The editorial “Chicago should cool down on banning natural gas in new buildings and let this be debated statewide” (Jan. 28) includes erroneous assumptions about natural (methane) gas that the Tribune Editorial Board should revisit. We are in the midst of a climate emergency, so bold action like this ban is a significant step forward.
The editorial board is afraid that a methane gas ban would make buildings less affordable. We don’t understand the board’s position because as a power source, methane gas is far more expensive than electricity to heat our homes and businesses. A 2022 Natural Resources Defense Council study found that Chicagoans could save roughly $11,000 to $24,000 over 20 years by ditching expensive methane gas and fully electrifying their homes.
The editorial board also questions whether “a gas ban in new buildings even would do much at this stage of the decarbonization campaign to cut carbon emissions.” In reality, a methane gas ban would significantly reduce Chicago’s greenhouse gas emissions. According to the “City of Chicago Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report” issued in 2019, residential buildings — single-family homes and apartment buildings — contributed 27% of Chicago’s greenhouse gas emissions while commercial and institutional buildings and facilities contributed another 25%. The above-mentioned 2022 NRDC study concluded that these greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced by more than half just by replacing all methane gas furnaces with electric heat pumps in these buildings.
The editorial board contends that electrification of Chicago homes will increase the demand for electricity from the power grid and that it will require more methane gas to supply electricity, so the board suggests that this would be a wash. This is a grossly false argument because even if the grid is 100% powered by methane gas, using electric heat pumps instead of gas furnaces in homes would still save greenhouse gas emissions. Of course, the grid will never be 100% fossil fuel-powered and the proportion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, along with non-carbon-emitting nuclear, is more likely to increase, so this assumption is highly misleading.
The Tribune Editorial Board urges Mayor Brandon Johnson and the City Council to put the subject on ice and wait for statewide action. We disagree. A ban on methane gas in new construction is needed now. We are grateful that Chicago is taking a leading role in addressing the climate emergency.
— Bruce W. Mainzer, vice chair, Climate Reality Project, Chicago chapter
Publishing Scott Stantis’ cartoon (Jan. 28) suggesting that Mayor Brandon Johnson is coming for our gas stoves is irresponsible, alarmist disinformation. I also disagree with the editorial, but it at least is factual.
The ban on natural gas would be for new buildings only and would make a substantial contribution to reducing Chicago’s carbon footprint. Waiting for the rest of Illinois would be like “waiting for Godot.”
It is the big cities with intensive use of natural gas that must take the lead and have the economic power to stand up to the natural gas lobby, whose interest is certainly not centered on protecting citizens from global warming.
— Joan Safford, Evanston
The Chicago City Council should study and pass the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO) so that Chicago can begin to move toward the important goal of a cleaner and healthier future. Chicago took a major step forward when the City Council and Mayor Brandon Johnson introduced CABO, and there needs to be an open discussion in the council about its benefits. Instead, the proposed ordinance has been sent to languish in the Rules Committee, where bills infamously go to die.
Chicago has the opportunity to be another major city in the nation to take this necessary step toward a cleaner, healthier and more affordable future for its residents. The ordinance would require all new construction to meet indoor emissions standards through the use of electric heating, cooling, water heating, cooking and clothes drying appliances.
Note that the ordinance does not outright ban construction using gas. Rather, it specifies that indoor air quality must meet a standard that natural gas appliances simply cannot achieve, thus making them incompatible with health.
Get the bill out of the Rules Committee so that the process can move forward with the urgency that the issue demands.
— Don Macica and Carolina Cifuentes, Chicago
I appreciate the perspective taken in Sunday’s editorial, along with the accompanying Scott Stantis cartoon, concerning the push to ban gas in new buildings.
I’m a mechanical engineer with 60 years of experience, and I recently listened to a podcast offered by Trane, a leading heating and cooling equipment manufacturer. It reports that heating buildings electrically is effective to outside temperatures of only 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Then supplemental natural gas heat must be used for interior comfort. Chicagoland certainly falls within this category!
The electrical grid must be up to the challenge of more demand, including the reliability of ComEd.
— Fred J. Wittenberg, Evanston
We have been residents in Glenview for many years and have been subscribers to the print and digital editions of the Chicago Tribune for many of those years.
Our newspaper is delivered every day, without fail, to our driveway by Ken Harrison who has been delivering newspapers — the Tribune and The Wall Street Journal — for decades. The newspaper arrives every day before 6 a.m. and often before 5:30 a.m.
Throughout COVID-19, we looked forward to receiving the print Tribune, and we were never disappointed. On the coldest days, the paper was there. Recently, because of the rain, the newspaper was double-wrapped in plastic to keep the paper dry.
Surely, the financial pressure on the publishing of daily newspapers in the U.S. has been severely hampered by the drop in home subscriptions. And that reality is partly due to the unreliability of the delivery of newspapers to homes.
All the more reason we are very grateful to Ken who has been a stalwart member of the Chicago Tribune home delivery system for decades.
Thank you, Ken!
— Al and Theresa Kearney, Glenview
We’re glad to have this opportunity to recognize Ray Wilcox of Orland Hills for delivering our Tribune carefully wrapped and very early for decades. On the rare occasions when the paper isn’t there as usual, our first thought is hoping everything is OK with Mr. Wilcox.
— John and Cindy Beberman, Orland Park
Though we enjoy all the trappings of our modern conveniences, nothing is as satisfying as holding our newspaper in hand and leisurely reading all that’s offered therein, seven days a week at morning breakfast. Yes, we’re retired and have time to read what we want, but as many old folks agree, a newspaper in hand is worth the expense.
Thanks to our delivery person, Ron Medendorp, we’re ensured this small enjoyment in this busy, crazy world.
We appreciate Ron’s effort every single day of the year.
— Vern Scarpelli, Orland Park
Join the conversation in our Letters to the Editor Facebook group.
Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@chicagotribune.com.
login
who are we?
contact us
qosheapp
Toi Staff
Gideon Levy
Belen Fernandez
Rami G Khouri
Mort Laitner
Donald Low
Ali Fathollah-Nejad
Nikkei Editorial
Michael Kwet
visit website
