4 ms·

The PR push by the climate activists against gas stoves is remarkable to watch.

al_borland 3y ago
Everything I see seems very one-sided. I listened to a podcast about gas stoves and the marketing behind them. It mentioned in passing that before the gas stoves people were using wood burning stoves, but never mentioned that a gas stove is a significant improvement over a wood stove. Not only does it burn cleaner, but it also allows someone to control the temperature much easier. It was a better stove in every way. They also seemed to gloss over the shortcomings of the standard electric stovetop everyone knows and hates. Gas is easier to cook with than a normal electric (coil) stove. They also just assume everyone is just going to know to move to induction (without really bringing it up), but it also has it's shortcomings... price, not all pans work, and if you're unlucky, some buzzing while you cook. Awareness is another big issue with induction. My sister has a gas stove and can't cook on electric without cursing the whole time. I mentioned induction and she had no idea what I was talking about. When these hit pieces on gas come out, if they fail to educate on induction, they aren't going to win over die hard gas users, as they have all used old electrics stoves by now and know that they didn't like it. When I was last looking to buy a home, the realtor even pointed out a gas stove as a selling feature for a home, which it is for many people. There is no perfect stove, and gas was an improvement and the clean option when it came out... yet all these stories paint it as purely a marketing move with 0 redeeming qualities. I can't take these people seriously when they aren't honest about the situation. All that said, I have a traditional electric stove right now and hate it, to the point of not using it. I plan to replace it with induction and will hope for the best. I don't have a big investment in cookware currently, but already know I'll have to throw out/donate at least 1 or 2 pans (one is my favorite one and I'm not excited about losing it). I always find it interesting when the climate activists pick causes that people are really passionate about, as it serves to put up walls to action, rather than getting people on board.
- tomatocracy 3y ago
  It's also remarkable that none of these pieces (and this is no exception) ever seem to talk about proper air extraction. You would have thought that would be the first thing anyone researching this topic seriously and objectively would look at. The relative damage done by pollutants emitted by cooking oil and food on a stove (regardless of type) is also rather larger and better documented (though still not huge in the grand scale of things), which gives another reason to talk about extraction.
  - DerekL 3y ago
    The article does in fact mention that inadequate ventilation is part of the problem.
    - tomatocracy 3y ago
      But only very briefly as a caveat on the description of harms (because those aren't otherwise substantiated where there is adequate ventilation).
- marssaxman 3y ago
  I have been an environmental activist at various times, and I love my gas stove; I have no interest in replacing it. Cooking with gas falls so far down the list of climate-change problems we have to deal with that I can't bother to care about it. Campaigning against gas stoves seems wholly counterproductive: it drives home the message that progress on climate change involves a reduced quality of life, without offering any significant progress toward decarbonization.
  - ender341341 3y ago
    It's not just global environmental that's effected, at least in america *LOTS* of homes have really crappy ventilation, and even when they have proper ventilation way to many people don't actually use it (either cause they're noisy or the person's just forgetful), so you end up breathing it in in a lot higher concentration than people expect cause the tests around them being safe are all done with proper ventilation.
- 7speter 3y ago
  I think the people who push these articles don’t know how to cook or use a stove, and always buy their food from the likes of grubhub anyways. One of the top voted comments in this thread is someone who claimed to have turned on the element under their pot and waited to pour water in. Who does that, and that can cause serious injuries.
  - asquabventured 3y ago
    Exactly. If you actually cook whole meals from scratch you generally will know induction is a much worse experience. If you have no idea how to create a meal without calling it in or hiring a private chef but enjoy a spotless kitchen you don't ever use besides water vapor flashpoint experiments I imagine it would be easy to think induction is a great replacement for gas though.
idiotsecant 3y ago
Or....induction stoves work better, produce fewer hazardous byproducts from cooking, and are way easier to clean. There's basically no reason to plumb a utility line transporting flammable gas into your kitchen if you can do it cheaper, easier, and safer with newer technology.

