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.

Turkeys, coyotes and other city critters
Wild animals are thriving in the city. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two researchers about the coyotes, foxes, turkeys and other city critters that have adapted to urban life.
River in the Boundary Waters is again named to list of country’s most endangered waterways
American Rivers says the South Kawishiwi River is threatened by proposed copper mines in the watershed. The clock is ticking on a Congressional effort to reverse a 20-year mining ban in northeast Minnesota.
Clay and other counties consider allowing rifle use for deer season
The state legislature repealed a law last year that banned the use of rifles for deer hunting in most of the state. Now, several counties, including Clay, are weighing whether to allow rifles during deer season.
Ahead of fishing opener, health officials update fish consumption guidelines
The new fish consumption guidelines include warnings about eating too much fish caught in northeastern Minnesota lakes and rivers, where fish tend to have higher mercury levels. And the state warns against consuming fish from the Vermillion River, south of the Twin Cities, because of PFAS contamination.
Opponents of data centers join with critics of power line proposal in northern Minnesota
Opponents of a massive data center proposed by Google in the small northern Minnesota city of Hermantown are also speaking out against a proposed electric transmission line that advocates argue is needed for the transmission of energy generated from renewable sources.
DNR: 75-year-old system of protected lands is the 'heartbeat' of wildlife conservation
Wildlife Management Areas emerged from a movement in the 1950s to conserve wetlands after many were drained or filled for agriculture. There are now about 1,500 of these protected areas in a variety of habitats across the state.
Getting ahead of the sneeze: Preparing for spring allergy season
Snow is still on the ground across parts of Minnesota, but it’s not too early to start thinking about spring allergies. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two allergists about what’s coming this season and how to get ahead of it.
In southeast Minnesota, transmission line for green energy raises environmental concerns
A massive expansion of the electricity grid through southern Minnesota has local landowners and conservationists worried about the impact on wildlife, ground water and the land. Utilities say the project is necessary to expand the reach of renewable energy produced in the upper Midwest.