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I’m Still Cookin’ With Gas!
Banning Gas Stoves — Bogus Science Disguised as Climate Activism
• • • • • • • • September 2025 • • • • • • • •
The Board of Supervisors is considering a ban on gas appliances in all major renovations of homes and businesses for climate justice and public health reasons.
Hazardous?
Gas appliances are considered to be hazardous because burning natural gas emits greenhouse gases, a significant cause of asthma in children. Some experts have claimed that gas appliances are a danger because emissions cause asthma in children and contribute to climate change. However, the studies often cited as justification for the bans were flawed and prone to conflict of interest.
Banning gas appliances would be unnecessary, detrimental to our energy security, and costly for homeowners and businesses.
In 2022, the federal government briefly considered a national ban on gas appliances because of the link between asthma and greenhouse gas emissions. Some studies found a link between gas appliance use, childhood asthma, and greenhouse gas emissions. Immediately, there was a widespread effort to eliminate gas stoves, from national to local levels. This spawned a widespread effort by local and federal governments to ban gas. Climate activists seized on the opportunity as justification to mandate green energy. However, in doing so, they put our energy security at risk and may have ruined their credibility.
The demand for electricity is outstripping supply. As the state forces mandates for electric vehicles, which further strain the grid, the price of electricity will rise even further. Natural gas is an affordable power option and is not subject to power outages like electricity.”
The proposed ban immediately met resistance from homeowners, landlords, and business owners, especially restauranteurs, who rightly assumed this would be extremely costly to implement. The natural gas flawed experiment's conditions were unrealistic — they took place in a compartmentalized, airtight room or series of connected rooms. Retrofitting buildings with all electric appliances would have required extensive electrical upgrades and costly permits. Restaurants depend on gas stoves to cook food to perfection. Furthermore, the natural gas experiment was flawed and done under unrealistic air-tight and compartmentalized conditions. It is important to note because any combustion or cooking process conducted under airtight conditions will cause a spike in the concentration of combustion product readings such as particulates and carbon dioxide. However, these are not real-world conditions, and with ventilation such as fans, hoods, or even an open window, these readings can be reduced to very safe levels.
Misconceptions
We do not need to go into deep statistical analysis in order to understand some of the misconceptions around natural gas, which is composed primarily of methane (CH4). When burned, it releases two products – carbon dioxide and water vapor (CO2 and H2O). Although carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, it is far less potent than methane. The hazard is reduced by 80 times during combustion as methane converts to carbon dioxide and water vapor. Decomposing methane into carbon dioxide significantly reduces the greenhouse gas danger.
The remaining components of natural gas vary, but include other hydrocarbons such as ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H6), nitrogen, and inert gases such as helium.
Hydrocarbons, when combusted, decompose into the same products as methane. Helium is inert and does not form compounds under normal conditions. Nitrogen, which also composes 78% of the atmosphere, may form nitrogen oxides, but this can be mitigated by removing it from natural gas, and proper ventilation can further reduce nitrogen oxide levels.
Natural gas is one of the cleanest-burning fuels and is already present as a by-product of fuel extraction processes. Using natural gas rather than allowing it to escape, dissipate into the atmosphere, or burning it at the source is a unique opportunity to use what might otherwise be considered a waste product.
Natural gas is inherently non-toxic, and the hazards it presents are its flammability and its potential as an asphyxiant. Any gas, however, in a high concentration can be an asphyxiant if it excludes oxygen. Even nitrogen, which comprises most of our air, can asphyxiate if the concentration exceeds normal levels. Furthermore, methane is only flammable under specific conditions. If the ratio of methane to oxygen is too high, it will not burn; likewise, if it is too low, it will not burn. This ratio is referred to as the upper and lower explosive limit. Additives called mercaptans are added to natural gas to give it odor, as methane is naturally odorless.
Mercaptans make natural gas detectable by the human nose at levels far below flammable levels.
Natural gas enters homes and businesses at a pressure of about 0.25 pounds per square inch (psi). It is lighter than air, so if there is a discharge, it will tend to rise and dissipate rather quickly. Local power companies such as Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) have begun installing smart meters to stop gas flow in an earthquake. Modern gas appliances have replaced pilot lights with automatic ignitors, further reducing emissions.
One of the key features of energy resiliency is redundancy, which means having multiple options for energy. As the demand for electricity outstrips supply (especially with state mandates for electric vehicles), the power grid will be strained even further and the price of electricity will continue to rise. Natural gas is an affordable power option and is less prone to outages. During power outages, natural gas will continue to provide users with heat, the ability to cook, and even the ability to use air-conditioning, which is critical on hot days when power demand surges.
The Study?
The study that was the impetus for legislative action had grave conflicts of interest. The authors of the study are employees of a green building firm that seeks to "design and advocate for carbon-free buildings" and "retrofit large numbers of buildings to be all electric," implying that the authors have a financial incentive to advocate for the elimination of gas appliances.
Natural gas can provide users with a low-cost, resilient, clean alternative energy source. Banning natural gas in major renovations and new buildings forces owners to make costly upgrades, further increasing the cost of new or remodeled housing and making users vulnerable to power failures and expensive energy costs, all for legislation based on inaccurate and deceiving studies.
Rather than pursue unnecessary legislation that will unduly make residents' lives more difficult, we need to drop the proposal to ban gas appliances and restore energy resiliency and affordability. It is the right thing to do.
Stephen Martin-Pinto has served on the board of West of Twin Peaks Central Council, Sunnyside Neighborhood Association, the Veteran Affairs Commission, he was a candidate for District 7 Supervisor, and is a firefighter for San Francisco.
September 2025
