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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.

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.

Minn. could have to reduce carbon by 40% under new rule

Minn. could have to reduce carbon by 40% under new rule

The EPA's carbon rules are expected to change the way energy markets work, favoring low-carbon energy options including nuclear, wind and solar.
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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Obama administration proposes 30% cut in power plant carbon emissions

The Obama administration released a plan Monday that cuts power plant carbon dioxide emissions by nearly a third over the next 15 years.

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EPA seeks to cut power plant carbon by 30%

EPA seeks to cut power plant carbon by 30%

The Environmental Protection Agency on Monday will roll out a plan to cut carbon dioxide emissions from power plants by 30 percent by 2030, setting the first national limits on the chief gas linked to global warming.

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Sewage warning on Lake Minnetonka

The MPCA gave Mound permission to release the sewage in order to keep waste water from backing up into the basements of around 1,000 homes in the city.
by Peter Cox

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States move to blunt Obama carbon plan

States move to blunt Obama carbon plan

The push against Obama's new carbon emission standards has been strongest in some states that have large coal-mining industries or rely heavily on coal to fuel their electricity.
by The Associated Press

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Study finds medical pot farms draining streams dry

Study finds medical pot farms draining streams dry

State fish and wildlife officials say much of the marijuana being grown in northern counties under California's medical pot law is not being used for legal, personal use, but for sale both in California and states where pot is still illegal.
by The Associated Press

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Minneapolis' biggest buildings enlisted to fight climate change

Minneapolis' biggest buildings enlisted to fight climate change

The largest buildings in Minneapolis must meet a June 1 deadline to report their energy and water use to the city. That data will eventually become public, and city officials hope it will lead those who manage and use those buildings to find ways to use less energy.
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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Your take: The Tucson water use model

Your take: The Tucson water use model

MPR News' water reporting from Tucson generated a strong response from listeners and readers. Hear what some said about potential lessons for Minnesota and join the conversation.
by Michael Olson

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Rain Man: How one Tucson resident harvests the rain

Rain Man: How one Tucson resident harvests the rain

Brad Lancaster, perhaps the nation's expert on capturing and using rainwater, creates an oasis in the desert where he lives. And what he used to do illegally is now sanctioned by the city and imitated by neighbors.
by Dan Kraker

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Zebra mussels infest Crooked Lake in N Minn.

Biologists from the Fond du Lac Band of Chippewa found zebra mussels on an aluminum can in Crooked Lake in Lake County, DNR officials said today. Further searches of the lake found more zebra mussels.
by Tom Weber

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