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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.

Audio postcard: Snowy signs of plant life

Audio postcard: Snowy signs of plant life

During the summer months, we get periodic updates on Morning Edition from wildflower gurus Phyllis Root and Kelly Povo, who travel the state to find out what’s in bloom. This year, winter hasn’t put a stop to their adventuring.
by Cathy Wurzer and Julia Franz

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After decades-long push, it's not clear who will bid in Arctic refuge oil lease sale

After decades-long push, it's not clear who will bid in Arctic refuge oil lease sale

There's little solid data on how much oil is under Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and lawsuits and market forces could dampen industry interest. Any leases would also face opposition from a Biden administration.
by Tegan Hanlon

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Ojibwe bands ask for halt on Line 3 construction

Ojibwe bands ask for halt on Line 3 construction

The Red Lake and White Earth Bands of Ojibwe have asked the Minnesota Court of Appeals to temporarily stop the ongoing construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline until lawsuits challenging the replacement project’s approval can be heard.
by Dan Kraker

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Line 3 opponents file federal suit to try to block the pipeline

Line 3 opponents file federal suit to try to block the pipeline

Two nonprofit groups and two Ojibwe bands have filed a lawsuit in federal court trying to halt construction of the Line 3 oil pipeline replacement project.
by Dan Kraker

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Barry Lopez, acclaimed author who tied people to place, dies at 75

Barry Lopez, acclaimed author who tied people to place, dies at 75

Barry Lopez — who won a National Book Award in 1986 for “Arctic Dreams” — wrote about his travels to remote places. But his writings aren't just travelogues; they remind us of how precious life on Earth is, and of our responsibility to care for it. Lopez died Friday at age 75.
by Dave Blanchard

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Scientists have found some truly ancient ice, but now they want ice that's even older

Scientists have found some truly ancient ice, but now they want ice that's even older

Ice is usually ephemeral; it doesn't last that long before melting. But some ice on our planet has stayed frozen for millions of years. Scientists searching for it hope tiny bubbles of air trapped in the ice will give a snapshot of the atmosphere millions of years ago.
by Nell Greenfieldboyce

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We all know smoke is bad for your health. It could be worse than you think

We all know smoke is bad for your health. It could be worse than you think

Could smoke carry disease-causing microorganisms? "It's a very new idea to think of smoke as having a living component," says Leda Kobziar, co-author of an article that explores this theory.
by Joanne Lu

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Big Oil evaded regulation and plastic pellets kept spilling

Big Oil evaded regulation and plastic pellets kept spilling

Oil and gas companies make enough pellets each year to fill a stadium several times over. The oil industry has long known it has a pellet pollution problem, but that's not what they told the public.
by Laura Sullivan

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