How gas stoves became part of America’s culture wars

A FIERY DEBATE has ignited in America—over the use of gas for cooking. On January 9th Richard Trumka junior, a commissioner at the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), a federal agency, told Bloomberg that the organisation was considering a ban on gas hobs, describing them as a “hidden hazard”. That sparked outrage among many conservatives, many of whom blamed President Joe Biden. “If the maniacs in the White House come for my stove, they can pry it from my cold dead hands. COME AND TAKE IT!!” tweeted Ronny Jackson, a Republican congressman from Texas. Andrew Gruel, a television chef, taped himself to a stove in protest. Even some Democrats were riled. Joe Manchin, a senator from West Virginia, called a ban a “recipe for disaster”. Why have gas stoves become part of America’s culture wars—and could they actually be banned?