For now, you can still go for a walk in the woods, says Minnesota DNR
The DNR said Monday it will keep its parks, recreation areas, campgrounds and other public lands open for the time being.
Environment
The battle over ‘wake surfing’ has made its way to the Minnesota Legislature
A contingent of homeowners and environmental advocates say a proposal to keep wake surfing 200 feet from shore, docks, and swimmers in Minnesota won’t be effective.
Why CenterPoint Energy is pushing to test ‘renewable’ natural gas. And why some environmental groups are so skeptical of it.
As environmentalists call to replace the fossil fuel with electricity in buildings, CenterPoint Energy, the largest gas utility operating in Minnesota, has been pushing to test “renewable natural gas” (RNG) and other alternative fuels to bring down emissions.
Animals large and small once covered North America’s prairies – and in some places, they could again
Scientists know surprisingly little about today’s remnant biodiversity in the grasslands – especially the status of what we call “big small mammals,” such as badgers, foxes, jackrabbits and porcupines.
Conservation concerns led to creation of Minnesota’s Nerstrand Big Woods State Park
Between 1934 and 1945, many local advocacy and state legislative efforts were introduced to preserve the Nerstrand Woods as the last sizable remnant of Minnesota’s “Big Woods.”
Why Greater Minnesota lawmakers aren’t thrilled about the state’s new ‘Clean Cars’ rules
Skeptical lawmakers in both parties ripped the proposal as misguided, particularly for rural Minnesota.
Coal play: How lawmakers want to encourage seasonally cutting coal use in Minnesota
The measure, deemed the “coal holiday bill,” got its first hearing in a Minnesota House committee on Tuesday.
Some of Minnesota’s most important conservation hearings aren’t videotaped. Lawmakers are trying to change that.
“There’s a different level of accountability when someone can see a video of you,” said state Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, a Roseville DFLer who sits on the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council.
Can we protect nature by giving it legal rights?
Around the world, communities are using “Rights of Nature” laws to defend waterways, species and more from human threats.
In the 1970s, some Minnesota farmers were very upset about a plan to route power lines across their fields
Even after the towers for the power line were installed, they were targets for vandalism.
Here’s how much Minnesota has paid out for wolf kills of livestock over the last two decades
Endangered species protections means wolves generally can’t be killed unless they are threatening human life.
2020 Legislature to offer dueling visions for energy policy in face of climate change
House DFLers and Senate Republicans have promised to try to compromise on energy policy this year. But key leaders remain sharply divided and appear pessimistic about finding common ground.
MinnPost Picks: Swing-state fracking, tested democracy and WaPo’s ‘clickbait factory’
Our weekly roundup of great stories from around the web, as recommended by MinnPost’s staff and contributing journalists.
Proposal would heat, cool Minneapolis food hall, apartments with groundwater
A developer is pursuing city financing to build an aquifer thermal energy system as an alternative to natural gas.
More and more homeowners are renovating homes to make them ‘net zero’ energy consumers. Here’s how.
Energy-conscious retrofits can dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of housing without the need to start from scratch.
‘Wiggle room,’ deleted emails, and a controversial phone call: What we learned after five days of testimony in the PolyMet hearing
Everyone concedes the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s handling of a water pollution permit for the controversial PolyMet project was far from normal. The big question is whether it was improper.
How Minnesota students are combating climate change, one school building at a time
From eliminating single-use plastic items to pressing school boards to commit to 100 percent clean energy, Minnesota students are changing how schools respond to climate change.
Former EPA official: Minnesota regulators wanted PolyMet critiques kept out of public comment to avoid ‘press’
Kevin Pierard, who oversaw the permit at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said state officials asked him to submit concerns after a public comment period because, among other things, the critique would “create a good deal of press.”
What climate change means for the future of ice fishing in Minnesota
It’s not just glaciers that are disappearing as the planet warms.
News outlets challenge PolyMet’s attempt to block recordings of court hearing
The Star Tribune and MinnPost argue the public has “inherent interest” in learning about how the case is resolved and that such recordings would provide greater transparency and ensure accurate reporting.
