And Washington state has put in place rules mandating the use of electric heat (with fossil fuel-derived heating allowed as a backup option) in new construction this year. Some municipalities, including New York City, are moving to phase out the use of natural gas in new construction for reasons related to climate change. The stove debate flares beyond asthma, however. A report published in December esti mates that over 12% of childhood asthma cases may be attributable to gas stove emissions. Last summer, the American Medical Association adopted a resolution inform ing physicians of the stoves’ link to asthma. That said, studies have found that gas stoves are a major source of indoor air pollution, and can emit nitrogen oxides that have been found to exacerbate asthma symptoms. The CPSC later clarified tha t the agency was “researching gas emissions in stoves and exploring new ways to address health risks,” but was not looking to ban gas stove use. Those comments morphed via repetition into inaccurate rumors of an impending ban on stoves fueled by “natural gas,” or methane, currently used in around 38% of US homes.

The sudden stove discourse was sparked by a comment made by a commissioner on the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to a Bloomberg reporter, in which the commissioner discussed plans to regulate gas stoves. If you were online at all last week, you probably encountered conversations about gas stoves.

Gas stove being fumy