Climate

SW Minn. wind-solar hybrid project brings renewable hope, cultural concerns
A possible hurdle, as the project aims for regulatory approval, is its proximity to the Jeffers Petroglyphs historical and cultural site in Comfrey — home to an estimated 5,000 sacred rock carvings, made over the span of 7,000 years on an outcropping of Sioux quartzite. Today, it remains an active ceremonial site for Native American prayers and ceremony.
Expect low ice years on Lake Superior to continue
This year, Lake Superior saw its lowest January ice levels in 48 years. While there will be outliers, scientists expect the trend to continue.
Biden boosts offshore wind energy, wants to power 10M homes
The Biden administration is moving to sharply increase offshore wind energy along the East Coast, saying Monday it is taking initial steps toward approving a huge wind farm off the New Jersey coast as part of an effort to generate electricity for more than 10 million homes nationwide by 2030.
Minnesota home insurance premiums tripled as extreme weather increased
Damage from three storms in 1998 alone cost more than those during the previous 40 years combined. Since then, the pace of costly storms hasn’t let up.
 How climate change impacts health
Host Angela Davis talks to MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner and two Minnesota doctors about the health impacts of warm winters, heavy rains, more pollen, wildfire smoke and the other effects of climate change.
NOAA upgrades forecasts as climate change drives more severe storms
The computer model that predicts the weather is getting more power. Climate change is upping the stakes for forecasters as extreme weather gets more common and residents demand earlier warnings.
Minnesota may add climate impacts to environmental review
Changes to Minnesota's environmental review program would require proposers to add up their project’s carbon footprint — and consider ways to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change.
California has a new idea for homes at risk from rising seas: Buy, rent, retreat
Sea level rise is threatening billions of dollars’ worth of coastal property. A California lawmaker is proposing a novel way to retreat from the threat: buying and then renting out properties as long as they're habitable.
Hurricanes keep showing up early — forecasts are catching up
The National Hurricane Center is getting a head start this year by releasing its tropical weather outlook two weeks earlier.