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The popular household appliance that comes with a health risk

Mykola Makhlai
/
Unsplash
Gas stoves aren't the biggest contributor to climate change, but they are part of the problem according to climate change reporter Rebecca Leber.

Gas stoves are popular with professional and home cooks, but experts warn that unlike other gas appliances, these stoves pose a risk to your health and the environment.

Gas stoves are in 35% of homes in the U.S., putting users at risk from nitrogen and carbon monoxide gases and increasing the risk of health complications such as asthma, respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

Unlike outdoor pollution, there's little oversight for indoor pollution, according to Rebecca Leber, a climate change reporter for Vox. Because of the popularity of gas stoves, the gas industry keeps consumers in the dark by using social media and other advertisement messages to promote the cooking appliance, Leber said.

"One of the most worrisome ways I think that this has come through, is the rise of preemption bills," Leber said. "These are passed in already 20 states, mostly red states, where it blocked cities from ever taking a look at their building codes to see how to clean up the gas stove pollution and gas appliances more broadly."

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