The Limits of Livability

The document examines the severe health consequences of the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires, noting that 80% of the population was affected by poor air quality. It highlights a critical gap in government preparation for long-term smoke exposure and recommends the implementation of 'Smoke Plans', real-time air quality monitoring, and the adoption of Indigenous 'cultural burns' to reduce fire intensity. The briefing concludes that Australia must transition away from fossil fuel subsidies and embrace renewable energy to mitigate future climate-driven wildfire risks.

• The 2019-2020 'Black Summer' bushfires caused widespread health crises, with 80% of the Australian population affected by poor air quality. This resulted in an estimated 429 premature deaths, 3,320 hospital admissions for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, and 1,523 emergency department presentations for asthma.
• The economic burden of the health impacts from the 2019-2020 fires was estimated at AU$1.95 billion (US $1.51 billion), covering hospital admissions and premature loss of life.
• Air pollution during the 2019-2020 fires reached extreme levels; in Canberra, maximum PM2.5 levels hit 2,496 µg/m3 during the week of January 5-11, 2020, which coincided with a 73% increase in prescriptions for shortness-of-breath inhalers.
• Current Australian health protection advice is insufficient as it only addresses short-term exposure of a few hours or days, whereas the 2019-2020 fires produced smoke conditions lasting weeks and months.
• The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Management Arrangements recommends the development of 'Smoke Plans' to identify clean air shelters, such as schools or libraries, equipped with HEPA filters and sealed windows.
• Indigenous 'cultural burns' are presented as a superior alternative to hazard reduction burns because they are 'cool burns' that move at walking pace, do not damage soil microflora and fauna, and do not dry out the land.
• To reduce national vulnerability to climate-fuelled disasters, the document recommends ending public subsidies for new coal, gas, and oil exploration and establishing a national climate disaster fund paid through a fossil fuel producer levy.

APA

MacGuire, F., & Sergeeva, M. (2021). The Limits of Livability. Global Climate and Health Alliance. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_australia.pdf

Chicago

MacGuire, Frances, and Milena Sergeeva. The Limits of Livability. Global Climate and Health Alliance, 2021. https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_australia.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=MacGuire |first1=Frances |last2=Sergeeva |first2=Milena |title=The Limits of Livability |publisher=Global Climate and Health Alliance |date=2021 |url=https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_australia.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{macguire2021limits, author = {MacGuire, Frances and Sergeeva, Milena}, title = {{The Limits of Livability}}, institution = {Global Climate and Health Alliance}, year = {2021}, url = {https://climateandhealthalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/016062021_GCHA_bushfire_report_australia.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }