OREGON – An Oregon non-profit released a report Tuesday highlighting the dangers of burning fossil fuels in homes.
The report from Beyond Toxics says gas stoves produce “chronically harmful” levels of nitrogen dioxide inside homes.
Nitrogen dioxide is an air pollutant that has been linked to increased asthma attack, worsening lung function, and certain cancers according to the American Lung Association.
Beyond Toxics’ executive director Lisa Arkin says this public health risk is not new knowledge to the gas industry.
“The gas industry has known since at least 1970 that gas stoves have a pollution problem,” Arkin said during a press conference. “Instead of warning the public, the American Gas Association hired Big Tobacco’s PR firms to develop a strategy to manufacture controversy over the science and health research.”
Beyond Toxics says it hopes this new study will help amend local and state building codes to turn away from gas and toward electric equipment in new homes.
Earlier this year, Ashland Youth for Electrification held a rally to announce their new campaign to transition new homes in the city to electric.
One of the youth representatives for the campaign says this study highlights why what they are trying to do is so important.
“It really shows the necessity for us to um implement an emissions standard specifically within Ashland because that is what is going to limit the amount of pollutants that is seeing to be emitted from gas stoves specifically,” said youth representative Piper Banks.
In June of this year, the Ashland City Council voted unanimously to approve next steps for the Ashland Youth for Electrification Campaign.
Banks says she hopes Rogue Climate will be able to present their final ordinance to the Ashland City Council early next year.
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