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International News

U.S. agency orders Ford to recall 3 million vehicles over air bags

The defect, which leads in rare instances to air bag inflators rupturing and sending potentially deadly metal fragments flying – especially after long-term exposure to high humidity – prompted the largest automotive recall in U.S. history of more than 67 million inflators. Worldwide, about 100 million inflators installed by 19 major automakers have been recalled.

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 Massachusetts Governor vetoes sweeping climate change Bill

A highlight of the bill is the goal of attaining a net-zero greenhouse gas emission limit by 2050 in part by setting new statewide limits every five years to help the state reach the goal.

The bill would also increase requirements for purchasing offshore wind energy and write into state law the criteria used to define “environmental justice populations” – communities with lower incomes, larger numbers of non-English speaking adults, or with a nonwhite population of 25% or more.

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European satellites could help catch the next climate change disaster

The new climate models also have the potential to help investors make better decisions. Storms, fires and floods killed at least 8,200 people and cost the world $210 billion in insured losses in 2020, according to a report published this month by Munich Re. Those damages could swell as the world inches closer to crossing the 1.5 degree Celsius warming threshold that scientists predict will lead to more frequent superstorms and higher sea levels.

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U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with dispute over Baltimore climate suit against energy firms

Baltimore and the other jurisdictions are seeking damages under state law for the harms they said they have sustained due to climate change, which they attribute in part to the companies’ role in producing fossil fuels that produce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The claims involve oil production and marketing, not the harmful emissions themselves.

The plaintiffs, for instance, have said they have had to spend more on infrastructure such as flood-control measures to combat sea-level rise caused by a warming climate.

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