Environment

Two University of Minnesota researchers are looking for the virus in wastewater — even before test results reveal its presence in a community.

Energy demand plummeted because of the pandemic shutdown. A big question is whether new habits like telecommuting and flying less will endure, and mean lower oil consumption in the future.

The National Weather Service called the event "extremely dangerous" and said it was caused by "catastrophic failures at the Edenville and Sanford dams," located roughly 140 miles north of Detroit.

This week, authors Kelly Povo and Phyllis Root went hunting for wild orchids — specifically, a beautiful white flower called the showy orchid. They found them in abundance at French Regional Park in Plymouth.

Car traffic took a big dip beginning in late March, and headlines celebrated clean air around the U.S. But an NPR analysis of EPA data tells a more troubling story.

Wildfire smoke is causing 33 percent fewer blue sky days in Minnesota during the summer.

There’s another affliction adding to our misery this spring: a variety of gnat that’s proven unusually aggressive — if not outright painful — for people out enjoying the warm weather.

Trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent used in manufacturing, has been linked to negative health effects, including cancer. The Minnesota House passed the ban Wednesday following Senate approval. Gov. Walz is expected to sign it into law.

The 5-2 decision comes two years after the Department of Natural Resources approved the change to the name it has been called by indigenous residents since before the state was founded in 1858.

A new coalition of cities, business and labor leaders and environmental groups is calling on the state Legislature to provide at least $300 million to repair aging water infrastructure throughout the state.