Our Work Air Pollution Libération: Australie “La fumée s’est infiltrée partout, dans les maisons, les bureaux et même à l’hôpital”

Libération: Australie “La fumée s’est infiltrée partout, dans les maisons, les bureaux et même à l’hôpital”

French daily newspaper, Libération, interviewed DEA’s co-chair Dr Eugenie Kayak about the health impacts of the hazardous smoke pollution in Sydney from the NSW bushfires, which have for weeks ravaged the east coast of Australia. Exposure to smoke pollution is known to increase the incidence of lung and heart diseases. Dr Kayak said that while official health impact figures will not be known until the end of the bushfire season, it’s expected that the figures will be alarming. 

Residents of Sydney and surrounding areas have been subjected to a level of air pollution that they have never seen before. 

The CSIRO has predicted that bushfires will be longer and more extreme as a result of climate change, yet, Australia continues to be one of the world’s biggest coal exporters.
Doctors across the country are more and more alarmed by the inaction of the Prime Minister and the Federal Government. 

Australia must reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, and with ample sun, wind and wave resources, it should be leading that energy transition. 

Our health, and that of our children, depends on it.      

The full article was published in Libération on 17 December 2019.