As we flip back in our mental Rolodex to remember the standout cultural and artistic happenings of 2019, we can generally sort the year’s events into three piles: good, bad, and…complicated. With a quick glance at the year’s headlines, things might appear grim: world leaders are running amok, and irreversible climate change is becoming … [ Read more]
Back to the Earth: When it comes to after-death care and burials, green is the new black
September 30, 2019 by
It might not be the most pleasant topic to think about, but it is a part of life: we are all going to die. But how can we die better? Many Americans are reflecting on this question and recognizing that their carbon footprint extends past death, shunning traditional burials in the process. Over half (53.8%) … [ Read more]
Make The Lakes Great Again
May 29, 2018 by
The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative restores and maintains the largest freshwater system in the world For Ron Zalesny, a plant geneticist with the U.S. Forest Service, 15 landfills within the Lake Superior and Lake Michigan watersheds are places that hold promise. Promise for a better watershed, a better understanding of the ecosystem, and ultimately, a … [ Read more]
Green Parties: Minnesota musicians and entrepreneurs reducing their impact one tour at a time
March 28, 2018 by
T he sun has set, the band’s last lingering note has faded, and the fans are headed towards the exits. What’s left on the ground? Hopefully, just the sweat and emotions from a long day of outdoor music. That’s the goal of an increasing number of artists, venues, and companies working to reduce the environmental … [ Read more]
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency offering big grants to breweries to reduce waste
April 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) is currently offering grants for food waste reduction and toxic chemical use reduction at Minnesota breweries. Grants up to $75,000 are available to minimize food waste, such as diverting spent grain that otherwise would be managed as solid waste. Another $40,000 is available for alternatives to sanitizers and cleaners … [ Read more]
12 green myths put to the test
March 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Green. Eco-friendly. Sustainable. Every day we’re told what’s OK and what’s not when considering how to best treat the Earth. But how much of that advice is factually sound and how much of it is just another old wives’ tale? We dig into some of the most assumed-to-be-true green practices to see which ones check … [ Read more]
MN signs off on PolyMet Mine environmental review
March 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
The state signed off today, March 3, on the decade-long environmental review of the first copper- nickel mine proposed for the Iron Range, marking a major turning point in the most contentious environmental fight Minnesota has had in years, reports The Star Tribune. Next will come what is likely to be a heated debate about how to … [ Read more]
Red Lake Nation announces plans to go solar
February 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Tribal leaders of The Red Lake Nation recently announced plans to install 15 megawatts worth of solar panels across the rooftops of their largest buildings, reports Minnesota Public Radio. When they’re done, the panels will generate enough power to light every bulb in the tribe’s three casinos, the tribal college, and all government buildings. It’s … [ Read more]
Lake Superior one of the fastest warming lakes on Earth
January 28, 2016 by Leave a Comment
A new study released by NASA and the National Science Foundation in December shows that lakes are warming faster than the oceans, reports MPR News. The study focused on 235 lakes on six continents over 25 years and concluded that lakes are warming at an average rate of 0.61 degrees Fahrenheit every decade. Four of the five … [ Read more]
2015 the hottest year on record by a long shot
January 20, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Last year was the Earth’s hottest year on record, surpassing more than a century of high temperature marks by a wide margin, reports the Associated Press. The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration and NASA say 2015 was by far the hottest year in 136 years of record keeping. NOAA says 2015’s average temperature was 58.62 degrees … [ Read more]
Honeybees win round one in federal fight vs. pesticides
January 7, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Bee lovers (and anyone who likes food) rejoice: Federal regulators said for the first time Wednesday that one of the most widely used and controversial pesticides in agriculture—neonicotinoids—is harmful to pollinators when used on some crops, reports Star Tribune. The EPA issued the finding as part of its first scientific risk assessment of the pesticides and … [ Read more]
