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.

Solar fence stops snow and generates electricity
Minnesota uses miles of snow fences to catch blowing snow before it drifts onto roadways in a typical winter. At a one-of-a-kind test site near Moorhead, researchers are finding a year-round use for the snow fence.
Report pushes for more EPA regulations of carbon capture projects
As more places, including ours, pursue carbon capture projects, what rules and monitoring mechanisms need to be in place to make sure things work as intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
Warm weather forces park officials to suspend Isle Royale wolf count for first time in decades
The National Park Service suspended the count Tuesday out of concerns that warm weather has left the ice surrounding the island unsafe for the ski-planes the researchers use in their surveys. Regional temperatures have been above freezing for the last week.
How mapping 'heat islands' can help cities prepare for extreme heat
Oklahoma City and several other cities last year worked with NOAA to map neighborhoods to find out how heat impacts neighborhoods. The data can help cities prepare and adapt to a warmer world.
'Just a teeny little trickle': Checking in on maple syrup flows in unusually warm January
Jim Morrison, owner of Sapsucker Farms in Mora, drilled a hole and tapped his maple trees Wednesday morning to see if they are ready to flow.
How are Minnesota's trees faring during this warm winter? An expert explains
The weirdly warm and dry weather has potential consequences for the natural world, including Minnesota’s trees. Lee Frelich, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Forest Ecology, shared his insight with MPR News host Cathy Wurzer on Morning Edition.