For this post I partnered with Dr. Jon Levy, Professor and Chair of Environmental Health at Boston University School of Public Health, who has been working on this topic for decades. Also special thanks to Luis Melecio-Zambrano—a science journalist and student—who helped me “translate” the scientific story.
Katelyn, I regard you as a national treasure and a personal one, since I rely on you above all other sources for guidance for me and my family in coping with covid. Among the things I prize about YLE are the clarity with which you present abstruse data and also the objectivity. In our painfully polarized moment, it is not only refreshing but also reassuring to find presentation of information free of any hint of a political agenda. It pains me that this post, obviously written mostly by your partners, has a different tone. The title refers to the "culture war," and the tone and substance of the whole thing suggests a thrust from one side in that war. I wish you would avoid partnering with others who may be credentialed but lack your exemplary objectivity. Love you, too,
Thank you for this info. We have a gas fireplace that looks like a wood burning stove and run it for several hours a day during winter. Is this also a cause for concern?
This seems like a "Correlation is not causation" weak article. Every few years there is a new likely cause for the increase in childhood asthma. There have been mites, cats, dogs, birds, mold, PM2.5, formaldehyde, fragrances, plasticizers, ventilation and more. There needs to be an all-cause asthma index similar to the (Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) so one can compare the risk factor of a pet bird to a gas stove, or the gigantic PM increase from cooking on an electric stove in a house.
I've been following this topic with interest as I've always chosen gas over electric. One interesting analysis would be if there are any increased public health risks that have been studied with electric over gas, such as increased burns in children/people, kitchen/house fires from inappropriate use (warming a home), etc. I have no idea, but before we throw out all our gas ranges and opt for electric because of nitrogen dioxide concerns I would want to make sure we aren't trading one 'evil' for another in terms of risk. Just because we achieve health gains from one doesn't mean there are not health risks from the other.
I've seen several pieces about the impact on children. I'm curious about the impact on adults. I live in a child-free home with a gas stove and gas fireplace. Should I be concerned for the adults in my home or is the primary impact on children?
I became a foodie a few years back. I bet I've seen a thousand videos and articles since then, and I can't think of a single one that did not use a gas stove or oven, if it showed anything. When you turn the knob, a gas stove responds instantly and precisely. Nothing electric is like that, just saying.
I lived with gas for years in TX, but for years I've felt all-electric smells better, is safer with no open flame, and with a glasstop or induction stove is way easier to keep clean. I've had electric for 30 years now and I can deal with its shortcomings.
I think this is probably much more of an issue in tightly wrapped newer construction. Forty years ago that was not a thing.
And just thinking, working in a restaurant kitchen has got to be as bad, if not worse. Where's OSHA in this?
Readers of YLE might want to visit Jerry LeClaire's' excellent substack Indivisible High Ground newsletter where an article came out today serendipitously on how the new House committee Chair that oversees energy issues and consumer protection related to the same, is turning the mission there around somewhat to promote greater fossil fuel production. I assume that means protection for gas stove manufactury and use. F Y I.
I have lived most of my life in homes with electric stoves, but I now have a gas one, and, unfortunately, I much prefer cooking with it, so I am trying to figure out what to do. I have heard that induction stoves mimic many of the qualities of gas stoves, but they are expensive. I also have a gas clothes dryer, but it is in the basement, so I am hoping it doesn't produce the same problems as the stoves.
Before I even realized the issues of gas stoves… I purchased a Brevelle Induction cooker and an electric pressure cooker. We live in a rental… but I fell weirdly in love with these appliances and actually cut the gas off. The point of my comment is that you can cook even better… smarter… with the right appliances.
In my home state, there is a financial penalty if you remove a gas stove or heating system. The Corporation Commission says the gas companies need the income to make up for purchasing expensive gas during a massive cold snap when gas wells stopped producing. The state actually charges you money if you put in solar then use electric appliances.
A couple of points to emphasize: vented had equipment like furnaces and fireplaces are safer for indoor air, though still bad for the climate. Also no thugs are going to break down your door and take away your stove. Any bans would be banned sale of new gas stoves.
My evidence base is weak ( a comment in the NYT), but here is my question: When the data were gathered, was the strongest correlation with those who used open gas flames for heating as opposed to cooking?
Regarding the COPD linked study, there is a statistically significant signal for various pollutants and COPD incidence. However, due to the nature of the study they could not quantitate the correlation coefficient for smoking. For COPD, the strongest public health message should be "Don't smoke!"
My wife and I live in Illinois in a 4 bedroom home that has a natural gas powered furnace, gas powered water heater and a gas dryer along with our stove. Am I correct in assuming all these appliances offer the same potential threat as a gas stove? Or, in our case, four times the threat?
Katelyn, a little while back you had a survey about topics that you could expand coverage to. I think a YLE take on contemporary subjects like this is worthwhile. It is going to be tricky anytime politics is involved, but you did quite well with that regarding COVID and I think this could be a fine fit here.
