Environmental News

MPR News is your source for environment news from Minnesota and across the country.

Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future

Getting to Green is an MPR News series that shares stories about Minnesota’s clean energy transition, including what needs to be done to get there.

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Climate Cast

Listen to Climate Cast, the MPR News podcast all about our changing climate and its impact in Minnesota and worldwide.

Most money for endangered species goes to a small number of creatures, leaving others in limbo
Since passage of the Endangered Species Act 50 years ago, more than 1,700 plants, mammals, fish, insects and other species in the U.S. have been listed as threatened or endangered with extinction. Yet they’re not treated equally.
Wildfire smoke this year woke up places unaccustomed to its effects. Now what?
Wildfires worsened by climate change spewed smoke over much of North America this year. It's a new reality Americans haven't yet processed: how dangerous the smoke is for human health.
Minnesota's wild weather year: Top 10 weather, climate stories of 2023
Twelve months of weather in Minnesota is usually quite interesting but 2023 certainly delivered on some extremes. MPR News meteorologist Sven Sundgaard drew up his top 10 list. Take a look.
Deteriorating ice creates dangerous conditions on Minnesota lakes
Ice conditions are deteriorating across the state because of warm temperatures and recent rainfall. Law enforcement officials and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources are urging caution when venturing onto frozen lakes.
Getting dirty: No snow means messy training for dog sled mushers
This season’s utter lack of snow is making for some tricky — and muddy — training for musher Erin Altemus, her husband and their 30 sled dogs. The couple is hoping to race in their first Iditarod in March.
As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy
On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. The powerful law charged the federal government with saving every endangered plant and animal in America. It enjoyed nearly unanimous bipartisan support but soon became controversial. 
This oil company invests in pulling CO2 out of the sky — so it can keep selling crude
A technology that could help combat climate change is being championed by an unlikely proponent: Occidental Petroleum, a big oil company. And that's raising all kinds of knotty issues.