Methane leaks of a small size can cause serious problems.
When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, vehicles and machinery that use internal-combustion engines are often the focus of attention. The common household stove is often overlooked, but a new study shows that there are interesting similarities between the two worlds. These figures might be surprising to you.
We haven’t changed the URL of our website to stove1.com. However, when something emits greenhouse gases equivalent to 500,000 cars, we pay attention. According to a report by the Associated Press, this is what California researchers said in a recent study. This report focuses on methane from gas stoves. These gas stoves can emit gasses into the atmosphere when they are used, but also occasionally leak small amounts of gasses even when they are turned off. This is the most worrying part of the story, as such leaks are not included in official government estimates for total stove emissions.
What is the total amount of gas being discussed? According to the study, 2.6 million tons methane in carbon-equivalent units leaks from stoves every year. Researchers claim that this is the same amount as you would find in 500,000 cars over the same period. This figure is not counting the 6.8 million tons of CO2 stoves release when they are in use as well as the estimated 100,000,000 tons of greenhouse gasses that result from the extraction and use of natural gas.
After examining 53 California kitchens with gas stoves, the authors came up with this conclusion. The stoves were turned off accounted for 75 percent of total methane emission. Gas stoves are not only a source of additional greenhouse gases in the atmosphere but also pose serious health and safety risks to the home.