As it is a guest post, it was missing some of your voice/style, but that's okay. But I think the science-y part was only good not great. With most YLE posts, I feel confident that there's been a comprehensive review of the literature. This article noted how NO2 isn't good for us, no controversy there. And it cited a nice 2013 meta-analysis. But it neglected to include another 2013 meta-analysis that found no link to gas but a link to open flames. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24429203/ I just don't feel like I got a full sense of the available literature here.
Often you have gone to lengths to tell us about the strengths and weaknesses of various studies, but the authors here make no attempt to evaluate the science or add context. A 40-study meta-analysis is presented with the same authority as a measurement of 15 exhaust devices, but that doesn't quite feel right.
One thing I expected to see is some absolute numbers about the level of NO2 that is considered harmful. But this detail is missing in the article. I only know that gas stoves are relatively more dangerous. Relative risk is useful, but It would be good to understand the absolute numbers in a sensible way. Exactly how much NO2 does a gas stove contribute? The authors note that "concentrations can get high" but don't say what high is.
The authors also a good job bringing up proper ventilation as a key step we can take to reduce risk. It would be nice to know more about how much better proper ventilation is (either relative or absolute). I take their point that poor ventilation is relatively ineffective, but that point can be made better with numbers.
I am glad the authors addressed the real life challenges of switching from gas stoves to another kind, and that those are real obstacles for everyday folks. That's important and right for your newsletter.
Lastly, you also are often careful to call out things that are relevant but just not covered by the studies in your post. The authors haven't here. If the concern is asthma, are their bigger things I should worry about before replacing a gas stove? If the concern is NO2, are their other sources of NO2 in my house that I might prioritize? Does what I cook also make a difference?
Maybe it is asking a whole lot to try to cram that much into a single post in a timely enough fashion that it is still relevant. This was a good step in finding ways to keep providing value through YLE that can be improved upon.
The only people who stand to lose here are natural gas companies, and their employees deserve help to retrain.
But of all things, culture doesn't need to argue about gas stoves! Electric induction provides the same instant, stable heat differences as gas, but unlike gas or electric heat, you can't scorch or burn anything, which I have done in both cases. 😳 At first I was sad that climate change necessitates getting rid of the gas stove, but electric induction is better and more efficient. Since getting one, I do not miss gas—nor should I, apparently!
The other thing to consider is price difference, so if we want to reduce the use of natural gas, we should consider subsidizing conversion to induction the same way we do for other efficiencies.
Katelyn, I regard you as a national treasure and a personal one, since I rely on you above all other sources for guidance for me and my family in coping with covid. Among the things I prize about YLE are the clarity with which you present abstruse data and also the objectivity. In our painfully polarized moment, it is not only refreshing but also reassuring to find presentation of information free of any hint of a political agenda. It pains me that this post, obviously written mostly by your partners, has a different tone. The title refers to the "culture war," and the tone and substance of the whole thing suggests a thrust from one side in that war. I wish you would avoid partnering with others who may be credentialed but lack your exemplary objectivity. Love you, too,
Thank you for this info. We have a gas fireplace that looks like a wood burning stove and run it for several hours a day during winter. Is this also a cause for concern?
This seems like a "Correlation is not causation" weak article. Every few years there is a new likely cause for the increase in childhood asthma. There have been mites, cats, dogs, birds, mold, PM2.5, formaldehyde, fragrances, plasticizers, ventilation and more. There needs to be an all-cause asthma index similar to the (Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) so one can compare the risk factor of a pet bird to a gas stove, or the gigantic PM increase from cooking on an electric stove in a house.
I've been following this topic with interest as I've always chosen gas over electric. One interesting analysis would be if there are any increased public health risks that have been studied with electric over gas, such as increased burns in children/people, kitchen/house fires from inappropriate use (warming a home), etc. I have no idea, but before we throw out all our gas ranges and opt for electric because of nitrogen dioxide concerns I would want to make sure we aren't trading one 'evil' for another in terms of risk. Just because we achieve health gains from one doesn't mean there are not health risks from the other.
I've seen several pieces about the impact on children. I'm curious about the impact on adults. I live in a child-free home with a gas stove and gas fireplace. Should I be concerned for the adults in my home or is the primary impact on children?
I became a foodie a few years back. I bet I've seen a thousand videos and articles since then, and I can't think of a single one that did not use a gas stove or oven, if it showed anything. When you turn the knob, a gas stove responds instantly and precisely. Nothing electric is like that, just saying.
I lived with gas for years in TX, but for years I've felt all-electric smells better, is safer with no open flame, and with a glasstop or induction stove is way easier to keep clean. I've had electric for 30 years now and I can deal with its shortcomings.
I think this is probably much more of an issue in tightly wrapped newer construction. Forty years ago that was not a thing.
