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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.

Warming planet could make big floods more likely

Warming planet could make big floods more likely

This week on Climate Cast, meteorologist Paul Huttner joins us to examine how a warming planet could make "megafloods" more likely. We'll also take a look at FEMA's new flood maps that significantly expand flood zones.

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Input sought on changes to DNR endangered species list

Input sought on changes to DNR endangered species list

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources wants the public to weigh in on whether it should consider moose, Canada lynx, and about 180 other plant and animal species to be endangered, threatened or of special concern.
by Elizabeth Dunbar

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The inconvenient truth about polar bears

In 2008 Zac Unger decided to write a book about polar bears, the quintessential requiem of how human-caused climate change was killing off these magnificent beasts. In the end, he came away with something totally different.

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Red Cliff: Lake barrels contain explosives

The Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa says military waste barrels retrieved from Lake Superior contain active explosives.

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Ag Dept. reports new ash borer infestations

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says there are three new emerald ash borer infestations in the Twin Cities.
by Rupa Shenoy

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Wolf hunt opponents gather to plan strategy

Opponents of Minnesota's wolf hunt planned to gather on the Bemidji State University campus on Saturday to explore ways to stop or alter the hunt.
by Tom Robertson

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Zebra mussel larvae in Lake Winnibigoshish

The DNR will add Lake Winnibigoshish in north central Minnesota to its list of waters infested with zebra mussels.
by Tom Robertson

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Minn. Power to convert coal plant to gas

Duluth-based Minnesota Power plans to convert one of its old coal-fired power plants to natural gas, and to close another one.
by Stephanie Hemphill

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Competing goals apparent in new policy on old forest

Competing goals apparent in new policy on old forest

The built-in conflicts that come with the competing missions at the Minnesota DNR are evident in debate over a new policy on older forests. The agency is changing a 20-year-old policy designed to produce a minimum amount of older forests, while listing species because of concern about habitat loss in that forest ecosystem.
by Stephanie Hemphill

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