Over the last week, Beyond Toxics collected new video footage that illustrates the air pollution impacts from gas appliances using a high-sensitivity infrared FLIR camera, as cities across Oregon explore policies to transition new homes away from gas over health and climate concerns.
The footage shows a plume of dangerous air pollutants – invisible to the naked eye – wafting up from gas stoves and water heaters when they are in use. This plume of hydrocarbons includes methane, ammonia, benzene, carbon monoxide and other dangerous air pollutants linked to negative health impacts.
Families lean over their gas stoves during every cooking activity, thereby exposing themselves to these poisonous gasses and pollutants right at the source. Their faces are only inches away from the highest concentration of gasses, which have been linked to asthma and other health impacts.
The new footage from Beyond Toxics comes on the heels of a recent New York Times exposé that found that NW Natural, Oregon’s largest gas utility, paid a doctor linked to big tobacco to testify at a Multnomah County hearing about gas stove air pollution impacts.
Beyond Toxics used the FLIR camera to visualize emissions from gas appliances in the homes of city councilors Lyndsie Leach and Emily Semple, as well as twelve other Eugene and Springfield residences. (See this video which features some of the footage)
On Monday night, Eugene City Councilors voted in favor of prohibiting gas infrastructure in all new low-rise residential construction. Councilor Emily Semple said during the meeting:
“I’m a chef, I like gas… I saw the pictures of what was coming out of my stove without turning it on, and I saw what happened when we turned on the oven. And it was astounding.
“I’d rather have an electric oven than more consistent temperature throughout. I think this is a serious issue for our health,” she said. “I think this is an important first step.”
Bethany Cotton, a homeowner in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood, said, “I knew that my gas stove was a threat to my home’s indoor air quality and my health, but seeing the emissions, even with the fan on full blast with only one burner on at a relatively low setting, was terrifying.”
“I am grateful that Eugene will no longer allow gas use in newly constructed homes and encourage others to explore retrofitting their homes for the sake of our health and climate,” she added.
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See also: Sierra Club Press Release