Time to ban use of natural gas in new buildings

Seeing gas lines being installed for a new subdivision near us jolted me: the world has only 10 years to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 45 per cent to stay below the 1.5 degrees of warming that will lead to catastrophic effects.

However, houses being built today — that will last for 50 years or more — are still being supplied with natural gas for heating and cooking.

Does the Netherlands know something that we don’t?

In July 2019, they passed a law forbidding the installation of gas lines in any new buildings, even though this means they will leave some $80 billion worth of gas in their Groningen gas field. This month, San Francisco joined dozens of other cities banning gas in new houses.

However, such a ban need not mean an increase in heating expense. The Passive House construction standard costs only about 10 per cent more than building to code, with the extra mortgage cost being covered by energy savings.

There are also strong health reasons for a ban on natural gas in new buildings.

Among several similar studies, a Rocky Mountain Institute report released earlier this year states “children are more vulnerable to air pollution due to several factors including their developing lungs and smaller body size. Children in a home with a gas stove have a 24 to 42 per cent increased risk of having asthma.”

It’s hard to change old habits, but it’s time to wake up to the realities of the world we’re now living in.

Alan Slavin, Wallace Point Road