Gas Stoves Contribute to Nearly 19% of NY’s Child Asthma Cases, Analysis Estimates
Nearly 19 percent of childhood asthma cases across New York can be attributed to the use of gas stoves in homes, a new analysis estimates—what advocates say adds urgency to the state’s efforts to transition its energy sources away from fossil fuels, and as environmental groups renew calls for a statewide ban on gas hookups in new construction this year.
The findings, published late last month in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, conclude that 18.8 percent of New York’s childhood asthma cases “could be theoretically prevented if gas stove use was not present.” Nationwide, 12.7 percent of childhood asthma—the equivalent of 650,000 kids across the country—is driven by gas exposure, according to the report.
The implications of the analysis’ findings for local policy makers are “stunning,” said Raya Salter, executive director of the Energy Justice Law and Policy Center.
“This should be like a real death knell to fossil fuels in that process,” said Salter. “We know that gas is harming folks. It’s harming kids. It’s—I hate to say it—killing us in our own homes.”
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