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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 someone who has lived in California for nearly my entire adult
life, I care very much about the health and well-being of people
living in California, and I think zero-GHG emission space and water
heaters will go a long way towards ensuring that.

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.

There are also 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,
Erik Santoro
Stanford PhD Student

Original File Name:

Date and Time Comment Was Submitted: 2022-02-23 18:18:57