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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As the Endangered Species Act turns 50, those who first enforced it reflect on its mixed legacy
On Dec. 28, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act. The powerful law charged the federal government with saving every endangered plant and animal in America. It enjoyed nearly unanimous bipartisan support but soon became controversial. 
This oil company invests in pulling CO2 out of the sky — so it can keep selling crude
A technology that could help combat climate change is being championed by an unlikely proponent: Occidental Petroleum, a big oil company. And that's raising all kinds of knotty issues.
From roadkill to research: Collect dead wildlife to help science
A new statewide network is launching in Minnesota with a goal to create a large database to track ecosystem changes and monitor environmental health into the future.
Along the North Shore, sleepy Silver Bay embraces development to put itself 'on the map'
Construction is set to begin on a nearly $25 million development of townhomes and vacation rentals in Silver Bay, the first of several projects to reinvent the city originally built as a mining company town.
DNR plans changes to protect native rough fish
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources plans expanded research and regulatory changes to better protect native fish species long overlooked by the agency. The recommendations are part of a new report to the state Legislature on native rough fish conservation.
Minneapolis looks to fund climate action through minor hike in gas and energy bills
Anyone getting gas and electricity service in Minneapolis will see an estimated one dollar increase in their bills come next year. It’s a part of the city’s Climate Legacy Initiative and officials say it will raise an additional $10 million each year starting in 2024 for climate action.