[JGCQ]

Hello All,

I've read the forums for months and finally have a question. We've been researching air pollution in NZ for a while and am looking for some first hand experience.

Assessments of how bad pollution is can be very subjective, so I do have data from various air districts around NZ. However, I'm still curious about a few things.

Coal Burning
How common is coal burning? Esp. Wellington & the Kapiti Coast?

Wood Burning
I assume those not burning coal are burning wood?

General
What is your experience with air quality around NZ? Do the winds push the pollution out or are there areas where it really tends to build up?

THANKS ALL!

[IanW99]

For the Wellington region, I would say that wood burners are probably the most common (don't actually know anyone burning coal).

I have noticed that if you go to houses in areas where wood burners are common then you can notice the smell / smoke some days in winter time.

Most of the time though, due to the low population density and the winds, it really isn't a problem (to me at least). I'm sure that I read somewhere that the main reason that the air is so clean (relatively) is due to the winds.

Also, a lot of houses also use Heat pumps or Gas ducted heating.

Ian

[Super_BQ]

Wood burning fire places are the most common form of air pollution in NZ during the cold winter months. Why? Because when electricity is over 3 times the price of power in ie the US, people tend to use the cheapest alternative form of heat.

A NZ consumer report magazine showed that burning wood is by far the cheapest way of getting heat in homes. Nothing can match it despite how it contributes to air pollution.

I use to think that living on the coast of NZ, the ocean breeze would blow all the pollution away into the sea. Apparently not due to the high # of asthma sufferers in NZ (relative to other developed nations).

[able]

I use to think that living on the coast of NZ, the ocean breeze would blow all the pollution away into the sea. Apparently not due to the high # of asthma sufferers in NZ (relative to other developed nations).

SBQ, I've noticed your posts coming in for criticism in other parts of the forum and it's not surprising when you make statements like this.

Here is something based on fact rather than the inaccurate assertion you made......

"The cause of asthma remains a mystery and the researchers hope that by mapping its incidence across the world clues may emerge. Researchers in 155 centres in the 56 countries questioned the children about whether they had experienced symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the nasal passages and eyes) and eczema, the skin disorder. The results, published in The Lancet, show that although the three conditions are similar allergic disorders, their global distribution is different, suggesting they have different causes. All three were lowest in Eastern Europe and Asia and highest in the UK, Ireland, USA, Australia, New Zealand and Canada - countries with a common genetic inheritance. In a commentary on the findings, Dr Sarah Lewis of the University of Nottingham said this was consistent with "a greater genetic predisposition to atopy (the tendency to allergic reactions) in these populations". But she added that genetics alone was unlikely to account for the huge international differences or for the recent rapid increase in asthma in countries with the highest rates. Results from the UK showed an asthma rate of 20 to 37 per cent. Asthma is very unlikely to be the result of a single cause."

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19980424/ai_n14159255

People are still trying to understand the full causes of asthma and it seems to have a number of causes. The main cause seems to be genes and not the environment.

[constablechuck]

Air quality is not the greatest in Christchurch, I have allergies and they flare up all the time here, my doctor said that something about the geography causes the pollution / smog to hover over the city, he suggested that I move to one of the outlying areas where the smog is not so bad.

[sunnyb]

SBQ, I've noticed your posts coming in for criticism in other parts of the forum and it's not surprising when you make statements like this.

Here is something based on fact rather than the inaccurate assertion you made......

This is a bit harsh :uhoh

I don't think SBQ's post was at all unreasonable and think your response was uncalled for. In addition, one of our children has had very severe asthma all his life and all the advice we've been given to manage it is around environmental factors - food, dust, air quality.

This is an area where a huge amount of reseach is being undertaken and there are many theories so why slam someone for making a comment linking asthma and air quality. Very strange :exit

B

[able]

Possibly a little harsh but a number of other people have had to correct things SBQ has presented as absolute black and white facts without supporting evidence.

"slamming someone for linking air quality to asthma"?? SBQ has implied that high rates of asthma in New Zealand are evidence of air pollution in New Zealand. Medical professionals are saying there is a much stronger link between "asthma" and "English speaking country" than there is between "asthma" and "air pollution". This means SBQ is wrong when he implies that high asthma rates in New Zealand are caused by air pollution.

Your medical advisers are doing absolutely the best they can for your child and focussing on things you have control over to manage the asthma as best as possible. Genes seem to be the main cause of asthma, but our medics can hardly tell us we need to change our genes.

Anyway, thanks for your post because I wasn't trying to sound harsh, I was just hoping SBQ would think more about some of the facts he presents. For example, he also says NZ's asthma rates are high relative to other developed nations. Well, to the best of my knowledge, Australia's are worse, not because of bad pollution in Australia compared with New Zealand. They're high mainly because of these pesky British Isles genes again. Subtler reasons then decide that Australia's figures are slightly worse than New Zealands. If asthma was a tree, genes would be the trunk and big branches. Pollution and other factors would be small branches and twigs. :nice1

[Debbie P.]

I believe the infamous smogs of early to mid 20th century London were caused by coal/wood burning, and that many less healthy people (older, chronically ill etc) suffered from respiratory problems on the worst days, so it's reasonable to assume that excessive wood burning could cause respiratory problems.

Asthma is one type of allergic rhinitis that is likely to be caused by other things such as genes, but if you already had asthma, the smog wouldn't help, I imagine. I don't live in NZ but we visited in the winter and I certainly noticed the build up of wood smoke in places (strangely, it was most present in Nelson rather than the bigger places, maybe just something to do with climate when we were there...?). My OH has mild asthma and could feel his chest tightening.

