The holidays are a time to spend time with family, cook meals and enjoy each other’s company. None of those meals should come with a side of air pollution.
But in millions of American homes, there’s a hidden danger lurking in the kitchen. Common across the country, gas stoves can produce levels of indoor air pollution that would exceed outdoor air quality standards. Cooking with gas releases pollutants into our homes that can lead to the development of asthma, especially in children, and worsen symptoms for those with preexisting respiratory illnesses. One report compared the effects of using a gas stove around kids to those of second-hand smoke exposure.
The vast majority of Americans have no idea that every time they cook they could be subjecting themselves and their loved ones to toxic chemicals.Richard Trumka, Jr. Consumer Product Safety Commissioner
Watch the clips below from our webinar “Pollution Free Cooking for the Holidays” to learn more about the impacts of gas stove pollution, some of the policy options for addressing the problem and for a cooking demonstration on an induction stove.
Gas stove pollution is harming American families - Dr. Steph Lee
Burning natural gas creates nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and other bi-products that contribute to air pollution that are lung irritants that can contribute to respiratory illnesses.Dr. Steph Lee Pediatrician
Policy solutions - Richard Trumka, Jr.
Induction cooking demonstration - Chef Chris Galarza
Senior Director, Campaign for 100% Renewable Energy, Environment America Research & Policy Center
Johanna directs strategy and staff for Environment America's energy campaigns at the local, state and national level. In her prior positions, she led the campaign to ban smoking in all Maryland workplaces, helped stop the construction of a new nuclear reactor on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and helped build the support necessary to pass the EmPOWER Maryland Act, which set a goal of reducing the state’s per capita electricity use by 15 percent. She also currently serves on the board of Community Action Works. Johanna lives in Amherst, Massachusetts, with her family, where she enjoys growing dahlias, biking and the occasional game of goaltimate.