Environmental News

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Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future

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Carbon trading gets a green light from the U.N., and Brazil hopes to earn billions
Carbon offsets got a big boost from November's U.N. climate summit. New rules could make it easier for companies to pay for carbon-cutting projects in other countries, rather than doing it themselves.
Cross country skiers grapple with how to rid their sport of 'forever chemicals'
For decades, PFAS, the group of so-called “forever chemicals,” have been used to make ultra-fast wax that’s prized by cross country skiers. The industry is slowly trying to wean itself from the wax. But it will still be allowed at a big national-level race in Duluth this weekend.
Forest Service to cut entry permits into the Boundary Waters
The U.S. Forest Service said it plans to reduce the number of entry permits into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area next summer. The goal is to reduce the impacts on the wilderness, but it also reduces the number of customers for canoe outfitters in the region.
Christmas tree buyers face reduced supplies, higher prices
Even Christmas trees aren't immune to the pandemic-induced shortages and inflation plaguing the economy. Extreme weather and supply chain disruptions have reduced supplies of both real and artificial trees this season. Industry officials say American shoppers should expect to have fewer choices and pay up to 30 percent more for both types this Christmas.
The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season ends as the third most active year ever
Hurricane Ida alone caused more than $60 billion in damages, making it one of the five most costly U.S. hurricanes on record since 1980. Forecasters ran out of names for a record second year in a row.
In a rare sighting, the first barn owl nest was documented in the state of Wisconsin in more than two decades after a La Crosse resident spotted an owlet in their backyard, according to the Department of Natural Resources.