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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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Climate Cast

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

Judge rejects change to Minnesota's wild rice water standard

Judge rejects change to Minnesota's wild rice water standard

An administrative law judge has rejected an attempt to change Minnesota's water quality standard for protecting wild rice, saying it violates federal and state law and puts an unfair burden on Native Americans who harvest wild rice for food.
by Dan Kraker

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U.S. says snow-loving lynx no longer need special protection

U.S. says snow-loving lynx no longer need special protection

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said it will begin drafting a rule to revoke the lynx's threatened species status. But some scientists warn climate change could reduce the animals' habitat.
by The Associated Press

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Facing massive storm costs, how resilient is the insurance industry?

Facing massive storm costs, how resilient is the insurance industry?

The cost of storms fueled by climate change exceeded $300 million last year. We discuss what that means for the insurance industry, plus the implications of too much winter salt and how the media fails to attribute climate change to extreme weather.
by Paul Huttner

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Crews still cleaning up after oil pipeline bursts in Eagan

A soil boring crew drilling in the LifeTime Fitness parking lot struck a pipeline on Monday, spilling an estimated 21,000 gallons of gasoline onto the club's parking lot.
by Tim Nelson

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4 earth-friendly tips to clean up your icy sidewalk

4 earth-friendly tips to clean up your icy sidewalk

You don't want to slip and fall on the ice. We get that. But there are things you can do to keep sidewalks and driveways safe while minimizing the impact on water and soil.
by Cody Nelson

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Australia's heat wave fries bats' brains, hundreds found dead

Australia's heat wave fries bats' brains, hundreds found dead

Sweltering temperatures killed bats over the weekend outside of Sydney as temperatures soared up to 117 Fahrenheit, the hottest it's been since 1939.
by Vanessa Romo

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Study finds salty cocktail changing pH of freshwater rivers

Study finds salty cocktail changing pH of freshwater rivers

A study out this week shows that rivers in the upper Midwest --particularly North Dakota -- are becoming saltier faster than the rest of the country. Yes, saltier.
by Cathy Wurzer and Max Nesterak

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Shingle Creek's cautionary tale for Minnesota's water

Shingle Creek's cautionary tale for Minnesota's water

Road salt is likely responsible for impairing 50 bodies of water in Minnesota. Looking at the first stream on that list shows how tough it is to reverse pollution from chloride.
by Kirsti Marohn

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PUC seeks to limit delay in Line 3 oil pipeline decision

The state Public Utilities Commission has decided to stick close to its original timeline for deciding whether to approve Enbridge Energy's proposal to replace its aging Line 3 crude oil pipeline across northern Minnesota.
by Associated Press

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