美国国家公共电台 NPR--The facts and strategy behind the outrage over rumors of a ban on gas stoves

The facts and strategy behind the outrage¹ over rumors³ of a ban on gas stoves

Transcript⁴

The conservative media was in uproar⁵ last week over speculation⁶ that the federal government planned to ban gas cooking stoves and possibly seize them. It escalated⁷ into something much larger online.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

All right. This rumor² was out there last week. The federal government planned to ban gas cooking stoves and possibly even seize them. Not true. But it all started when a government official said in an interview that gas stoves could face more regulation on health grounds. That provoked a cycle of outrage, mostly from the right. Here's Sean Hannity on Fox News.

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SEAN HANNITY: But now, not only is Biden coming for your paycheck, but he's also coming for your stove. You heard me right. The White House is now attempting to ban all gas ovens and burners.

MART?NEZ: With us to explain both the facts and strategy behind the outrage are NPR's Jeff Brady from the climate desk and Lisa Hagen, who reports on how conspiracy⁸ theories work. Jeff, Lisa, welcome.

JEFF BRADY, BYLINE⁹: Thanks.

LISA HAGEN, BYLINE: Hi.

MART?NEZ: All right, Jeff, let's start with you. And let's get some facts straight, too. What do we know about the risks gas stoves pose to both the environment and public health?

BRADY: Well, the risk for the environment, it's more about what gas stoves have come to represent. And that's the practice of burning natural gas in homes. Scientists who model what needs to change to reach U.S. climate goals generally agree that homes, like cars, will need to switch to electricity generated from cleaner fuels like nuclear, wind and solar. Now, on the health front, there's a growing body of evidence that children and those with breathing problems, such as asthma¹⁰, can experience short and maybe even long-term health effects. The American Public Health Association just issued a statement calling gas cooking stoves a public health concern. The group called on federal agencies to recognize that and do more to educate people, plus conduct more research on health effects.

MART?NEZ: Lisa, so if the scientific research suggests there are health risks for people, I mean, how is the pro-gas stove argument being framed?

HAGEN: Well, a lot of the most successful political messaging on the right is not about facts. Most of the punchiest TV segments or tweets we heard about last week came after federal officials had already clarified that there is no ban in the works. So it's better to think of moments like this as a well-established reflex that reinforces a larger worldview. The specifics of gas stoves is incidental. The word that resonates is ban. Banning things is about top-down control. It fits nicely into readymade stories about government control or tyranny. The feds are going to come to your house and take something. And so another worldview gas stoves fit very well is the supposed absurdity¹¹ of the left. Here's an example from TikTok.

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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: So from today forward, I just want it to be known that my gas stove now identifies as electric.

HAGEN: So to most people, stoves are a pretty random¹² household object to suddenly be making news. So there's an opening to mock the left, which is something you see leveraged¹³ constantly against shifting ideas about gender¹⁴ or systemic racism¹⁵. This is riffing. It doesn't really require evidence, just repetition of existing tropes, which researchers say is really crucial to forming belief.

MART?NEZ: And this story went from an interview in Bloomberg News to TikTok in just - what? - like, a few days, right? So how do these themes go viral so fast?

HAGEN: Money and the desire for exposure. That drives a lot of the speed of this reactive messaging. That TikTok example has almost 2 million views. And her other content is a fraction of that. So views and likes can seem like really juvenile¹⁶ motivations. But there are figures on the right who've used exactly those things to become prominent hyper-partisan influencers. And in the meantime, if you've got books or T-shirts or something to sell, a conspiracy to promote, quick hit outrage cycles are prime opportunities. That goes double for politicians. Not only does a witty¹⁷, well-timed meme bring approval and keep you seeming relevant, these are excellent opportunities to fundraise, which we saw plenty of last week. Want to keep your gas stove? Donate now.

MART?NEZ: Jeff, the policy debate over gas stoves has been cooking for a lot longer than last week. So how far back have we seen this issue? And what does it look like in the past?

BRADY: You know, for decades, the natural gas industry, utilities and stove manufacturers, they've dealt with this indoor air quality issue. The industry has long known things like you should turn your vent¹⁸ hood¹⁹ on every time you turn on the gas stove, even if you're just boiling water. The industry doesn't talk about that a lot. Much more prominent is their cooking with gas campaign from utilities. And they've long hired spokespeople, like chefs, to convey a message that being a good cook means cooking with gas.

