Climate

Forecasters predict another sweltering summer. Are we ready?
The summer of 2023 saw skylines choked by Canadian wildfire smoke, coral cooked in hot tub-warm ocean water and a month straight of 110-degree Fahrenheit high temperatures in Phoenix. Scientists say 2024 will likely bring another hotter-than-normal summer and, with it, the potential for more climate-driven disasters.
Inspiration and advice for summer gardening  
Minnesota growing seasons are getting longer and warmer with climate change. MPR News host Angela Davis talks with two gardening experts about what that means for planting and taking care of your garden heading into summer.
Lawmakers pass much needed permitting reforms for clean energy projects as session wraps
The 2024 Minnesota Legislature session ended in chaotic fashion. But lawmakers did manage to get through changes that will speed up the permitting process for green projects and help address the backlog of proposals awaiting approval.
Monarch population, host plants hurting from climate change. Expert shares how to help
A years-long drought pattern, winter whiplash and warming temperatures are all hurting the vulnerable species, according to University of Minnesota Professor Emilie Snell-Rood, who studies monarchs and other pollinators.
The impact of building codes on climate change
Heating and cooling our homes and buildings in Minnesota contribute about 40 percent of our state’s greenhouse gas emissions. What opportunity exists to reduce our carbon footprint by updating our building codes?
Fire threat eases near Canada's oil sands hub, but a long, hot summer looms
The threat of a wildfire near Canada’s oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, Alberta, appeared to be easing Wednesday, a day after thousands of residents were forced to evacuate their homes in the city of 68,000.
How you can use a new tool that looks at climate change in your own backyard
The tool allows users to see how a future, warmed climate will look and feel in their own backyards. It provides highly localized climate projections across Minnesota of more than 30 different variables, including rainfall and temperature, soil moisture and snow cover, water temperature and ice cover.