Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer sparked controversy last month when she shared a video of herself baking in her kitchen, showcasing a modern gas stove.
In a recent development, Whitmer has taken a decisive step by signing a bill that requires a shift towards 100% “sustainable” energy by 2040. This move, if implemented, would result in the prohibition of household equipment such as gas stoves.
“Not only a gas stove, but a 20K dollar commercial gas stove. It’s good to be the queen no?” an X user commented on Whitmer’s video.
“Yeah, that person in front of the $10k+ gas stove, signed a bill removing your gas stove… think she is going to step up and remove hers first? Or at all? This is an evil person,” another netizen wrote.
Whitmer’s video was released several weeks after Kamala Harris sent a Thanksgiving message that featured a photograph of her and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, standing over their gas stove.
Harris played a significant role in advancing the Biden administration’s efforts to combat the use of natural gas earlier this year. In January, Richard Trumka Jr., a US Consumer Product Safety Commissioner, confidently advocated a ban on gas stoves, asserting that they contribute to indoor pollution, which has been related to kid asthma. The study referenced by Trumka Jr. and the mainstream media did not demonstrate any such association.
In May, New York achieved the milestone of being the first state to prohibit the use of natural gas stoves and furnaces in the majority of new buildings. The regulations mandate that all new residential buildings must refrain from using equipment that rely on fossil fuels, such as propane heating. Instead, these structures will be required to exclusively utilize all-electric appliances, starting in 2025. Hospitals, laundromats, and restaurants will not be subject to the exception.
Palo Alto, a prosperous city in California that acts as the economic center for Silicon Valley and is also the location of Stanford University, has recently implemented a ban on natural gas connections in new buildings as part of its efforts to combat climate change. New buildings should be fully electrified and equipped only with electric equipment.
But not everyone must adhere to the new legislation.
The City of Palo Alto granted an exception in May to José Andrés, a renowned chef and globally recognized restaurateur.
In addition to receiving the James Beard award, Andrés was honored with the National Humanities Medal in 2016 by President Barack Obama. President Obama praised Andrés as “the quintessential American success story.” Additionally, Andrés made an appearance as a guest star on Michelle Obama’s children’s food show on Netflix. In 2015, the chef decisively abandoned the idea of opening a restaurant in a Washington, DC hotel that was under the ownership of then-presidential contender Donald Trump.
Andrés, in addition to his culinary profession, is known for his strong commitment to addressing climate change. In 2021, he initiated a $1 billion fund with the purpose of combating climate hazards. He became a member of the Climate Migration Council last year, together with well-known political personalities.
“Climate change is real! Food sources will drastically disappear! We are taking food for granted,a big famine is coming! Unless we take Food seriously and we make drastic changes in the way humanity moves forward,mass migrations about to increase,Food is a National Security Issue,” Andrés tweeted in 2022.
However, the chef adopted a different approach when the “battle against climate change” posed a potential threat to his recently opened Mediterranean cuisine restaurant, Zaytinya.
Andrés’ legal team challenged the prohibition on natural gas, arguing that the new restaurant depends on “traditional cooking methods that require gas appliances to achieve its signature, complex flavors.” If compelled to comply with the gas prohibition, as the rest of the city’s inhabitants are, the restaurant would be obliged to modify its renowned five-star menu, said his legal representatives.
The city granted Andrés an exemption from the climate rule, although other buildings in the same development still must comply with the gas restriction.
“Except for this one-off situation, Palo Alto’s all-electric requirement is being implemented for all new projects and substantial remodels. Building electrification is critical to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. Electric appliances and building systems provide clean and healthy environments in homes and businesses and in many respects, the new technologies perform better than the gas-emitting appliances they are replacing,” said the city in a statement.
