Editorial: We need to keep our air clear

A smoky chimney in King St, Hastings. Photo / Duncan Brown

Earlier this year I moved out of Havelock North into the country and four months on I am not regretting it in the slightest.

One of my pleasures after a long day at work (and when it is not too cold) is going on to my deck and gazing up at the glorious night sky.

There are no street lights to dull the effect of a starlit sky.

On a clear night, it is simply amazing. However, I must admit that if I glance to my right, the bright lights of the city of Hastings just over the rise do distort things a bit.

That is why it was with interest I read the report (in yesterday's paper) that Hastings had its first exceedance of the air quality standards this winter.

On Sunday, the average level of PM10 measured at the St John's air quality monitor site over a 24 hour period was 55mcg/m3

Smoky air was observed over much of Napier and Hastings during the evenings over the weekend. I suppose this is understandable because people light fires to keep warm. Some of those indoor fires may not be legal since the new regulations came into force.

It is a good thing that we have monitoring of pollution because even with these breaches we can count ourselves lucky. Imagine living in a city like Beijing, where pollution levels are intolerable.

I have flown into some cities around the world where from the air it looks like you are flying onto another planet.

So, while pollution is relative, it is still important that we all play our part in making sure we do not become a statistic on the city pollution index.