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.

These driveway sealants polluted Minnesota ponds. Who should pay?
Seven metro-area cities are suing a group of companies that refine coal-tar sealants, asking them to help pay for the cleanup and removal of harmful chemicals from their stormwater ponds.
Device to clean up plastic garbage in the ocean hits a setback
Four months into its testing phase, the Ocean Cleanup's plastic-catching device isn't catching as much plastic as intended — and last week, a 60-foot-long end section broke off.
Transportation, agriculture edge out electricity as Minnesota's largest emissions sources
Minnesota still is not meeting goals set in 2007 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sources, including electricity, transportation, agriculture and industry.
'An eerie silence' where federal land agency workers are furloughed
The federal government shutdown means all kinds of under-the-radar, yet critical, work has mostly stopped -- from timber sales to wildfire prevention projects to the general upkeep and enforcement of laws on millions of acres of U.S. public lands.
New environment commissioners talk climate change, water quality
Gov.-elect Tim Walz has tapped two women -- a former suburban mayor and a former Best Buy executive -- to oversee the two largest state agencies charged with looking out for Minnesota's environment and natural resources.
Incoming Gov. Walz shapes his environmental, health teams
Some giant pieces of Gov.-elect Tim Walz's administration slid into place Thursday when the DFLer decided who would run the state's agriculture, natural resources, health and human services departments.