Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

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.

Submit a question or story for Getting to Green here.

Climate Cast

Listen to Climate Cast, the MPR News podcast all about our changing climate and its impact in Minnesota and worldwide.

Is the renewable energy hurt or helped by high tariffs?

A professor from the Humphrey School of Public Affairs will discuss President Trump's decision to put tariffs on solar panels.
by Mike Mulcahy and Jo Erickson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

Is it typical for Twin Cities to have 11 inches of snow?

This week was like a flashback to the 1970s. The Vikings blew the big game, and then a foot or more of snow dropped on much of Minnesota.
by Mike Mulcahy and Manda Lillie

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Are there zombie viruses in the thawing permafrost?

Are there zombie viruses in the thawing permafrost?

There's a new fear from climate change: Bacteria and viruses buried in frozen ground coming back to life as the Arctic warms up. We went digging in permafrost to find out how worried we should be.
by Michaeleen Doucleff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Is there a ticking time bomb under the Arctic?

Is there a ticking time bomb under the Arctic?

Just what exactly is permafrost? And what is happening now that it's warming up? To find out, we enter the Arctic circle's secret world of ice and frozen history.
by Michaeleen Doucleff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
State's only remaining solar manufacturer primed to expand

State's only remaining solar manufacturer primed to expand

The Canadian company Heliene Inc. is expected to receive up to $3 million in state loans to expand its solar module facility on the Iron Range, just as the Trump administration has set steep tariffs on imported solar panels in a bid to boost American manufacturers.
by Dan Kraker

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Trump slaps tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines

Trump slaps tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines

The move has met with both praise and criticism from the solar energy industry. Manufacturers lobbied for the tariffs, while solar installers warned that American jobs will be lost.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

How climate change is affecting business

MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner hosted a conversation on how climate change is affecting the way businesses think about sustainability.
by Paul Huttner

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
These Lake Superior caribou faced death. Then a helicopter came

These Lake Superior caribou faced death. Then a helicopter came

Wildlife officials recently airlifted nine caribou off a Canadian island in the big lake, hoping to save a population decimated by wolves. The changing climate forced humans to intervene.
by Cody Nelson

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
500,000 honey bees dead, and 2 Iowa boys are charged

500,000 honey bees dead, and 2 Iowa boys are charged

The unidentified boys, ages 12 and 13, allegedly ransacked a Sioux City honey farm, knocking over hives and exposing the bees to frigid winter temperatures.

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Red River diversion report leaves dam location in question

Red River diversion report leaves dam location in question

A task force assembled by the governors of North Dakota and Minnesota released its final recommendations for re-starting a stalled $2.2 billion Red River diversion project meant to protect Fargo and Moorhead.
by The Associated Press

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!