Gas Stove Makers Have Had a Pollution Fix for 40 Years
GAS STOVE MAKERS HAVE HAD A HOME POLLUTION FIX THEY HAVEN’T USED FOR 40 YEARS
The fact that gas stoves pollute into people’s homes has been big news over the last few weeks. It’s become a political football by conservatives in the United States, a clarion call to yet more outrage about “something else.” But if we’re going to talk about something else when it comes to gas stoves and how they pollute our homes, causing childhood asthma, there’s something even conservatives may find interesting. Gas stove makers have known about the emissions problems for decades. And they designed a fix for it 40 years ago. They simply won’t make them, and haven’t yet.
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GAS STOVE MAKERS SAY POLLUTION FIX COST MORE, NOT AS DURABLE, HARDER TO CLEAN
To be fair, their design of a cleaner and more efficient burner for gas stoves is likely only a partial solution to the home pollution problem. But 40 years is a long time to know there’s a problem, have a solution, and not manufacture it in your products. But gas stove makers and gas industry allies have an explanation for that, of course. They say that the burners cost more, are not as durable and are harder to clean. I’d be willing to se if that’s true, though they haven’t offered any details to back up those claims. But they also said that a lack of consumer demand is another reason why they haven’t introduced them into their gas stoves.
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GAS STOVE MAKERS ALSO SAY THERE’S BEEN NO DEMAND FOR FIX, BUT PUBLIC NOW KNOWS DANGERS
That last deserves a drumroll. Consumers haven’t made any demands for better stoves because they didn’t know they were being poisoned all these years. Now they do. But concerns for health likely won’t be the reason why we eventually get cleaner, safer, healthier gas stove burners. But fuel efficiency might do the trick. The Department of Energy (DOE) this week proposed new rules that would require more energy efficient stoves by the year 2027. But you can be sure the appliance and natural gas industry will fight that, too.
Meanwhile, climate change activists will take this news as another reason to move the market away from natural gas to electric. And that’s what this battle is really about: world health, not home health. All the political footballs are mere distraction. But yes tinfoil hat wearers, they are coming for your gas stoves. In 10 or 15 years, anyway.