Really sorry to hear about your child, SunnyB - it's such a horrible frightening allergy to have. Hope the docs can find a breakthrough treatment.

[benandclare]

[

Your medical advisers are doing absolutely the best they can for your child and focussing on things you have control over to manage the asthma as best as possible. Genes seem to be the main cause of asthma, but our medics can hardly tell us we need to change our genes.

When we lived by the side of a main road in Herefordshire, UK, for 6 years my daughter suffered terrible asthma. We moved to Shropshire, a very rural part of and within 2 months her asthma had totally gone. Think the main cause of her asthma was the fumes from the road.

Ben

[jess]

For the Wellington region, I would say that wood burners are probably the most common (don't actually know anyone burning coal).

I have noticed that if you go to houses in areas where wood burners are common then you can notice the smell / smoke some days in winter time.

Most of the time though, due to the low population density and the winds, it really isn't a problem (to me at least). I'm sure that I read somewhere that the main reason that the air is so clean (relatively) is due to the winds.

Also, a lot of houses also use Heat pumps or Gas ducted heating.

IanJust seconding Ian. My experience is similar. I live on the Kapiti Coast, and the sea breezes seem to keep the air clear here. Although if I and my neighbors are all using our woodburners, you can smell the smoke outside in the garden.

Last year was our first winter, and in that record breaking June of 06 when we were still in the rental, we ran portable electric heaters all day. At the end of the month we faced an almost $400 electric bill for June! We unplugged and froze after that. This winter in our own place we paid $430 for 5 cubic meters of wood that looks to keep us warm for 4 months.

A kiwi told me the other day that there are parts of Christchurch where they actually ban wood burning, because the air tends to be contained by the hills, and the smoke doesn't dissipate. Does anyone know if this is actually true?

[anna_c]

This is only anecdotal, but quite a few people we know use wood fires, I don't know anyone who uses coal.

I find the air quality in Wellington pretty reasonable (I live in Northland suburb and spend most of my time there or in the city centre). At a guess, I think the winds, closeness to the sea and the lack of industrial buildings in the actual city mean that it isn't so bad - but that could be totally wrong.

[IanW99]

As the original question was asking about the Wellington region and has moved onto asthma, then I would like to mention that the Lower Hutt region of Wellington has a significant cluster of sufferers.

It is also considered to be a have a low to moderate level of ambient air pollution.

Ian

[Super_BQ]

Sorry for dragging the asthma issue here...

People are still trying to understand the full causes of asthma and it seems to have a number of causes. The main cause seems to be genes and not the environment.

Well I don't think I was looking for the causes of asthma. But when you have a country that one in four Kiwi kids and one in six adults has asthma (http://www.asthmanz.co.nz/), air pollution must be a major concern. With these kinds of #s, I still stand to say New Zealand has one of the highest rates of respiratory disease in the developed world (http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0604/S00070.htm).

A kiwi told me the other day that there are parts of Christchurch where they actually ban wood burning, because the air tends to be contained by the hills, and the smoke doesn't dissipate. Does anyone know if this is actually true?

Specifically homes with existing fireplaces, ECAN (Environmental Cantabury) has no such restriction in Christchurch. However, i'm sure both the city council and ECAN would love to pass such law in but I don't think it will fly. Already the city has banned open burning fires for most of the year.

The gov't is dead serious in reducing air pollution. We tried to have a wood pellet burner installed during the construction of the new house. After spending $1000 submission fee the city council still said no to the proposal. So for some helpful advice, those hoping to have a fireplace/wood heater installed in your newly contructed home you can hope no more. Save the $1000 and think of a clean air alternative. Or just buy an existing home with a fireplace :)

[John Z]

Here you'll find the information on how houses are being heated (warmed) in different regions in NZ. The place where this page opens is Hamilton, but there's a whole list of places to choose from (left).

http://www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/energy/warm-homes-home-heating-methods-fuels-nz-nov05/html/page29.html#281

John Z

[movefromus]

Thought this may interest you all - from today's paper:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10451297

[srivett]

An interesting article. V. eye-opening. Thanks for pointing it out.

[tiefchord]

I seriously cannot see what issues people are having with the "air pollution" here - and since when was asthma a direct result of air pollution anyways?

Go hang out in Los Angeles for a while, then come back to NZ and tell me the pollution is bad.

[bartons]

I just found this article about air pollution in NZ:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4125752a7144.html

Main cause are the home fires. I found it surprising that the Nelson is the worst area in the country.

[tiefchord]

I just found this article about air pollution in NZ:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/4125752a7144.html

Main cause are the home fires. I found it surprising that the Nelson is the worst area in the country.

Yep - which just goes to show that if, having to been to and/or stayed in Nelson, you find it odd that it would be rated the highest - is there really an actual problem?

[swissmissdesigner]

"Go hang out in Los Angeles for a while, then come back to NZ and tell me the pollution is bad."

Actually the air quality has improved in L.A. in the last couple of years!

[tiefchord]

"Go hang out in Los Angeles for a while, then come back to NZ and tell me the pollution is bad."

Actually the air quality has improved in L.A. in the last couple of years!

Was just there in the 2nd week of June. Better, but still very bad. :laugh

It's always quite gorgeous coming down from the grapevine into this large shroud of smog covering the valley.