Slovenia set to be the first former communist country with marriage equality
Slovenia’s Constitutional Court ruled that the Balkan nation’s ban on LGBTQ marriage equality and adoption is “inadmissible discrimination against same-sex couples.”
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Brazil’s High Court first to declare Paris Agreement a human rights treaty
As a result of the ruling, if Brazil’s Congress passes a law that conflicts with the Paris Agreement, the Paris Agreement should take precedence.
World’s first commercial sand battery begins energy storage in Finland
The company claims an efficiency factor up to 99 percent, a capability to store heat with minimal loss for months on end, and a lifespan in the decades.
1,000 acres of forest to be returned to Onondaga Nation in historic lake cleanup agreement
It is one of the largest land transfers made to an Indian nation in the United States, officials said, and the first time that land has been returned directly to a New York tribe.
Google to automatically delete abortion clinic visits from users’ history
Activists have said decisions like these could be important if the government begins seeking personal information in order to charge people who’ve had, sought or facilitated abortions.
E.U. to end undercounting of plug-in hybrid emissions
Currently, regulators assume PHEVs are driven far more in electric mode than is actually the case, leading to unrealistically low emissions ratings.
Caribbean court strikes down gay ban in Antigua & Barbuda
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court found that Antigua and Barbuda’s 1995 Sexual Offenses Act “offends the right to liberty, protection of the law, freedom of expression, protection of personal privacy and protection from discrimination on the basis of sex.”
First couples wed as Swiss same-sex marriage law takes effect
The first same-sex marriages came about nine months after 64.1% of voters backed the “Marriage for All” law in a national referendum.
Kenya’s coastal communities launch groundbreaking programs offering carbon credits for mangrove conservation
Launched two years ago, this first-of-its-kind initiative, known as Mikoko Pamoja (‘Mangroves Together’), raises money for its mangrove conservation by selling carbon credits to people and organizations eager to shrink their carbon footprint.
California set to become first state to provide free health care to all low-income immigrants
The move will make low-income adults eligible for the state’s Medicaid program by 2024, regardless of their immigration status.