A new Colorado law to put a cigarette-style warning label on gas stoves is getting pushback.
This is the first such mandate in the country, according to CPR News, although several states have already tried to pass or are in the process of passing similar legislation. The law requires labels that warn potential buyers about the air-quality implications of having an indoor gas stove. The labels also direct consumers to a webpage for more information.
Meanwhile, the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers filed a federal lawsuit in early August shortly after the law went into effect. According to CPR, the group claims the new labeling requirement violates the First Amendment by forcing manufacturers and retailers to direct consumers to what it calls "misleading" information about health risks linked to gas stoves.
Gas stoves emit indoor air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide, benzene, and methane. In fact, one reporter recently took readings for these gases with the help of two scientists, comparing her gas burner to a plug-in induction burner. They found that these gases rose significantly when using the gas burner, spreading to different areas in the house. The induction burner, an electric option, had no effect on air quality.
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According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, health impacts from indoor air pollution associated with gas stoves can include headaches, nausea, eye, nose, or throat irritation, respiratory symptoms, and worsening asthma symptoms.
"Breathing high levels of indoor air pollution associated with gas stoves and other sources, breathing it more frequently, or over long periods of time, can increase the risk of developing chronic heart and lung diseases, asthma, impacts to the immune system, and some cancers, such as leukemia, or cancers of the nose and throat," the department adds.
The burning of dirty fuels like gas, oil, and coal also accounts for more than three-quarters of heating pollution, according to the United Nations
Induction stoves are one option that can help consumers avoid these health and planetary costs, and they even cook food faster, saving you time in the kitchen. You can take advantage of an $840 discount on induction ranges through 2025.
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If you rent or can't afford a major kitchen renovation, plug-in induction burners start at around $50. You'll get all the benefits of induction cooking at a fraction of the cost.
As for Colorado's new labels, state Sen. Cathy Kipp, who cosponsored the legislation, told Canary Media, "It's fair to warn people, especially if they have health impacts from [poor] air quality, to know what they're buying in advance."
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Yes — often 😬 Meanwhile, Abe Scarr, the energy and utilities director with the U.S. Public Interest Resource Group, told Fast Company: "This is not to tell people, 'Don't buy a gas stove.' It's to say, if you're going to use and operate a gas stove in your home, you should take precautions, like using proper external ventilation."
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