When it comes to pollution and air quality control, most people tend to think about outdoor pollution caused by car emissions or industrial factories, but rarely do people talk about the dangers of the air pollution that is present inside our homes.
One of the greatest sources of indoor air pollution comes from gas stoves used by thousands of Americans on a daily basis. These gas stoves that run on natural gases can emit carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other pollutants into the air that are harmful to humans and pets. It can be especially toxic to small children and those with asthma or other respiratory diseases.
In a report published in 2020 by the Rocky Mountain Institute, homes with gas stoves can contain around 50–400 percent higher levels of nitrogen dioxide than homes with electric stoves. This should be a cause for concern since breathing air with high concentrations of nitrogen dioxide can irritate airways and cause respiratory symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, or difficulty breathing, according to the EPA
In addition to the harmful health effects of gas stoves, there is also the dangerous impact on the environment. The burning of coal, natural gases, and oil for electricity and heat continue to be the greatest contributor in the rise of global greenhouse gas emissions. While coal and oil are a much larger and dirtier contributor, natural gas still maintains a significant source of carbon pollution.
Many households have already made the switch to electric appliances such as heat pumps and electric dryers in an effort to shift from using natural gas to electricity as the primary energy source. However, without also removing gas stoves, there remains a major roadblock for cities to switch to renewable-power grids since gas stoves still require an infrastructure with gas lines in buildings and under streets.
Luckily, we already have the technology with induction stove tops that makes it possible to transition away from gas stoves. Not to be confused with electric stove tops, which use electric coils to heat pots and pans indirectly -induction stove tops utilize electromagnetic energy to heat pots and pans directly. Since the heat is direct, induction is able to deliver 80% to 90% of its electromagnetic energy to the food in the pan, compared to 38% for gas stoves. This allows for induction stoves to have better control in temperature, a faster heat up time for the pan, and a cooler cooking environment since most of the heat is concentrated in the cookware. So, not only do induction stoves provide a safer and more environmentally conscious alternative to gas stoves, they also provide a much better cooking experience.
Unfortunately, the conversion to induction stoves has been a slow process in the United States mainly due to the high prices for induction stoves, and lack of widespread marketing. However, prices of induction stove tops have slowly come down over the years, and some cities, such as San Jose, are starting to offer a free two week trial of a portable induction cooktop and cookware. While this is a step in the right direction, it is critical that we receive the support from more local governments and policy makers to incentivize more households to make the switch to induction stovetops.
As working from home becomes more of the norm, thousands of Americans will be spending more of their time at home, and thus it becomes even more pivotal to create a better and safer living environment. In addition, we are seeing the effects of climate change worsen each year, thus making it that much more important to quickly transition away from burning fossil fuels and into cleaner energy sources. Given the overwhelming evidence of negative health and climate consequences of gas stovetops, converting to induction stove tops may provide a great solution in tackling both issues.