that they both can\u2019t afford and don\u2019t need to make.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, another expert told a separate media outlet <\/a>that the researchers had encased the kitchens in a Mylar tent to \u201ctrap and concentrate the emissions, and then measure the concentration.\u201d No one cooks in a kitchen like that! He said it would \u201cincorrect\u201d to draw any health conclusions from the paper.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you like electric appliances, that\u2019s great. A lot of people do, and having that optionality is key for affordability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But this isn\u2019t zero sum. Gas appliances are safe. If your house has gas appliances, you are safe\u2014and you are probably saving a fair amount of money too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully, journalists, we can all agree that the next time a study makes a claim about how gas appliances are supposedly harmful to your health, an appropriate level of scrutiny will be applied at the time of, and in the same article as, the announcement itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

via Watts Up With That?<\/mark><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 13, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Gas Stove Alarmism Fails<\/a><\/blockquote>