Today, many of the world’s most acclaimed chefs, biggest property companies and health authorities all agree–the future of cooking is electric. Here’s why.
Our built environment is responsible for 20% of all carbon emissions. And while the industry is rapidly decarbonising, gas cooking is holding it back from achieving its climate targets, by keeping gas connections in our homes, restaurants and offices. Meanwhile, scientists around the world are sounding the alarm about the grievous health harms caused from cooking on gas. It’s time to go electric.
The science is clear–gas cooking harms our health. Gas contains highly toxic chemicals like benzene and nitrogen dioxide, and these leak into the air, even when the stove is off. Research shows that children living in a home with a gas stove have a 42% increased risk of having current asthma and a 24% greater chance of being diagnosed with asthma at some point in life. Recent studies from UCLA show that households using gas cooking can have higher levels of air pollution inside than is legal to have outdoors.
The gas we use for cooking is a fossil fuel–primarily methane–which has disastrous effects on our global climate. According to Harvard University, “methane has more than 80 times the warming power of CO2 in its first 20 years in the atmosphere, setting the pace for near term warming.” Ongoing demand for gas cooktops continues to drive new gas connections. Phasing out fossil gas in our kitchens is an important step toward healthier homes and a cleaner, safer future for everyone.
Unlike traditional electric cooktops, induction cooktops use magnetic fields to heat food precisely and efficiently. That’s why many of the world’s top chefs prefer cooking on induction, and believe it’s the future of cooking. As technology advances, induction is becoming more accessible and affordable. With the development of high-powered electric woks, many Asian countries are adopting induction at a rapid pace.
Globally, more than 2.5 billion people still rely on dangerous solid fuels like biomass and coal as their primary cooking fuel. As a result, 3.2 million people a year die prematurely because of indoor air pollution, according to the World Health Organization. As renewables provide cheaper and more accessible electricity, electric cooking has become a viable option for safe cooking for the global majority. In places like the US, electric cooking also lowers bills, and prevents economic impacts from increasingly unstable gas prices.
