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.

Trump administration flips switch on energy efficient light bulbs
The Trump administration wants to reverse a rule designed to make light bulbs more efficient. Environmental groups say the change will cost consumers and waste energy.
A battle is raging over the largest solar farm east of the Rockies
As demand for solar energy continues to grow in the Eastern U.S., the fight over a massive solar farm in Virginia is a harbinger of conflicts to come.
New Isle Royale study could clarify the mystery of what's led to the decline of Minnesota's moose
At the same time that federal park officials are flying wolves to Isle Royale National Park, scientists are embarking on an ambitious project to study the park's burgeoning population of moose, the wolves' primary prey.
New climate books stress we are already far down the road to a different Earth
David Wallace-Wells' "The Uninhabitable Earth" and Nathaniel Rich's "Losing Earth" offer valuable perspectives on climate change -- if we're committed to being adult enough to face the future.
For a healthier planet, eat these 50 foods, campaign urges
Global reliance on just a handful of crops for calories is hurting the environment -- and wildlife, a new report says. It urges the world to diversify its diet to save plant and animal species alike.
Bill could help curb oversalting during Minnesota winters
A bill aimed at reducing the amount of salt used by commercial businesses that treat driveways, sidewalks and parking lots is getting traction this year in the Minnesota Legislature.
Army Corps of Engineers grants final permit for PolyMet mine
PolyMet Mining Corp. has received the final permit it needs to proceed with building Minnesota's first copper-nickel mine, the company and the Army Corps of Engineers announced Friday.
Floods show national security threat posed by climate change
The military has warned that climate change is a security threat on many fronts. That includes "through direct impacts on U.S. military infrastructure and by affecting factors, including food and water availability, that can exacerbate conflict outside U.S. borders," the government's grim climate report said last year.