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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September 27, 2023 11:53 AM

Commander bites again: Biden's dog has nipped another Secret Service officer

President Biden's dog bit several Secret Service agents a total of 10 times between October 2022 and January 2023. On Monday, he bit another officer at the White House.

by Tamara Keith

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September 26, 2023 2:49 PM

A new climate change report offers something unique: hope

Electric vehicles and solar power are growing quickly and offering hope the world could still meet climate change goals.

by Jeff Brady

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September 26, 2023 5:01 AM

The U.S. needs minerals for green tech. Will Western mines have enough water?

As the U.S. plans new mines for copper, lithium and other metals to use in green technologies, mining projects in the West could threaten scarce water supplies.

by Julia Simon

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September 26, 2023 4:00 AM

A vision for green energy — and jobs in underserved communities

As Minnesota moves towards a green economy there will be an increasing demand for people trained to install the acres of solar panels needed to supply clean energy.

by Mathew Holding Eagle III

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September 25, 2023 8:50 AM

Thousands of federal firefighters face a looming pay cut. How much is up to Congress

The bipartisan infrastructure law granted federal firefighters a big pay bump. Amid a looming government shutdown, that wage increase will expire, leaving first responders unsure about their income.

by Ximena Bustillo

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September 25, 2023 8:31 AM

Toymaker Lego will stick to its quest to find sustainable materials despite failed recycle attempt

Denmark’s Lego says it remains committed to its quest to find sustainable materials to reduce carbon emissions, even after an experiment by the world’s largest toymaker to use recycled bottles did not work.

by The Associated Press

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September 24, 2023 8:53 AM

Flamingos in Wisconsin? Tropical birds visit Lake Michigan beach in a first for the northern state

Five flamingos that showed up in Wisconsin to wade along a Lake Michigan beach attracted a big crowd of onlookers eager to see the unusual visitors venturing far from their usual tropical setting.

by The Associated Press

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September 24, 2023 8:00 AM

More Minnesota hunters take a shot at using crossbows for deer hunting

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources expects a shift in how Minnesotans hunt deer as a result of a new law allowing expanded use of the crossbow.

by Dan Gunderson

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September 23, 2023 9:02 AM

Historians race to find Great Lakes shipwrecks before quagga mussels destroy the sites

Historians are racing to locate Great Lakes shipwrecks before a seemingly unstoppable invasive mussel destroys them and erases part of the region's heritage.

by The Associated Press

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September 21, 2023 4:48 PM

United Nations calls for urgent action to protect children's rights

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is expanding its electric school bus program using three million dollars from the state’s settlement with Volkswagen over exaggerated fuel efficiency claims.

by Paul Huttner and Ngoc Bui

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