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.

Hong Kong residents compete to name twin panda cubs who just turned 6 months old
Panda craze has once again gripped Hong Kong as residents compete to name the territory’s first locally-born giant panda cubs who just turned six months old. The competition launched Saturday following a celebratory ceremony at Ocean Park which houses the twins, their parents and two other giant pandas.
Minnesota lawmaker wants statewide ban on new billboard signs
Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, said the signs detract from the state's natural scenic beauty and pose a safety concern for motorists. Billboard companies say the bill would hurt local businesses and curtail First Amendment rights.
How ‘virtual’ power plants could help Minnesota charge toward a clean energy future
As it gets more expensive and costly to build traditional power plants and electric distribution systems, so-called “virtual power plants” could play an increasingly important role in meeting Minnesota’s clean energy goals.
Monty the giant schnauzer wins Westminster dog show
Monty's competition included a bichon frisé called Neal, a Skye terrier named Archer, a whippet and repeat runner-up known as Bourbon and a shih tzu called Comet who's been a finalist before.
Water-guzzling data centers spark worries for Minnesota’s groundwater
A single large data center can use millions of gallons of water a day, as much as thousands of homes. But pinpointing exactly how many are being built and how much water they’ll use can be a challenge, even for state regulators.
Public input sought on elk restoration plan in northeast Minnesota
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources and Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa will host meetings on Feb. 10 and Feb. 13 to outline a new management plan to restore elk to the northeast.
It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild
That's the way one scientist puts it — referring to how infected wild birds survive long enough to spread it to birds and mammals around the world. And that's a serious risk for human health.