Everything I see seems very one-sided. I listened to a podcast about gas stoves and the marketing behind them. It mentioned in passing that before the gas stoves people were using wood burning stoves, but never mentioned that a gas stove is a significant improvement over a wood stove. Not only does it burn cleaner, but it also allows someone to control the temperature much easier. It was a better stove in every way. They also seemed to gloss over the shortcomings of the standard electric stovetop everyone knows and hates. Gas is easier to cook with than a normal electric (coil) stove. They also just assume everyone is just going to know to move to induction (without really bringing it up), but it also has it's shortcomings... price, not all pans work, and if you're unlucky, some buzzing while you cook. Awareness is another big issue with induction. My sister has a gas stove and can't cook on electric without cursing the whole time. I mentioned induction and she had no idea what I was talking about. When these hit pieces on gas come out, if they fail to educate on induction, they aren't going to win over die hard gas users, as they have all used old electrics stoves by now and know that they didn't like it. When I was last looking to buy a home, the realtor even pointed out a gas stove as a selling feature for a home, which it is for many people. There is no perfect stove, and gas was an improvement and the clean option when it came out... yet all these stories paint it as purely a marketing move with 0 redeeming qualities. I can't take these people seriously when they aren't honest about the situation. All that said, I have a traditional electric stove right now and hate it, to the point of not using it. I plan to replace it with induction and will hope for the best. I don't have a big investment in cookware currently, but already know I'll have to throw out/donate at least 1 or 2 pans (one is my favorite one and I'm not excited about losing it). I always find it interesting when the climate activists pick causes that people are really passionate about, as it serves to put up walls to action, rather than getting people on board.

tomatocracy 3y ago
It's also remarkable that none of these pieces (and this is no exception) ever seem to talk about proper air extraction. You would have thought that would be the first thing anyone researching this topic seriously and objectively would look at. The relative damage done by pollutants emitted by cooking oil and food on a stove (regardless of type) is also rather larger and better documented (though still not huge in the grand scale of things), which gives another reason to talk about extraction.
- DerekL 3y ago
  The article does in fact mention that inadequate ventilation is part of the problem.
  - tomatocracy 3y ago
    But only very briefly as a caveat on the description of harms (because those aren't otherwise substantiated where there is adequate ventilation).
marssaxman 3y ago
I have been an environmental activist at various times, and I love my gas stove; I have no interest in replacing it. Cooking with gas falls so far down the list of climate-change problems we have to deal with that I can't bother to care about it. Campaigning against gas stoves seems wholly counterproductive: it drives home the message that progress on climate change involves a reduced quality of life, without offering any significant progress toward decarbonization.
- ender341341 3y ago
  It's not just global environmental that's effected, at least in america *LOTS* of homes have really crappy ventilation, and even when they have proper ventilation way to many people don't actually use it (either cause they're noisy or the person's just forgetful), so you end up breathing it in in a lot higher concentration than people expect cause the tests around them being safe are all done with proper ventilation.
7speter 3y ago
I think the people who push these articles don’t know how to cook or use a stove, and always buy their food from the likes of grubhub anyways. One of the top voted comments in this thread is someone who claimed to have turned on the element under their pot and waited to pour water in. Who does that, and that can cause serious injuries.
- asquabventured 3y ago
  Exactly. If you actually cook whole meals from scratch you generally will know induction is a much worse experience. If you have no idea how to create a meal without calling it in or hiring a private chef but enjoy a spotless kitchen you don't ever use besides water vapor flashpoint experiments I imagine it would be easy to think induction is a great replacement for gas though.

idiotsecant 3y ago

Or....induction stoves work better, produce fewer hazardous byproducts from cooking, and are way easier to clean. There's basically no reason to plumb a utility line transporting flammable gas into your kitchen if you can do it cheaper, easier, and safer with newer technology.