The fight over gas stoves

Gas stoves are a problem for health and the climate, but some people don’t want to hear it.

The American gas stovetop is increasingly a battleground in a war over the fate of the 70 million buildings powered by natural gas.

On one side of the stove wars is the natural gas utility industry, which has tried to thwart cities considering phasing out gas in buildings. On the other side are climate and public health advocates who point to years of mounting scientific evidence on what combusting methane in a kitchen does to one’s health.

Blue states, like New York, are now taking the first steps that would end the use of gas in new buildings. But will other states follow?

Vox’s Rebecca Leber has been writing about gas stoves and their health and climate effects since 2020. Read more of her recent coverage of myths about the appliance and the history of the gas stove wars — and why some chefs are ready for induction cooking.