A probe by the university found “serious flaws in the presentation of research data” for several papers on which Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne was an author. The report also says that “multiple members” of Tessier-Lavigne’s labs “appear to have manipulated research data and/or fallen short of accepted scientific practices” over the years.
That’s what 15-year-old Badge Busse said in his testimony during a groundbreaking climate trial last week, as he talked about preparing to evacuate from wildfires with his family. He’s one of 16 young plaintiffs who filed suit against the state of Montana for violating their right to a healthy environment. They’re still waiting for the judge’s ruling, and probably have a long fight ahead of them.
While that seems like a lot, 3M faced up to $30 billion in legal liability for products it made with forever chemicals. It’ll now pay up to $12.5 billion to settle hundreds of lawsuits from cities whose water sources have been contaminated with the chemicals. Forever chemicals, or polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have been linked to a higher risk of developing certain kinds of cancer, liver damage, and reproductive health issues. The chemicals, which 3M said it would stop using in products like Scotchgard fabric protector, are notoriously hard to destroy and disproportionately pollute Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
