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.

Digging into Minnesota's peat, an underappreciated climate superhero
Meet a carbon-sequestering superhero: peat moss. Efforts are underway to better understand the role that peat bogs in northern Minnesota play in mitigating climate change.
DNR aims to capture hunter observations for science
The Minnesota DNR is trying to encourage more deer hunters to join a citizen science data collection project. The hunter observations can provide valuable information about wildlife populations trends, but few Minnesota hunters are participating.
Pollinators need your help in the winter too
Minnesotans are growing more pollinator gardens, with native plants chosen because their flowers attract bees and butterflies to the yard. But to really help pollinating insects, those gardens need thought and care all year long, including during fall cleanup.
The climate change superstars few have heard about
There are about 6 million acres of peatlands in Minnesota -- nearly 10% of our state. And it turns out, peat bogs have climate change fighting superpowers.
Future of Mississippi River dams in Twin Cities up for discussion again
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is about to restart a study charting the future of the Mississippi River gorge between Minneapolis and St. Paul, after barge traffic on that stretch of the river ended in 2015.
Barges grounded by low water halt Mississippi River traffic
The unusually low water level in the lower Mississippi River is causing barges to get stuck in the mud and sand. That's disrupting river travel for shippers, recreational boaters and even passengers on a cruise line.