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.

Could winter-hardy crops fuel airline flights of the future? U of M researchers think it’s possible
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have been studying winter oilseed crops that can be turned into sustainable aviation fuel and provide other environmental benefits. Interest in SAF has been on the rise as the airline industry looks to reduce its carbon emissions.
Will Trump move to pave the way for mining near the Boundary Waters next week?
Backers and opponents of a proposed copper mine near Ely, Minn., are gearing up for anticipated action from the incoming Trump administration that could reopen a path for mining next to the Boundary Waters.
Chemicals in sewage sludge fertilizer pose cancer risk, EPA says
Harmful chemicals in sewage sludge spread on pasture as fertilizer pose a risk to people who regularly consume milk, beef and other products from those farms, in some cases raising cancer risk “several orders of magnitude” above what the Environmental Protection Agency considers acceptable, federal officials announced Tuesday. 
Climate change and how to address it
The Earth’s hottest year in recorded history was 2024. The previous hottest year was 2023. MPR News guest host Emily Bright and her guests talk about climate change and possible ways to address it.
University of Minnesota gets fast-tracked funding to survey wildlife for bird flu
Researchers in the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine will work with wildlife rehabilitators, tribal biologists and other partners across the state to collect 9,000 samples from a variety of birds and mammals. 
U of M researchers examine preparedness for possibility of CWD jump to humans
A new University of Minnesota report examines whether there have been sufficient preparations for chronic wasting disease, which is always fatal in deer, making the jump to other animals, including humans.