Think small and local: Young farmers creating new food systems in northeastern Minnesota
A new generation of small growers is stepping into the complex world of farming. They hope to change our fragile agricultural systems.
Environment
No more ‘range anxiety’? How the MPCA, companies hope to allay a nagging concern about electric cars
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will fund the installation of as many as 38 “fast-charging” stations across the state – from Fairmont in the south to Warroad on the Canadian border.
Judge finds Minnesota regulators largely followed rules on key PolyMet permit, despite efforts to avoid bad press
The ruling comes out of a lawsuit brought by a coalition of environmental nonprofits and the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, which had accused the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency of trying to bend rules to suppress criticism from the Environmental Protection Agency.
What a progressive DFLer’s primary victory in Duluth says (and doesn’t say) about politics and environmental policy in northern Minnesota
Though plenty of DFLers in northern Minnesota support two copper-nickel mining projects proposed for the region, PolyMet and Twin Metals, Jen McEwen says Duluth residents have pent-up demand for a “more progressive politics.”
MPCA unveils pilot program to fund six electric school buses in Minnesota
The agency is using money from the state’s share of a $2.9 billion settlement the federal government reached in 2016 with Volkswagen over the German car maker’s violation of emissions standards.
How the city of Baxter, in Minnesota lakes country, added 638 acres of woods to its footprint
The woodlands next to Camp Ripley, part of a landscape area designated for protection from development, promise to provide a wealth of hiking, canoeing and other outdoor pursuits.
New U of M research could make waves in fight over wakesurfing
Without state money, University of Minnesota researchers have turned to an unusual source to finance the project: crowdfunding.
Phasing out: Utilities, cities prepare for the end of coal-fired energy in Minnesota
The state’s largest utilities are planning to phase out most of their coal-fired plants by the end of the decade.
Water wars: Can a Sebeka farmer grow potatoes in the sandy soils of central Minnesota?
Tim Nolte’s irrigation proposal has become a highly charged, if small, part of a larger and ongoing debate about corporate farming, growing methods and the future of family farms.
University of Minnesota study shows declines in air pollution during the COVID pandemic
The study looked at nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter – types of pollution that can cause several health issues, including cardiovascular, respiratory and neurological illnesses.
‘We don’t know what else is out there.’ Five ways new diseases emerge — and what we can do about them
From forests and farms to our own backyards, there’s a lot we can do to reduce future risks of pandemic outbreaks.
Planning to visit a Minnesota state park this holiday weekend? You won’t be alone
Since the coronavirus pandemic has shut down many other activities, parks in Minnesota have seen record numbers of visitors.
Greater Minnesota solar projects highlight utility plans for speeding up the green economy
“It was nice to see that they gave us a lot to work with,” said Joseph Sullivan, the utilities commissioner who first floated the idea for sped-up projects in May. “They really stepped up.”
Hawk Creek Watershed Project: How one Minnesota conservation group helps keep its local waters clean
Over the past three years, the HCWP has garnered about 25 percent of the federal funds that have been granted to watershed agencies in Minnesota – money those groups use for drainage ditches, embankments, rain gardens and other projects designed to protect local waters.
Can energy companies help Minnesota’s economy recover from the COVID pandemic?
MPUC Commissioner Joseph Sullivan challenged the state’s major energy companies to speed up the completion of projects that could put people to work.
Twenty petitions and 10,000 comments: A look at the public response to the Enbridge Line 3 water permit
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has agreed to review concerns about its permit for the Enbridge Line 3 project after four groups and 16 individuals petitioned the agency for a “contested case hearing.”
Minnesota Legislature approves bill requiring video coverage of influential conservation council
The bill requires that any meeting at the Minnesota Capitol of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, which recommends millions in state spending on conservation projects, must be streamed live and archived online.
Pair of clean energy initiatives poised for passage by Minnesota Legislature
One bill poised to pass the Legislature would overhaul a program requiring utilities to slash energy each year; another would spend more than $60 million on clean energy projects.
What are Joe Biden’s views on two of the most controversial environmental projects in Minnesota?
Biden never addressed the Line 3 or Twin Metals projects during his presidential primary campaign, and he has continued to avoid taking a stand since becoming the likely Democratic nominee.
Destruction of habitat and loss of biodiversity are creating the perfect conditions for diseases like COVID-19 to emerge
“There’s misapprehension among scientists and the public that natural ecosystems are the source of threats to ourselves. It’s a mistake,” said scientist Richard Ostfeld. “Nature poses threats, it is true, but it’s human activities that do the real damage.”
