| Environment

Chloe Johnson covers climate and other environmental issues for the Star Tribune and the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, a consortium of 10 news organizations. She is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms.


Sealing up your home can fight climate change

An Edina woman knew her house could get drafty in the winter, so she signed up for a home energy audit to find out where cold and heat were getting in.


What a renter can do to fight climate change

Behavioral change, personal investments and even a conversation with your landlord can help reduce the carbon emissions from your rental home or apartment.


State says 10 water systems in the metro have unsafe levels of PFAS, under new EPA rule

It could cost $1 billion to remove PFAS or "forever chemicals" from Minnesota water supplies alone, but advocates say the costs are worth it to protect public health.


Minneapolis foundry failed to protect workers from breathing hazards, state inspectors say

Smith Foundry is contesting seven violations and penalties from the Minnesota Occupational Safety and Health Administration, with fines totaling $15,300.


AI could help track farm country's carbon emissions, U study says

A new study from the University of Minnesota suggests a machine learning model could help solve the tricky question of where planet-warming gases are escaping from soil.


Man shot in Minneapolis in front of his two toddlers, police say

There have been no arrests so far in the incident.


Dark history, hopes for future mix as Minnesota transfers state park to Dakota tribe

At a ceremony officially handing former state park lands back to Dakota tribe, Gov. Tim Walz bemoaned past treatment of tribes by the U.S. government


Bill would lift the secrecy around Minnesota's inspections of pet breeders

Bill authors say families deserve detailed information about the conditions their dogs and cats are raised in, but the breeding industry says the legislation would expose private business information.


PFAS is piling up in our trash. Can we keep it contained?

Minnesota landfills in Rosemount and St. Louis County are experimenting with methods to contain the "forever chemicals."


Minnesota's wildfire season has started, and risk is heightened through spring

Persistent drought and a record warm winter have led to dangerous conditions and fuel ready for ignition, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said.