Venezuela halves malnutrition
Venezuela was recognised by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on June 8 for meeting the UN millennium goal of halving malnutrition, Venezuelanalysis.com reported.
Attending the 39th FAO conference in Rome on behalf of Venezuela, Vice-President Jorge Arreaza said, “Under the Revolution, children are now served breakfast, lunch, and snacks in schools … We've seen a miracle in school nutrition, whereas in the past [children were served] only one glass of milk a day.”
Arreaza said Venezuela invested $142 billion in food programs that have distributed over 25 million tons of food items to 65% of the population over the last decade. Today, 95.4% of Venezuelans eat three meals a day.
Dutch court orders government to cut carbon emissions
A court in The Hague has ordered the Dutch government to cut its emissions by at least 25% within five years, in a landmark ruling expected to cause ripples around the world.
The court ruled that government plans to cut emissions by just 14 to 17% compared to 1990 levels by 2020 were unlawful, given the scale of the threat posed by climate change.
Jubilant campaigners said that governments preparing for the Paris climate summit later this year would now need to look over their shoulders for civil rights era-style legal challenges where emissions-cutting pledges are inadequate.
Heroin Decriminalisation halves Portugese addiction rates
The total number of people using drugs in Portugal has fallen by more than a third since the country began focusing on treatment programs instead of punishment.
When Portugal decriminalised heroin in 2001, critics worried that drug addiction rates would skyrocket, but not only have they come down, heroin addiction rates have been cut in half.
HIV infections, which are spread by shared needles, have also been cut in half, while the number of drug-related deaths has been cut by 75%.
Under the decriminalization law, users are allowed to possess a 10-day supply of illicit drugs — anything from marijuana to heroin – and those who have more are sent before a three-person drug commission. The panel decides on a fine or treatment, but opts for treatment in four out of every five cases.
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