At CNN town hall, Klobuchar lays out her moderate approach to the climate crisis
On fracking, coal and nuclear power Klobuchar outlined a more cautious approach than some of her rivals for the Democratic nomination.
Environment
Legislative auditor to investigate MPCA’s role in Water Gremlin controversy
In March, Water Gremlin agreed to pay $7 million in a legal settlement with Minnesota Pollution Control Agency over emissions of the carcinogen TCE. Yet the agency has also drawn the ire of some White Bear residents for not catching the the problems sooner.
Why the Green New Deal is a touchy subject for Minnesota labor unions
Unions are split on the Green New Deal — a broad set of climate, energy and economic proposals — if not on the need to address climate change.
Why some of the fastest-warming counties in the U.S. are in Minnesota
Kittson and Roseau counties have seen average temperatures increase by 2.4 degrees Celsius over the last century.
Elizabeth Warren comes out against Line 3 and Twin Metals, and Minnesota construction unions are not happy
“We really don’t care if you’re Republican or Democrat,” said Mike Syversrud, president of the Iron Range Building and Construction Trades Council. “We want people who will support local union jobs and creating more local jobs for everybody.”
MinnPost’s illustrated guide to municipal composting
What can go in the compost bin? MinnPost breaks it down.
Huge wildfires in the Arctic and far North send a planetary warning
This summer, more than 600 wildfires have consumed more than 2.4 million acres of forest across Alaska. Fires are raging in northern Canada. In Siberia, choking smoke from 13 million acres is blanketing towns and cities.
A dam collapse in Brazil has some worried about PolyMet’s plans. Why the DNR says it won’t happen here
The disaster in Brazil raised eyebrows among opponents of the PolyMet copper-nickel mine planned near Hoyt Lakes. That’s because the design of the dam in Brumadinho was similar to one PolyMet hopes to use for its project.
‘I think we can do things right. It’s my job to make sure we do’: a Q&A with Gov. Tim Walz on PolyMet, Twin Metals and the DFL’s mining rift
In a wide-ranging interview, the DFL governor talked about his support for PolyMet, his skepticism of Glencore, and his questions about Twin Metals, which wants to build a mine just outside the Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
Step inside Minnesota’s only lab for detecting CWD — the mad cow disease of deer
The current procedure takes about two weeks and requires sending tissue samples to Michigan for processing.
In Minneapolis, Al Gore weighs in on Line 3 — and whether Minnesota can make a difference on climate change
Gore was in Minneapolis for three days to train activists in his Climate Reality Project, a nonprofit focused on building political support to address climate change.
Should the state of Minnesota compensate farmers for buffer land?
Several measures to compensate farmers for buffer land were proposed at the Legislature this year, including a $50-an-acre tax credit endorsed by Gov. Tim Walz. None of the proposals passed.
The state says pollution contributes to thousands of deaths each year in Minnesota. The hard part: what to do about it
The study also shows that certain groups of Minnesotans — including people of color, the very young, the very old, and those without adequate access to health care — are disproportionately affected by pollution.
From ‘they need it’ to ‘it’s going to destroy the land,’ people in Ely have a lot of thoughts about Twin Metals
Amid the debate over copper-nickel mining near the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, we asked people at Ely’s annual Blueberry/Arts Festival whether they believe a Twin Metals mine should be built.
Enbridge’s Line 3 project is becoming an issue in the 2020 presidential race
Jay Inslee is the second Democratic presidential candidate to take a stance on Enbridge’s Line 3, a $2.6 billion project that would travel 337 miles across Minnesota.
Should BWCA permits be handed out by lottery (again)?
Since February, Rep. Pete Stauber has been pushing a bill that would switch all reservations in the BWCA back to a lottery system — clashing with the Trump administration in the process.
A new generation of leaders understands that individual actions won’t fix our environmental problems
An increasing number of influential office holders and thinkers are calling for policies that go far beyond tinkering. To overhaul our energy system and preserve threatened ecosystems, they recognize that we must aggressively disrupt the status quo.
Twin Metals changes its plan to deal with mine waste — to a strategy lauded by some environmentalists
In a major shift, Twin Metals says it plans to store much of the waste from its proposed mine using the “dry stack” method, an emerging technology that some argue is a better strategy for preventing water pollution.
How does Minnesota know its loon population is healthy? It counts them
Keeping track of Minnesota’s state bird requires the efforts of a network of hundreds of volunteers.
Climate change is affecting crop yields and reducing global food supplies
In some Corn Belt states, such as Indiana and Illinois, climate change is shaving up to 8% off of annual corn yields. At the same time, it has boosted annual yields in Iowa and Minnesota by approximately 2.8%.
