Students and residents urge Palo Alto to expand electrification messaging and gas‑safety information
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Summary
Student and community speakers during public comment on Jan. 12 urged the city to promote household electrification, improve gas‑safety pamphlets to include health risks of gas stoves and consider loaner induction cooktops, citing recent Stanford research on benzene and methane emissions.
PALO ALTO — Dozens of public commenters addressed the Palo Alto City Council on Jan. 12. Several student speakers urged stronger municipal action to promote household electrification and to update the city’s gas‑safety materials to reflect health risks from natural gas stoves.
Sarah, an eighth grader at Ellen Fletcher Middle School, told the council she had discussed induction cooking with her family and cited a Stanford study measuring benzene emissions from gas stoves. "Using a natural gas burner is the same, if not more harmful, than breathing in secondhand smoke," she said during public comment, and asked the city to expand its public information.
Zara Harwell, a junior at Palo Alto High School, asked the city to add more health information to the gas‑safety pamphlet and to highlight age‑specific vulnerabilities: "Little children are way more susceptible to these gases as well as senior citizens," she said, noting she lives with an 85‑year‑old family member.
Other speakers tied the issue to broader climate and public‑health priorities and asked council to consider referrals to staff and pilot programs to help residents electrify stoves, including loaner induction units and outreach through nonprofit partners.
The mayor thanked student speakers and suggested the Youth Climate Advisory Board as an avenue for ongoing input. Council member Burt said the Sustainability and Climate Action Committee has emphasized health framing for electrification outreach and expressed support for more health‑focused messaging.
What’s next: The council did not take formal action on the spot (public‑comment items are non‑agenda matters), but staff and council members suggested referral options including youth advisory input, existing sustainability committees and possible staff‑level follow‑up.