And just thinking, working in a restaurant kitchen has got to be as bad, if not worse. Where's OSHA in this?
Readers of YLE might want to visit Jerry LeClaire's' excellent substack Indivisible High Ground newsletter where an article came out today serendipitously on how the new House committee Chair that oversees energy issues and consumer protection related to the same, is turning the mission there around somewhat to promote greater fossil fuel production. I assume that means protection for gas stove manufactury and use. F Y I.
I have lived most of my life in homes with electric stoves, but I now have a gas one, and, unfortunately, I much prefer cooking with it, so I am trying to figure out what to do. I have heard that induction stoves mimic many of the qualities of gas stoves, but they are expensive. I also have a gas clothes dryer, but it is in the basement, so I am hoping it doesn't produce the same problems as the stoves.
Before I even realized the issues of gas stoves… I purchased a Brevelle Induction cooker and an electric pressure cooker. We live in a rental… but I fell weirdly in love with these appliances and actually cut the gas off. The point of my comment is that you can cook even better… smarter… with the right appliances.
In my home state, there is a financial penalty if you remove a gas stove or heating system. The Corporation Commission says the gas companies need the income to make up for purchasing expensive gas during a massive cold snap when gas wells stopped producing. The state actually charges you money if you put in solar then use electric appliances.
A couple of points to emphasize: vented had equipment like furnaces and fireplaces are safer for indoor air, though still bad for the climate. Also no thugs are going to break down your door and take away your stove. Any bans would be banned sale of new gas stoves.
My evidence base is weak ( a comment in the NYT), but here is my question: When the data were gathered, was the strongest correlation with those who used open gas flames for heating as opposed to cooking?
Regarding the COPD linked study, there is a statistically significant signal for various pollutants and COPD incidence. However, due to the nature of the study they could not quantitate the correlation coefficient for smoking. For COPD, the strongest public health message should be "Don't smoke!"
Thanks for the work you do.
My wife and I live in Illinois in a 4 bedroom home that has a natural gas powered furnace, gas powered water heater and a gas dryer along with our stove. Am I correct in assuming all these appliances offer the same potential threat as a gas stove? Or, in our case, four times the threat?
Katelyn, a little while back you had a survey about topics that you could expand coverage to. I think a YLE take on contemporary subjects like this is worthwhile. It is going to be tricky anytime politics is involved, but you did quite well with that regarding COVID and I think this could be a fine fit here.
As it is a guest post, it was missing some of your voice/style, but that's okay. But I think the science-y part was only good not great. With most YLE posts, I feel confident that there's been a comprehensive review of the literature. This article noted how NO2 isn't good for us, no controversy there. And it cited a nice 2013 meta-analysis. But it neglected to include another 2013 meta-analysis that found no link to gas but a link to open flames. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24429203/ I just don't feel like I got a full sense of the available literature here.
Often you have gone to lengths to tell us about the strengths and weaknesses of various studies, but the authors here make no attempt to evaluate the science or add context. A 40-study meta-analysis is presented with the same authority as a measurement of 15 exhaust devices, but that doesn't quite feel right.
One thing I expected to see is some absolute numbers about the level of NO2 that is considered harmful. But this detail is missing in the article. I only know that gas stoves are relatively more dangerous. Relative risk is useful, but It would be good to understand the absolute numbers in a sensible way. Exactly how much NO2 does a gas stove contribute? The authors note that "concentrations can get high" but don't say what high is.
The authors also a good job bringing up proper ventilation as a key step we can take to reduce risk. It would be nice to know more about how much better proper ventilation is (either relative or absolute). I take their point that poor ventilation is relatively ineffective, but that point can be made better with numbers.
I am glad the authors addressed the real life challenges of switching from gas stoves to another kind, and that those are real obstacles for everyday folks. That's important and right for your newsletter.
Lastly, you also are often careful to call out things that are relevant but just not covered by the studies in your post. The authors haven't here. If the concern is asthma, are their bigger things I should worry about before replacing a gas stove? If the concern is NO2, are their other sources of NO2 in my house that I might prioritize? Does what I cook also make a difference?
Maybe it is asking a whole lot to try to cram that much into a single post in a timely enough fashion that it is still relevant. This was a good step in finding ways to keep providing value through YLE that can be improved upon.
What about gas fire places? Do they pose a similar risk as gas cook tops/stoves?
The only people who stand to lose here are natural gas companies, and their employees deserve help to retrain.
But of all things, culture doesn't need to argue about gas stoves! Electric induction provides the same instant, stable heat differences as gas, but unlike gas or electric heat, you can't scorch or burn anything, which I have done in both cases. 😳 At first I was sad that climate change necessitates getting rid of the gas stove, but electric induction is better and more efficient. Since getting one, I do not miss gas—nor should I, apparently!
The other thing to consider is price difference, so if we want to reduce the use of natural gas, we should consider subsidizing conversion to induction the same way we do for other efficiencies.