sandypandy

I have read that Christchurch suffers in the winter from smog. Is this still the case? Hubby has Asthma and Mother In Law says he will suffer badly from the smog - she knows because she was brought up in the 50's when London suffered from smog. Can't decide whether she is trying to stop us going or wants to come with us so she can look after her little boy!!:scared: :scared:


Sandra

sully4441

I don't claim to have the definative answer on this, but we have just returned from NZ. Of the month there we spent 4 nights in Christchurch and although you could tell that the wood burners were in full use (it was the coldest winter for 30 years as the newspapers and tv kept telling us) my wife who is a chronic asthmatic suffered no reactions at all. In fact the air was considerable better than the crap we normally breathe over here. It would not be a factor we would even consider. Hope this helps
LMS

gOD

You sure about that? Auckland air is generally worse than London in terms of air pollution.. Don't know if CC is any better in winter!!

Watt Dabney

Hi Sandra,

Just thought you might like to know that my hubby has asthma and before moving here was using his brown inhaler every day. Now he very rarely uses his brown (only when he has a cold). His asthma is considerably better since moving here. You do notice the smoke from the woodburners on a winters night, but really only at night hardly noticable at all during the day. I suppose if you went out jogging on a winters night it would bother you but personaly i'm more likley to be found in front of a woodburner in the evenings!


Paula

sully4441

As I said, didn't claim to be an expert, only spoke as I found. I have to agree with Watt though. Jayne did not use her Flixotide inhaller any more than normal and the Blue, Salbutamol, much less so while we were there. Could have been other factors, but if that was the worst winter for ages and if everyone had the wood burners on full blast, we didn't find it caused a problem. But Asthma can have triggers other than smog and smoke, eg:- dust, pollen, animal mite, etc, etc and different people react to different things.
LMS

Kiwipaul

You've got to be joking, I lived in Auckland for 7 years and I would never consider Auckland air polluted, although I don't suffer from any breathing problems.

southerner

It is true that ChCh has worse smog in the winter than anywhere else in NZ. The Port Hills seem to trap the air and it does not disperse like it should.

Have never lived there so cannot authoratively comment on whether it causes health problems. I thought I had read that the incidence of bronchial problems might be higher there than elsewhere in NZ.

gOD

Well, I could post a link from a NZ website showing info from the NZ authority that did the study, but no one would believe it anyway

sandypandy

Dear gOD
If I promise to read it, take notes and be a good girl, could you post the link. Thank you

Amen

gOD

"From 1996 to 2000 Auckland's carbon monoxide levels equalled or exceeded those of London. In 1998 and 2000 Auckland's nitrogen dioxide levels were far higher than in London. "

"In Auckland, where pollution is mainly from cars, the problem is more insidious. You cannot smell, taste or see carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide. It is only on the most polluted days that air pollutants mix to form visible air pollution. "

"The reason we have worse carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide levels than many cities in the developed world is simple: we have no emission standards for new vehicles or used imports and we have no emissions or maintenance requirements as part of our warrant of fitness inspections.

In most of the developed world, these measures were implemented in the 1970s and 1980s. Is it really that surprising that we still have a problem in comparison with European and American cities? "






http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydispl...toryID=2350578

arthurm

Nelson has more smog that Chch.

Dunedin is also affected.

East/central chch suffers more than the western part of the city.

sully4441

I won't argue with anyone who's lived there, but it must be a 'nicer' kind of smog?

muppetking

Stand up on the Port Hills pretty much any day and you will see a layer of trapped pollution shrouding the city. I know, I live on those hills. Having said that my wife rarely uses her inhaler! People burn a lot of crap here and no amount of legislation will prevent people from putting what they like in their logburner. Central heating is unknown here.

Kiwipaul

I've read the article and his opinion seems to be in dispute. He talks about peak levels and average levels. I would agree that if you measure these values at rush hour at Khyber Pass, the levels could be above average, as this is virtually a canyon with a motorway overpass, which on a still day would trap all this garbage.

You also mention no emmission standards on new and used vehicles, which could well be correct. BUT most of these vehicles come from Japan unmodified are you saying they have no emmission controls either as most of the vehicles in NZ are from Japan.

NZ has no local car manufacture so all vehicles are imported and the last car I had Mazada 323 had a cat convertor as standard.
Also Auckland is surrounded on 2 sides by oceans which would have the effect of disperseing most of these polluntants.

southerner

As a kiwi who has lived in London the past 10 years, when I go to NZ I am always amazed at the number of old bangers on the road that would have been disallowed in Britain. Yes they add a bit of character, but they generally are pumping out huge amounts of pollution.

Fortunately for NZ, the small population and the surrounding oceans mean that the general pollution levels are not bad by world standards. However, as the failed Kyoto protocols show, 1st world countries and those in more fortunate circumstances such as NZ still have to set a good example.

For NZ, which prides itself (and increasingly is selling itself) on being 'clean and green', it is an incredible anomaly that emmission controls have been so poor for so long.

What are the politicians doing about it - well, they want to implement an animal fart tax.

Hope that Auckland gets its public transport system soon. It is turning into LA in my view.