Fossil Free Eugene Coalition Calls Out Gas Stove Misinformation in Letter to Eugene City Council

On Friday, February 3, 2023, 16 member organizations of the Fossil Free Eugene Coalition – including Breach Collective – wrote to Eugene City Council in order to bring attention to misinformation spread by NW Natural and the wider gas industry regarding the scientific evidence of health impacts from gas stoves.

Read the coalition letter here.

The letter comes on the heels of a recent New York Times article, which reported on NW Natural’s use of a paid consultant from Gradient Corp to cast doubt on the connection between exposure to gas stove emissions and asthma risk. Gradient Corp has become the go-to consulting firm for major polluters from the fossil fuel, tobacco, and other industries that are seeking to undermine the science supporting health and environmental regulations.

While the revelations in the article are concerning, they are not news to us here in Eugene. NW Natural has been casting doubt on the scientific evidence around gas stove impacts for some time. In response, the coalition letter identifies and debunks four major talking-points employed by NW Natural and the wider gas industry. The letter concludes by calling on Eugene City Council to pass its proposed ordinance requiring all-electric construction of new low-rise residential buildings.