Bill seeks to increase electronics recycling in Minnesota, and make it freeApril 22, 2024 4:00 AMBy Kirsti MarohnA proposed bill would update Minnesota’s 17-year-old electronics waste law to include all e-waste, and make recycling electronics free for all Minnesotans. Supporters say it would help keep electronics out of the waste stream, where they pose an environmental and fire risk and waste valuable materials.
Startups want to geoengineer a cooler planet. With few rules, experts see big risksApril 21, 2024 8:42 AMBy Julia Simon In a parking lot and on San Francisco Bay, NPR witnesses two different tests for solar geoengineering to tackle climate change. With much science unsettled, experts say regulations aren't keeping up.
Ramsey and Washington counties launch innovative food scrap recycling programApril 21, 2024 7:00 AMBy Matt MikusA pioneering food scrap recycling program is being expanded to selected communities within Ramsey and Washington counties, providing residents with a solution to recycle their food waste.
BNSF says it didn't know about asbestos that's killed hundreds in Montana townApril 20, 2024 10:10 AMBy The Associated PressBNSF Railway attorneys told Montana the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town. Libby, Montana, is among the deadliest sites in the federal Superfund pollution program. The estates of the deceased plaintiffs say dust from a rail yard sickened and killed them.
EPA designates 2 forever chemicals as hazardous substances, eligible for Superfund cleanupApril 19, 2024 8:45 AMBy The Associated PressThe Environmental Protection Agency has designated two forever chemicals used in cookware, carpets and firefighting foams as hazardous substances. Friday’s action is intended to ensure quicker cleanup of the toxic compounds and require those responsible for contamination to pay for its removal.
Play3min 56secExpert: Large scale PFAS removal will take ingenuity, deep pocketsApril 18, 2024 5:32 PMBy Tom Crann, Josh Cobb, and Ngoc BuiUniversity of Minnesota Environmental Health Sciences Professor Matt Simcik and All Things Considered Host Tom Crann, discussed the new federal limits on PFAS chemicals in drinking water.
Play4min 45secAs hurricanes get more powerful, some scientists suggest a new category sixApril 18, 2024 3:31 PMBy Paul Huttner and Ngoc BuiThat’s out of a recent study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences looking at the link between stronger hurricanes and climate change.
St. Paul iron foundry faces deadline to fix pollutionApril 18, 2024 11:23 AMBy Estelle Timar-WilcoxThe Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says recent emission records from Northern Iron and Machine Foundry in the Payne-Phalen neighborhood indicate excessive pollution. Regulators say it is “highly likely” that the foundry is emitting levels of lead and particulate matter over federal air quality standards.
Wildfire smoke contributes to thousands of deaths each year in the U.S. April 18, 2024 4:30 AMBy Alejandra Borunda Two new studies show the unseen toll smoke is taking on people across the country. Climate change is likely to make the problem even bigger.
Coral reefs can't keep up with climate change. So scientists are speeding up evolutionApril 17, 2024 4:00 AMBy Lauren Sommer and Ryan Kellman Climate change is heating oceans faster than the world's coral reefs can handle. So scientists are breeding corals that can withstand hotter temperatures — but only to a point.