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.

How biochar — the ‘Swiss Army knife of climate tools’ — is growing in Minnesota
Minnesota is emerging as a leader in the research and manufacturing of biochar, a substance that can combat climate change by locking away carbon for centuries. It can also provide other environmental benefits such as filtering water and improving soil.
Birders argue over plan to change dozens of bird names
On Thursday, a major birding society will discuss how to go about changing potentially offensive bird names. There's resistance to the original plan to rename all birds named after people.
Push to map Great Lakes bottom gains momentum amid promises effort will help fishing and shipping
What lies beneath the Great Lakes' waves is largely unknown, but there's a new push to learn more about thousands of shipwrecks, underwater infrastructure and the impacts of climate change on the bottom of the world's largest freshwater system.
Minnehaha Off-Leash Dog Park will soon be fenced off
The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board passed a resolution Tuesday to formalize the park's boundaries, cutting off access to areas that are not part of the park.
In Mille Lacs, divers go deep to uncover lake’s trash problem
On Mille Lacs, Minnesota’s second-largest inland lake and a premier fishing destination, concern has been growing over garbage left behind by ice anglers and other lake users. Divers from a nonprofit group based in Lake Tahoe, Nev., recently spent two weeks taking a closer look at Mille Lacs’ submerged litter to better understand where it’s coming from, and how to prevent it.
Minnesota trees in turmoil due to drastic seasonal changes
Minnesota’s trees are having a tough time. There was barely any snow last winter, leaving roots unprotected. Then the soil became downright swampy after an extremely soggy spring and early summer. Now, conditions have flipped to widespread drought in a matter of weeks.
Minnesota's climate law rollout sparks questions over what counts as 'carbon free'
It’s up to regulators to decide what exactly counts as carbon free — the key question that has arisen is whether burning trash and timber for energy should be a part of the mix.
Fat Bear Week delayed after a large bear kills a rival bear
The scene was relayed by a live webcam of bears on Alaska's Brooks River. “This is very difficult to watch and comprehend,” said Naomi Boak of the nonprofit Katmai Conservancy.
Understanding the cat lore of the 2024 presidential election
The “cat lady” tagline took off this year as an insult and an accolade — now it’s a mainstay in the presidential campaigns and beyond.