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.

Lawmakers approve tougher enforcement, penalties for water permit violators
The bill gives state regulators stronger authority to crack down on violators who pump more water than they're permitted. Farmers worry they could face hefty fines if they overdraw to keep their crops alive during a drought.
Lake Superior: Honoring and protecting Minnesota’s natural wonder
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. MPR News guest host Dan Kraker talks with a scientist, two artists and people who dip into its icy waters about the special relationships Minnesotans have with this natural wonder and how the lake is threatened by climate change.
Xcel Energy breaks ground on Sherco solar project
The 460-megawatt solar project will be the largest in the Upper Midwest, and is expected to produce electricity to power 100,000 homes. It’s part of Xcel’s plan to expand solar resources to replace power plants that run on fossil fuels and produce greenhouse gases.
Roof Depot deal taps $6.5 million in state funding
The purchase would be a turning point in the nearly decade-long debate over the Roof Depot. It’s a win for local activists, who want to turn the site into an urban farm, community center and housing for unhoused people.
The U.S. is expanding CO2 pipelines. One poisoned town wants you to know its story
Companies are building carbon dioxide pipelines as a possible climate solution. But after a pipeline rupture sent dozens to the hospital in a Mississippi town, there are questions about their safety.
More than half of the world's largest lakes are shrinking. Here's why that matters
Human actions have caused "significant declines" in the amount of water stored in 53 percent of the planet's largest lakes and reservoirs. Climate change and overconsumption are the primary drivers.