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Comment 4 for Informal Public Comments on the Draft 2022 State SIP Strategy (draft2022statesip-ws) - 1st Workshop.
First Name: Laura
Last Name: Malchow-Hay
Email Address: lauramalch@aol.com
Affiliation: SF/Bay Area Sierra Club
Subject: Support strong equitable building decarbonization!
Comment:
Dear CA Air Resource Board members, Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the 2022 State Implementation Plan. I am excited to hear about the proposal for zero-GHG emission space and water heaters. As an asthma sufferer, I am concerned about the health risks associated with gas burning appliances. Burning gas in our homes releases dangerous toxins such as nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, and ultrafine particles that impact our hearts and lungs. Health studies from Johns Hopkins and other researchers have found strong links between homes with gas stoves and childhood asthma. By moving to all-electric construction, it will decrease the instances of asthma for children, and Californians will have healthier lives. As you know, there are substantial health benefits to removing natural gas from homes and businesses. Gas stoves fill homes with many of the same pollutants contained in car exhaust, leading to air pollution levels in many homes that would be illegal if measured outside. Children are particularly at risk. Kids living in a home with a gas stove are 42% more likely to have asthma, a dangerous health condition that costs Californians more than $11 billion annually. Gas appliances release harmful pollutants like NOx that endangers human health and the environment. All major gas appliances in our homes have zero-emission counterparts on the market: heat pump water heaters, air source heat pumps, induction cooktops, and electric dryers. Replacing gas furnaces with electric heat pumps also adds air conditioning, since heat pumps can both heat and cool buildings. Upgrading homes with air conditioning (which cools and filters air) helps protect vulnerable populations from extreme heat events and poor air quality during wildfire season. I recognize that this transition will be complicated and ask that we plan for an equitable, affordable transition to zero-GHG emission appliances. Finally, there are important climate benefits to moving away from natural gas. California's homes and buildings are responsible for more than a quarter of the state's greenhouse gas emissions. The latest studies show that building electrification can reduce those emissions up to 90% by 2050. Every time a new home is connected to the gas system, we are expanding the use of gas--a move that is incompatible with limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, according to a landmark study from the United Nations. To avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change, it is necessary to phase out gas in new construction nationwide. Thank you for your leadership. Sincerely, Laura Malchow-Hay
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Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2022-02-23 18:21:01
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