Gourmets have been long-time aficionados of gas stoves because they provide better quality heat that is easy to control quickly.
Most people prefer a gas stove as a better choice for cooking. Now the same people who are telling you not to eat meat are telling you not to be better cooks either.
Most recently, they have been using a heavily biased report that was authored by the Sierra Club and the Rocky Mountain Institute. It goes without saying these authors have a biased view on fossil fuels. The groups are receiving funding from the Tides Foundation and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. Sierra Club was given over 1 Million dollars in 2019 and the Rocky Mountain Institute was given $615,000 the same year by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
Their report calls out natural gas use for cooking as a major driver in respiratory and health issues in the home. A claim that is not supported by the World Health Organization, Health Canada, or independent research. Groups in Canada have pushed this report to their audiences in hopes of gaining more traction in the battle over natural gas use here in Canada
This direct quote from the Canada Health Guidelines is consistent with other independent research that says modern gas stoves with proper ventilation are safe.
“Data from Canadian indoor air studies indicate that the concentration of NO2 in most electric stove homes will rarely exceed this level and that this concentration is also attainable in gas stove homes when adequate stovetop ventilation is used.”
This independent study found that claims about indoor pollution from clean-burning natural gas have not been found to create increased risk.
Even this study being pushed by activists from UCLA, which was commissioned by the Sierra Club, also acknowledges that using a ventilation hood makes cooking with a gas stove safe.
It’s worth noting that the WHO, also views natural gas as one of the cleanest solutions to keep indoor air quality above WHO guidelines.
The use of natural gas and its by-products are also incredibly important in developing countries where many still use fuels like wood or coal to cook their food. The use of these fuels has shown an increase in reported illnesses in India. Switching to natural gas for them would improve health.
The International Energy Agency also sees the climate benefit of natural gas use. Despite claims by anti-oil and gas activists, the organization says that the switch to natural gas has helped save over 500 million tonnes of emissions.
Electric appliances also are not without their own issues. Faulty wiring is the number one cause of household fires. It’s also not guaranteed that switching to electric appliances will alleviate pollutant-related health effects. The electricity has to be generated somehow and often with higher emissions intensity than using natural gas directly.
Plus electric stoves can also equally increase particulate matter from cooking which might affect respiratory health and indoor air quality.
Whether it is a gas stovetop or electric, consumers should be free to choose their preferred method of cooking. For millions around the globe, they often do not have that choice.