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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FAQ: Annual climate negotiations are about to start. Do they matter?
World leaders, climate experts and oil company executives converge on Dubai later this week to talk about climate change at the United Nations COP28 meeting. Here's what you need to know.
Research reveals more secrets of where wolves hunt in northern Minnesota and their impact on forests
Research published in the past month by scientists with the Voyageurs Wolf Project reveals further insights into how and where wolves in far northern Minnesota hunt for their prey, and how in some cases that hunting can have a profound impact on the region’s forests. 
To save the climate, the oil and gas sector must slash planet-warming operations, report says
The oil and gas sector, one of the major emitters of planet-warming gases, will need a rapid and substantial overhaul for the world to avoid even worse extremes fueled by human-caused climate change.
Electrical trouble shuts down Prairie Island reactor
Minnesota’s Prairie Island nuclear power plant is offline after an electrical problem in one of its reactors coincided with a planned refueling shutdown in the other. Xcel Energy says there are no concerns with the reactor itself.
Judge throws out lawsuit by southeastern Minnesota dairy farm seeking to triple in size
Environmental advocates, including the Land Stewardship Project, opposed the expansion. They said the additional manure generated by a larger operation would increase the risk of water pollution in a region where nitrate in groundwater already is a problem.
The journey of Minnesota's Rutt the moose is tracked by a herd of fans
A moose on the loose in southern Minnesota has gained a herd of thousands of followers hoping to see the animal's journey end safely. The young male moose was spotted Tuesday northwest of Minneapolis.
Tackling the 'big brown spot': Keeping fields in living cover could be path to reducing nitrate
Commercial fertilizer and manure applied to crop farms is a major source of nitrate in Minnesota’s water. A new report finds planting crops that keep the soil covered year-round benefits both the environment and farmers.