MART?NEZ: Well, Lisa, I mean, does this kind of lobbying campaign actually work? And are there any similar examples playing out in right-wing media?

HAGEN: Yeah. So in comparison to a consumer safety official talking about bans, absolutely. Jeff's bit about the chefs is a really good example of why right-wing messaging is so successful. That campaign is about something personal. It's an argument about cooking at home, which is much more relatable and tangible²⁰ then complex issues like climate change or public health and how gas stoves contribute over time to these things. Those causes are about collective action and the harms that impact everybody, which is, you know, other people - far more abstract, psychologically speaking, than talking about my family, my cooking.

Similarly, whether these things are true or not, narratives²¹ about standing²² up against a government coming to take your things, or another outgroup like the left, those give people a feeling of individual significance that they might not otherwise feel. And psychologists will tell you that's a concept political messaging on the right has done much better with in recent years than scientists or regulators.

MART?NEZ: So Jeff, gas stoves seem to be having a bit of a moment right now. Is the government actually going to do something this time?

BRADY: You know, this moment does seem different. And it's coming at a key time because the Consumer Product Safety Commission is researching this now. It's opening an information gathering²³ process in March. And you have one of the commissioners²⁴, Richard Trumka, who this all started with, saying that they should leave open the remote possibility of banning the sale of new gas stoves entirely²⁵. There's been a lot of misinformation about what Trumka said there. But I think that statement is an indication of how seriously the commission takes this issue now. Plus, there are quite a few climate and environmental groups that are keeping this issue on the front burner (laughter).

MART?NEZ: Look, Jeff and Lisa, I don't know what's going to happen with gas stoves. As long as when I'm on the basketball court hitting shot after shot after shot, like the Steph Curry²⁶ of public radio that I am - as long as I can say that I'm cooking with gas, I'll be fine.

BRADY: All right (laughter).

MART?NEZ: All right. NPR's Jeff Brady and Lisa Hagen, thanks to you both.

BRADY: Thank you.

HAGEN: Thanks.

(SOUNDBITE OF THE FEARLESS FLYERS AND VULF'S "ACE OF ACES")

1 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

2 rumor   

n.谣言，谣传，传说

参考例句：

• The rumor has been traced back to a bad man.那谣言经追查是个坏人造的。
• The rumor has taken air.谣言流传开了。

3 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

5 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

6 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

7 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

8 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

9 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

10 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

11 absurdity   

n.荒谬，愚蠢；谬论

参考例句：

• The proposal borders upon the absurdity.这提议近乎荒谬。
• The absurdity of the situation made everyone laugh.情况的荒谬可笑使每个人都笑了。

12 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

13 leveraged   

促使…改变( leverage的过去式和过去分词 )； [美国英语]杠杆式投机，（使）举债经营，（使）利用贷款进行投机

参考例句：

• Chrysler has traditionally been a highly leveraged company. 克莱斯勒一向是一家周转十分灵活的公司。
• Leveraged recaps have become popular for a number of reasons. 杠杆资本重组的大行其道有好几个原因。

14 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

15 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

16 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

17 witty   

adj.机智的，风趣的

参考例句：

• Her witty remarks added a little salt to the conversation.她的妙语使谈话增添了一些风趣。
• He scored a bull's-eye in their argument with that witty retort.在他们的辩论中他那一句机智的反驳击中了要害。

18 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

19 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

20 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

21 narratives   

记叙文( narrative的名词复数 )； 故事； 叙述； 叙述部分

参考例句：

• Marriage, which has been the bourne of so many narratives, is still a great beginning. 结婚一向是许多小说的终点，然而也是一个伟大的开始。
• This is one of the narratives that children are fond of. 这是孩子们喜欢的故事之一。

22 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

23 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

24 commissioners   

n.专员( commissioner的名词复数 )；长官；委员；政府部门的长官

参考例句：

• The Commissioners of Inland Revenue control British national taxes. 国家税收委员管理英国全国的税收。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The SEC has five commissioners who are appointed by the president. 证券交易委员会有５名委员，是由总统任命的。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

25 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

26 curry   

n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革

参考例句：

• Rice makes an excellent complement to a curry dish.有咖喱的菜配米饭最棒。
• Add a teaspoonful of curry powder.加一茶匙咖喱粉。