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New York State Governor Kathy Hochul is being called a hypocrite after being photographed grilling on gas grills despite saying she wants such equipment banned in a matter of years.
State officials have portrayed Hochul’s proposal as a way to combat climate change, but critics believe his words are full of fluff.
If the new law passes, New Yorkers will only see electric stoves in new developments by 2028, but smaller buildings will no longer be able to have gas hookups starting in 2025.
Despite her good intentions, Hochul doesn’t appear to be practicing what she preaches and has been photographed wearing one herself, including at the Governor’s mansion in Albany and her home in Buffalo, New York.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s proposal to ban gas stoves in new homes by 2025 is facing backlash from critics who accuse it of being hypocritical. She is pictured using a gas grill.
Hochul has been photographed on her own social media using fossil fuel gas stoves at the Executive Mansion in Albany and at her private residence in Buffalo.
Hochul suggested the controversial move during his State of the State address earlier this month while outlining his plan to “Achieve the New York Dream.”
Existing buildings would not be affected and therefore residents would not be forced to change their stoves.
Assembly Minority Leader William Barclay stated, “The governor’s pressure to ban gas stoves appears to be as hypocritical as it is ridiculous.”
“One has to wonder how many times he has fired up his own gas stove since he declared them unsafe for the environment in his state of the state address,” he added.
Hochul has argued that the state should push for electrification mandates for new buildings in order to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 85 percent compared to 1990 levels, as required by a 2019 state law.
Hochul has been photographed using gas appliances, including at the Governor’s Mansion in Albany and his home in Buffalo, New York.
In response to the obvious shock, Hochul’s spokeswoman, Hazel Crampton-Hays, stated: ‘Nobody is going to take gas stoves away from anybody. The Governor’s proposal would not apply to existing gas stoves in homes and businesses,’ she stated.
“We are focused on continuing to advance the boldest climate policies in the nation to protect the health and safety of our children and the planet, while lowering energy bills and prioritizing energy affordability and reliability.”
Republican Rep. Nick Langworthy also questioned Hochul’s double standards.
‘Is it a surprise that Queen Kathy cooks on her gas stove when she flies on private planes? New Yorkers are so fed up with the hypocritical fake weather warriors and their ‘you not me rules’. Our state is in economic and criminal freefall and is waging a war on appliances.
Governor Kathy Hochul plans to stop the use of gas stoves in new developments. Hochul, 64, said that the stoves contribute to a third of the production of greenhouse gases.
“Flying in private jets and driving gas guzzling SUVs are common images, as they create fear and scare our children about climate change,” said state Senator George Borello. the new york post office.
“If eliminating appliances and natural gas heating is not a priority for the political elite, why should it be for middle-class families in New York?” he asked.
‘The governor, and anyone else in government who supports a ban on fossil fuel-powered equipment, should lead by example. I’d like to see them remove their gas stoves and heating systems,’ suggested Republican Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo.
Those in the restaurant industry are uncomfortable with such restrictions, and many suggest that cooking with gas has definite advantages over gas, both in terms of taste and reliability.
“The recent storms in Western New York are a perfect example, as many people affected by widespread power outages were able to enjoy hot meals thanks to gas stoves in homes and restaurants,” said Melissa Fleischut, President and CEO executive of the New York State Restaurant Association. .
Hochul is expected to unveil his proposed state budget in late January.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted earlier this month that President Joe Biden would not come after the gas stoves of Americans.
Meanwhile, as the contentious debate over gas stoves intensifies, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre insisted Wednesday that President Joe Biden would not come after Americans’ gas stoves. .
“The president does not support a ban on gas stoves and the independent Consumer Product Safety Commission is not banning gas stoves,” he said.
Jean-Pierre’s comment was in response to Biden-appointed consumer product safety commissioner Richard Trumka Jr., who called stoves a “hazard” to children following the release of a study by the commission.
The new Children’s Health Study found that about one in eight cases of childhood asthma in the US are the result of air pollution from gas stoves.
That puts emissions from cooking gas at the same risk level for asthma as breathing in secondhand smoke.
Asthma affects an estimated six million American children each year, and nearly 13 percent of them contract it by breathing in the myriad toxins that a gas stove expels every day.
Hochul’s proposal aims to implement plans to reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions by 85% compared to 1990 levels, as required by a 2019 state law.
About 100 cities and counties have adopted policies that require or encourage the removal of buildings that run on fossil fuels. In California, the sale of natural gas furnaces and water heaters will be prohibited by 2030.
Natural gas distributors and appliance manufacturers argued that a ban on natural gas stoves would increase costs for homeowners and restaurants with little environmental gain.
The Appliance Manufacturers Association, a trade group representing appliance makers, noted that gas stoves are often cheaper to run than electric ones, arguing that ‘increased use of ventilation’ is a better solution than a prohibition.
“A ban on gas cooking appliances would eliminate an affordable and preferred technology used in more than 40 per cent of homes across the country,” AHAM spokeswoman Jill Notini told DailyMail.com in a statement on Tuesday. .
“A ban would not address the general concern about indoor air quality when cooking, because all forms of cooking, regardless of heat source, create air pollutants, especially at high temperatures,” he said.
Notini added that “focusing on increased use of ventilation is an effective solution to improve indoor air quality while cooking.”
The American Gas Association added that regulatory agencies have not produced documented evidence linking respiratory problems to gas stoves.
“The US Consumer Product Safety Commission and the EPA do not present gas ranges as a significant contributor to adverse air quality or health hazard in their public information or technical literature, guidance, or requirements,” Karen Harbert, president of the group, told Bloomberg.
‘The most practical and realistic way to achieve a sustainable future in which energy is clean, as well as safe, reliable and affordable, is to ensure that it includes natural gas and the infrastructure that transports it.’