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.
Skeptical lawmakers in both parties ripped the proposal as misguided, particularly for rural Minnesota.
The measure, deemed the “coal holiday bill,” got its first hearing in a Minnesota House committee on Tuesday.
“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.
Around the world, communities are using “Rights of Nature” laws to defend waterways, species and more from human threats.
Endangered species protections means wolves generally can’t be killed unless they are threatening human life.
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.
A developer is pursuing city financing to build an aquifer thermal energy system as an alternative to natural gas.
Energy-conscious retrofits can dramatically reduce the carbon footprint of housing without the need to start from scratch.
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.
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.
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.”
It’s not just glaciers that are disappearing as the planet warms.
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.
More than 150 people have applied so far for the new 15-member committee created to help the governor create and implement climate change policy.
The court’s decision is a setback for the proposed copper-nickel mine near Hoyt Lakes, but it’s far from the only potential problem. PolyMet is facing additional litigation, including a case over a water permit that will go before a district court next week.
While EVs are becoming more popular, home charging is still rare in multifamily housing, and correcting that imbalance has increasingly become a priority for state officials, environmental groups and Xcel Energy.
U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum, the top House budget writer for environmental agencies such as the EPA, called the spending plan “a complete rejection of the destructive budget cuts proposed by the Trump administration.”
From PolyMet to presidential politics, a look at the top environmental issues in Minnesota heading into 2020.
Twin Metals submitted a plan to regulators Wednesday for a copper-nickel mine on the doorstep of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, formally kicking off what is likely to be a multi-year environmental review process.
