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.

Minnesota service dog nonprofit establishes fund in honor of Melissa and Mark Hortman
The Hortman Heroes Fund — in honor of Minnesota House DFL leader Melissa Hortman, her husband Mark and their dog Gilbert — will be focused on programs that train service dogs for veterans and first responders with PTSD.
Another gold rush could bring open pit mines to South Dakota’s Black Hills
 It has been 150 years since miners first flocked to South Dakota’s Black Hills in a gold rush that displaced Native Americans. Now that gold is selling for more than $3,000 an ounce, corporations are seeking approval to explore for and extract the mineral by digging vast pit mines that strip the land bare. 
Minnesota approves first stand-alone battery system, a key step toward a clean energy future
Minnesota utility regulators have approved the state’s first stand-alone battery energy storage system, an important milestone in Minnesota’s effort to produce all its electricity from carbon-free sources.
Chimpanzees pick up communication styles from their moms, not their dads
A new study finds that chimpanzee babies learn vocal and visual communication patterns from their mothers. The findings may shed light on the way human babies learn from those close to them.
Minneapolis Park Board announces Hiawatha Golf Course redesign options
The historic Hiawatha Golf Course has experienced major flooding over its century-long history. The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board announced redesign options to mitigate the course’s water issues.
Plastic pollution treaty talks in Geneva end without an agreement
Talks on a treaty to address the global crisis of plastic pollution in Geneva ended without an agreement Friday. The session was adjourned and will be resumed at a later date. Nations were meeting for an 11th day at the United Nations office to try to complete a landmark treaty to end the plastic pollution crisis. 
As Canada wildfires choke U.S. with smoke, Republicans demand action. But not on climate change
The sternly worded statements and letters are filled with indignation and outrage: Republican U.S. lawmakers say Canada has done too little to contain wildfires and smoke that have fouled the air in several states this summer.
Reporter's Notebook: Covering the impact of rock riprap on Minnesota lakes
Kirsti Marohn has been reporting extensively on issues facing Minnesota lakes and joined Minnesota Now to share what she’s learned about rock riprap.
Ceremonial walk along the Rum River serves as ‘a prayer’ for the water
This year’s Indigenous-led water walk followed the Rum River from Mille Lacs Lake in Vineland to Peninsula Point Park in Anoka, where the river converges with the Mississippi River.