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.

October 31, 2022 9:08 AM

Boil water advisory issued for Mounds View

The city of Mounds View on Monday issued what it's calling a “precautionary boil water advisory” after there was a loss of pressure in the city's water mains.

by Andrew Krueger

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October 29, 2022 6:00 AM

Study: Plant-covered ponds are source of greenhouse gases

University of Minnesota researchers found that ponds covered with a floating plant called duckweed produced more methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

by Kirsti Marohn

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October 28, 2022 4:00 AM

An influential energy group sees reason for climate optimism

For the first time, the International Energy Agency projects that demand for fossil fuels will soon peak. It's nowhere close to the speed the world needs to stop climate change — but it's a big step.

by Camila Domonoske

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October 27, 2022 3:00 PM

Renewable jobs boom continues but how long can it last?

There are now 12.7 million jobs worldwide in renewable energy including 700,000 new jobs in the past year alone. The growth of renewable jobs has been impressive — but how long can this boom last?

by Paul Huttner

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October 25, 2022 4:00 AM

Why experts say you shouldn't bag your leaves this fall

It's best to chop up and leave a thin layer of leaves in the grass. Rake excess amounts into a landscape bed or garden.

by James Doubek

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October 24, 2022 5:31 PM

Recycling plastic is practically impossible – and the problem is getting worse

A new report from Greenpeace found that people may be putting plastic into recycling bins — but almost none of it is actually being recycled. Meanwhile, plastic production is ramping up.

by Laura Sullivan

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October 24, 2022 11:46 AM

Car caked with mud this morning? Thank Great Plains dust and a light rain

The combination of high-level winds carrying dust from the Great Plains, and a trace of rain to bring it to the ground, left a dirty patina on cars and trucks across the region Monday morning.

by Tim Nelson

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October 21, 2022 6:17 AM

Western wildfires are making far away storms more dangerous

Scientists are finding that Western wildfires can have far-reaching impacts. If they're burning while Central U.S. thunderstorms are forming, the rain and hail can be dramatically more destructive.

by Lauren Sommer

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October 21, 2022 5:11 AM

Rusty the red panda, who briefly ran free in D.C. in 2013, has unexpectedly died

Rusty the red panda escaped his National Zoo enclosure and was briefly free in Washington, D.C., in 2013. He has died at age 10 of unknown causes.

by Halisia Hubbard

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October 20, 2022 3:00 PM

Trees are dying across the state and it could be due to climate change

Forestry and climate experts say Minnesota’s extreme whiplash between soggy years and extreme drought recently is killing our trees.

by Paul Huttner

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