Air pollution in Christchurch: the current state of affairs

Abstract

“It may be that Christchurch is the first city in the world to suffer a "Los Angeles" type smog in summer and also a "London" type smog in winter." International Union of Air Pollution Prevention Associations, 1977.

This article is an attempt to fill a gap in the literature relating to air pollution in Christchurch. Most, if not all, available reports and articles give only a very brief, narrow introduction relating to Christchurch's air pollution, before proceeding with their often fairly technical specific topic. Furthermore, much of the literature is of limited availability as it often remains unpublished. This article then, is a survey of current literature and available knowledge relating to air pollution in Christchurch. It looks at available data, prevailing attitudes, air pollution legislation and air pollution, committees, societies and departments, in an attempt to provide an easily understood comprehensive summary of present day knowledge of air pollution in Christchurch.