Dear John,

Last Spring, public health advocates, affordable housing champions, environmental justice leaders, business representatives, and over 5,000 grassroots activists (like you!) joined together to help Washington State pass the most climate friendly commercial energy codes in the country!

Thanks to this powerful coalition, the State Building Code Council (SBCC) voted overwhelmingly to require efficient electric heat pumps for most space and water heating in new commercial and 4+ story multifamily buildings. This is great news for the climate, since WA has some of the cleanest electricity in the country.

Now our state is on the verge of another huge climate win for residential buildings, and we need your help to get across the finish line.

The SBCC is now considering similar changes to the residential energy code. Recent studies have found that homes with gas stoves have 50-400 percent higher nitrogen dioxide levels in their indoor air, compared to homes with electric and induction stoves. According to the American Lung Association, nitrogen dioxide can cause reduced lung function, a greater likelihood of emergency department and hospital admissions, and is likely to be a cause of asthma in children.

We also know that burning fossil fuels like “natural” gas in our homes is responsible for about six million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year in Washington alone. Building new homes with fossil fuel appliances will only increase these emissions at a time when we desperately need to be cutting our climate pollution. Passage of the proposed updates will be a major win for the climate and for public health - but the job isn’t done yet.

Please join me in making your voice heard today by adding your name as a signatory to our letter urging the SBCC to take action for clean and healthy buildings.

Thank you for everything you do.

Caitlin Krenn (she/her)
Climate & Clean Energy Campaign Manager