Climate Cast ®

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Climate Cast
MPR News

MPR meteorologist Paul Huttner discusses the latest research on our changing climate and the consequences we’re seeing here in Minnesota and worldwide. Hear Climate Cast each Thursday on MPR’s All Things Considered.

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Trump’s cabinet picks could reshape U.S. climate policy
Kiley Price with Inside Climate News spoke to MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner about what three Donald Trump cabinet picks could mean for the future of climate policy and renewable energy progress.
Xcel Energy asks for a 13 percent rate increase to fund infrastructure investments
The demand for electricity in Minnesota is growing, and that means costs are going up, too. Xcel Energy has requested a 13 percent rate increase over the next two years and plans to increase capital spending by $11 billion over the next five years. Walker Orenstein, a reporter at the Minnesota Star Tribune, said the utility plans to make major infrastructure investments.
Climate Cast: Weak La Niña may mean snowy winter is on deck
Last winter was the warmest on record in Minnesota — a perfect non-storm of conditions that included a strong El Niño combined with warming climate trends. But this year will be different thanks to a weak La Niña developing in the Pacific, said Kenny Blumenfeld, who tracks Minnesota’s climate trends with the Minnesota State Climatologist office in St. Paul.
Grants help Minnesota farmers deal with extreme weather
Minnesota is experiencing its fourth straight year of flash drought — and farmers are feeling the effects in their fields. Agweek reporter Noah Fish joined MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner to talk about how grants are helping farmers adapt to extreme weather. 
Climate scientist and mom addresses work-life balance in new book
Climate scientist Anna Farro Henderson talks about balancing a career in politics, climate science with motherhood, a subject she explores in her new book “Core Samples: A Climate Scientist’s Experiments in Politics and Motherhood.”
‘Fingerprints of a warming world’ evident in Minnesota climate trends
Minnesota’s climate continues to shift. The trend toward warmer winters and more erratic precipitation patterns continues. Heidi Roop, the director of Minnesota’s Climate Adaptation Partnership, said these are the signs of a “warming world.”
Climate advocates support Walz, but Harris-Walz climate platform still unclear
Gov. Tim Walz is on the 2024 presidential ticket. So what does his climate record look like? MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner talks to journalist Kristoffer Tigue about Walz’s climate agenda.
Methane is rising as a potent greenhouse gas
Methane is being released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate. Climate and science reporter Sarah Kaplan explains the power of this greenhouse gas and how it’s warming the planet. 
Author of ‘The Parrot and the Igloo’ examines the history of climate change deniers
David Lipsky, author of “The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial,” talks about the history of climate change and those who deny the science behind human-caused climate change.