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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.

Paul Yoon's novel 'Etna' is told from a dog's point of view, thanks to Oscar

Paul Yoon's novel 'Etna' is told from a dog's point of view, thanks to Oscar

Paul Yoon didn’t know it on the day he and his wife adopted Oscar, a yellow lab puppy, that his world would never be the same. His new novel, “Etna,” grew out of his love affair with his dog.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Walz executive order moves to block copper mining near the Boundary Waters

Walz executive order moves to block copper mining near the Boundary Waters

Four months after Congress reversed a ban on mining over about 350 square miles in the watershed of the northeastern Minnesota wilderness, Gov. Tim Walz has issued a state executive order to block copper-nickel mining in the area.
by Dan Kraker

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As county fairs wrap up, 4-H kids prepare to show their animals at the State Fair

As county fairs wrap up, 4-H kids prepare to show their animals at the State Fair

Thousands of kids from across the state who did well in their county 4-H competitions are looking forward to bringing their award-winning animals to the Minnesota State Fair later this month.
by Cait Kelley

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A scaled-down plan to revive a historic lodge near the Boundary Waters faces renewed opposition 

A scaled-down plan to revive a historic lodge near the Boundary Waters faces renewed opposition 

The $40 million proposal to update and refurbish the Silver Rapids Lodge outside Ely promises to inject new life into the resort. But some neighbors believe it would transform the quiet character of the area.
by Dan Kraker

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New partnership helps people seeking addiction treatment find pet care

New partnership helps people seeking addiction treatment find pet care

The Bond Between, a local animal rescue organization, and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, an addiction treatment center, partnered up to help people seeking addiction treatment find pet care.
by Ahmed Hassan

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Nuclear power push ramps up uranium mill — and tribal health concerns

Nuclear power push ramps up uranium mill — and tribal health concerns

Federal efforts to revive uranium mining in the West and decrease reliance on Russian uranium raise concerns about drinking water for tribal communities reckoning with the industry's deadly legacy.
by Melissa Bailey

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Where’s the water? Drought dries up Minnesota lake levels

Where’s the water? Drought dries up Minnesota lake levels

In north-central Minnesota, a persistent drought stretching over several years has created a “storage drought,” depleting water stored in lakes, streams and groundwater. It will take months of above-normal rainfall before they bounce back.
by Kirsti Marohn

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Naturalist Robert Macfarlane on the wonder — and warning — of birds

Naturalist Robert Macfarlane on the wonder — and warning — of birds

Birds are found on every continent on the planet. But their commonness betrays their miraculousness. In his beautiful new book, naturalist Robert Macfarlane, together with artist Jackie Morris, extols the wonder of birds, and laments their loss.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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A tribal nation reclaims reservation land through much-debated carbon credits

A tribal nation reclaims reservation land through much-debated carbon credits

The Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe is buying back its land by selling the carbon its forest stores. The approach is being called a model, even as some researchers question whether forest carbon credits deliver what carbon offsets promise.
by Melissa Olson

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