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“This study confirms what environmentalists have been saying for more than a decade, that there is no evidence of a global warming problem. [such thing as]Clean gas is not good for our homes, our communities, or the climate,” Lee Ziesche (community engagement coordinator at Sane Energy), told CNN. “Fracking gas is warming the planet and harming our health, from the drilling well to our stoves in the kitchens.
The study also revealed that harmful nitrogen oxides, a byproduct from burning natural gas, can quickly reach dangerous levels in homes without rangehoods or with poor ventilation. This is especially true in small kitchens.
Gas stoves, ovens, and other gas stoves can leak large amounts of planet-warming methyle regardless of whether or not they are turned on. According to the study, stoves release 0.8%-1.3% of their natural gas as unburned methane into the atmosphere.
While it may not sound like much at first, Eric Lebel, lead researcher for the study, said CNN that it is a “really huge number” when you add up the methane that is produced during transmission and production.
“If someone claims they don’t use their stove and so they don’t emit any methane, then that’s not true. Most of the stoves we measured had at most a slow bleed while they were off,” stated Lebel, who was a graduate student at Stanford University. He is now a senior scientist at PSE Healthy Energy.
Lebel stated that NOx, or nitrogen oxides, pose a particularly dangerous risk to children and the elderly. They found that the amount of gas burned is directly proportional to the emission.
Lebel explained that turning on another burner will cause more NOx. The concentration of these gases depends on the size and ventilation of your kitchen.
According to the US Energy Information Administration, there was more than 40 million gas stoves within US households in 2015. However, the percentage of gas stoves in certain regions is higher.
The study also suggests that federal government underestimates methane emissions from homes. Researchers found that it was 15% higher than the Environmental Protection Agency estimate for residential methane emissions in 2019.
Charles Koven, a scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory who was not involved in the study, said that “This new study shows how widespread greenhouse gas pollution is.”
He stated that “Getting to net Zero is not about replacing fossil fuel-burning power plants or cars with more efficient alternatives.” “We need to take a look at everything that uses fossilfuels, even tiny sources like the gas pipes that power our stoves, and see that they can all have huge climate impacts.”
Lebel stated that he hopes policymakers will use his research to help decarbonize homes and make appliances more energy-efficient.
He stated that it is not just a matter of climate, but also a matter of health. But, it’s both. When deciding whether to ban gas, people should consider the climate and health effects as well as the benefits of electrification. It seems pretty clear what science is showing.
