The gas stove debate is heating up

Plus, here’s what ChatGPT has to say on whether it should be banned in schools  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

First Up   By Ashley Okwuosa   Good morning, and Happy Lunar New Year! If you’re curious about what the Year of the Rabbit has in store for you, Toronto geomancer Paul Ng shares his predictions. Here’s the latest.       MUST READS Scott Olson/Getty Images   COOKING WITH GAS The burning truth behind gas stoves and how it fanned the flames of a culture war Last week, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission official said the agency was considering banning new gas stoves amid research linking them to childhood asthma. In protest, a U.S. congressman tweeted a video of his blue flamed burners with the caption: “You’ll have to pry it from my COLD DEAD HANDS!” Antics aside, what does science say? One physician notes that cooking with gas can be safe if consumers take certain precautions. What about its effects on the climate? Despite relatively minor emissions, climate campaigners say gas stoves require a gas line that enables all the other, far higher emitting appliances. Marco Chown Oved breaks down the possible health effects, the climate change connection, and why a three-Star Michelin chef abandoned a gas stove for an induction.   Ramon Ferreira/Toronto Star photo illustration   Education Here’s why schools need to figure out this AI technology fast When prompted, the artificial intelligence software ChatGPT can quickly spew out a B-level essay, which has lead to breathless declarations of what the tool means for education: An end to writing! A rise in cheating! A threat to learning! One professor believes AI will become a “co-pilot” or a collaborator, not a replacement for human thought and achievement, while a student says it makes him “very concerned for the integrity of academics.” Janet Hurley reports on how educators are scrambling to decide whether to ban or embrace the tool. Plus, we asked ChatGPT where it stands on the issue, and here’s what it had to say.   Paige Taylor White/Toronto Star   Star investigation Former Toronto theatre technician charged in sexual assault As the backstage manager at Theatre Passe Muraille (TPM), Christopher Ross was well-liked, well-connected, and well-positioned in Toronto’s performing arts scene. It all came crashing down when he was arrested in August 2021 and charged with three counts of sexual assault. A Star investigation also found that four other individuals wrote a letter to TPM in December 2020 alleging “sexual assault and/or abusive, inappropriate and predatory behaviour.” A separate woman said Ross harassed her and engaged in predatory behaviour. Ross will go to trial in August 2023. Joshua Chong explores the allegations and speaks with some of the women who say alleged incidents go as far back as a decade.   Erin Hooley/The Associated Press   Food Trouble at the henhouse: Why the California egg shortage spells trouble for Canadian grocery prices Canada has been largely insulated from The Great Egg Shortage of 2022-2023, which has gripped the U.K. and U.S., leaving shelves bare and prices sky-high. But the underlying drivers of this strange crisis may cause trouble ahead at the grocery store, writes Kate Allen. An unprecedented outbreak of avian influenza has killed more than seven million birds at egg farms, poultry farms, and backyard flocks in Canada and almost 58 million in the U.S. Scientists say climate change is exacerbating the issue, with global warming scrambling the migration patterns of wild birds like ducks and geese. Here’s why one expert says the price fluctuations we’ve seen at the grocery store over the last year are likely to become the “new normal.”   Realtor.ca   Real Estate This Toronto condo is listed for nearly $1 million. Is the price right in today’s market? A two-bedroom-plus-den, two-bathroom unit in Humewood-Cedarvale spans approximately 900 square feet, and is going for $979,900. It’s been on the multiple listing service for about three months. As rising interest rates have led to fewer home sales and dwindling prices, we wonder, is it worth the cost in today’s market? First Up’s Manuela Vega speaks with realtor Othneil Litchmore about the factors at play in selling this pre-construction unit.       UP CLOSE Giovanni Capriotti Anchal Dahiya founded BRDRLESS Dance Studio in 2021 to make multicultural dance accessible to the masses, reports Roveena Jassal. The studio recently hosted an event where seven teams faced off in a program that mixed traditional South Asian folk dancing with contemporary hip-hop and even classic childhood songs. Here's how the studio celebrates the power and beauty of South Asian dance and why it matters.       READ THIS Mansfield Press/Book*hug Press Looking for Canadian writers to add to your reading list this year? Barb Carey shares four new books of Canadian poetry for your reading pleasure. The collections explore the life of a paramedic, the history of Black Canadians in Nova Scotia, and a debut collection reflecting on Métis traditions. Here’s the book roundup.      Thanks for reading. You can reach the First Up team at firstup@thestar.ca, and Manuela will see you back here Monday.   Get digital access and ePaper $0.35/day: Save 54% on an annual subscription Get This Offer   If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. 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