Environmental News

MPR News is your source for environment news from Minnesota and across the country.

Getting to Green: Minnesota’s energy future

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Minn. regulators approve site permit for huge solar project
Geronimo Energy's Aurora project will build up to 21 solar generation facilities across the state to supply electricity to Xcel Energy customers.
DNR researchers hope iFish app nets loads of data
DNR researchers have relied on time-consuming and expensive surveys to compile that information. But they are rethinking that approach in favor of the nearly ubiquitous smartphone.
DNR readies stiff fines for farmers caught illegally pumping water
Hoping to protect Minnesota's groundwater amid an irrigation boom, officials this season will have new power to levy up to $20,000 fines without going to court. Enforcement begins next month.
To the delight of environmentalists, Gov. Mark Dayton vetoed a bill that would have eliminated a citizen's board of The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. But what does the board do?
Bird watching: Endangered piping plovers spotted in Duluth
Conservationists in Duluth are hopeful that an endangered bird is on the cusp of nesting in the area for the first time in more than 30 years.
Mosquitoes: A summer survival guide
Minnesotans know: A beautiful summer day can suddenly turn treacherous at dusk. That's when the mosquitoes come out in force.
Duluth library's seed-sharing program restocked
Gov. Mark Dayton has signed a law that exempts seed libraries and individuals from rules that require seeds to be tested and labeled before they are sold or given away.
To save moose, coalition spends millions on habitat
Government agencies, tribes and nonprofit groups are spending millions to plant trees and restore forests in northeast Minnesota so moose will have the food and shelter they need to survive.
Divers doing follow-up searches this week found 10 zebra mussels in the popular west metropolitan lake. The invasive pests were found just outside a treated area.
Future of Minnesota solar energy: What you need to know
A new report from MIT says solar is an important source of renewable energy as the consequences of climate change become more urgent. How can Minnesota leverage the potential of solar?