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

Minnesota warns EPA against crippling the state’s authority

Minnesota officials have warned a federal agency that a proposal to streamline water quality laws would cripple their authority to protect drinking water, streams and wildlife from dozens of new projects each year.
by The Associated Press

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Minnesota's native mussels: Still in peril, but signs of hope

Minnesota's native mussels: Still in peril, but signs of hope

Freshwater mussels are considered the most endangered group of organisms in the United States. But there are signs of hope: Thanks to conservation and reintroduction efforts, some native mussels are making a comeback in Minnesota rivers. And Minneapolis is putting their unique skills as harbingers of the river’s health to work.
by Kirsti Marohn

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'Maybe it will destroy everything': Pakistan's melting glaciers cause alarm

'Maybe it will destroy everything': Pakistan's melting glaciers cause alarm

For generations, farmers in the Harchi Valley in Pakistan's highlands enjoyed a close relationship with the glacier that waters their fields, orchards and grazing lands. Now, their relationship is unraveling as pollution and global warming cause the glacier to melt faster and form unstable lakes.
by Abdul Sattar and Diaa Hadid

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Nickel per single-use store bag approved by Minneapolis City Council

Nickel per single-use store bag approved by Minneapolis City Council

Council members on Friday approved a plan to require grocery stores and other retailers to charge customers 5 cents for every bag they take.
by Matt Sepic

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Trade dispute with China could slow transition to low-carbon power

Trade dispute with China could slow transition to low-carbon power

China manufactures much of the world’s low-carbon energy technologies, so trade disputes with the country could slow the growth of solar and wind energy in the United States.
by Paul Huttner and Megan Burks

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Report: Minnesota is improving pollinator protections, but more work to be done

Report: Minnesota is improving pollinator protections, but more work to be done

Minnesota state agencies are taking steps to protect pollinators. But a report to the Environmental Quality Board indicates there’s more work to be done on improving pollinator habitat, reducing the use of pesticides harmful to insects and expanding public support for bees and butterflies.
by Dan Gunderson

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Judge orders search of MPCA computers in PolyMet challenge

Judge orders search of MPCA computers in PolyMet challenge

A judge has ordered a forensic search of computers used by three former top officials at the MPCA as part of an investigation into whether they sought to suppress concerns by federal regulators about pollution risks from the proposed PolyMet copper-nickel mine.
by The Associated Press

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Land affected by Keystone pipeline leak bigger than thought

Land affected by Keystone pipeline leak bigger than thought

A North Dakota environmental scientist said the leak reported on Oct. 29 is now estimated by state regulators to have affected about 209,100 square feet of land near Edinburg. Regulators had said the leak affected about 22,500 square feet of land.

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