Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

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.

Submit a question or story for Getting to Green here.

Climate Cast

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

Nitrates are polluting Minnesota’s water. Environmental groups say the state isn’t doing enough

Nitrates are polluting Minnesota’s water. Environmental groups say the state isn’t doing enough

The public comment window will soon close on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s rules for protecting groundwater from nitrates, which can be detrimental to human health in large amounts.
by Harshawn Ratanpal

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Birds are back in Minnesota early. Can they weather spring storms, climate change?

Birds are back in Minnesota early. Can they weather spring storms, climate change?

Climate change is pushing some birds to migrate earlier. Sharon Stiteler, blogger and birder known as “Birdchick,” joined Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition to explain why and which species can safely weather inclement spring storms.
by Cathy Wurzer and Gracie Stockton

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Hazardous waste site impacting life on Leech Lake Reservation, despite 40-year cleanup effort

Hazardous waste site impacting life on Leech Lake Reservation, despite 40-year cleanup effort

From the 1950s until the 1980s, the St. Regis Paper Company treated wood with toxic chemicals near downtown Cass Lake on the Leech Lake Reservation. Those chemicals spread into the soil and groundwater. MPR News host Nina Moini spoke to Buffalo’s Fire reporter Gabrielle Nelson about her story on the hazardous waste site.
by Nina Moini and Alanna Elder

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Responding to a warmer and wetter Minnesota

Responding to a warmer and wetter Minnesota

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with a climatologist and a climate journalist about how global warming is affecting Minnesota. They discuss what changes means for the people who live here and how the state is measuring up to its climate goals.
by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Minnesota has goal of replacing lead lines by 2033. More funding is needed to keep it on track

Minnesota has goal of replacing lead lines by 2033. More funding is needed to keep it on track

Minnesota adopted an ambitious timeline to replace all lead water pipes in the state. While a federal mandate wants the work done by 2037, Minnesota moved it up to 2033. But supporters of the work say the money is running out. 
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

University of Minnesota expert helped make animated beavers in ‘Hoppers’ true to life

Emily Fairfax has spent the past decade studying beavers and how they change landscapes by altering the flow of rivers and streams. She spent five years working with a Pixar animation team to make sure the movie accurately portrays the furry rodents.
by Kirsti Marohn

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Tech giant Google is behind controversial data center proposal in Hermantown 

Tech giant Google is behind controversial data center proposal in Hermantown 

The tech giant, who’s plan was previously cloaked in secrecy, says it will help pay for the construction of wind farms and battery storage to help power the proposed $650 million project outside Duluth. Critics call Google “a heartless corporation.”
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Fish house removal deadlines loom as ice melts

Fish house removal deadlines loom as ice melts

With spring fast approaching, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants anglers to  prepare to remove their fish houses from off the ice to meet statutory deadlines. 
by Mathew Holding Eagle III

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
‘Someone loved them’: As the ICE surge continues in Minnesota, pets suffer

‘Someone loved them’: As the ICE surge continues in Minnesota, pets suffer

As Minnesotans are detained and deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, volunteers and pet shelters are led to provide housing and care for the animals that are often the family members involuntarily left behind. 
by Sam Stroozas

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!