Climate Cast: Recent Episodes
Minnesota Public Radio
For the U.S. to meet its climate goals, we need more clean energy projects — projects that require space on the electrical grid.
The trouble is: there’s a massive backlog. Some wind and solar projects have been waiting for years to be connected to electric grids. Now the Federal Electric Regulatory Commission (FERC) is taking action to speed up the connection process.
Jeff St. John wrote about the changes for Canary Media, a newsletter focused on solutions to the climate crisis.
The heat is on for Minnesota this week and heat waves are making news across the world.
Hospitals in Phoenix are treating burn patients from sizzling pavement. Tourists in Greece are evacuating fire zones.
How can scientists gauge when heat events are normal and when they’re fueled by climate change?
Climate Central chief meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky talks about a tool she uses called the Climate Shift Index.
The heat is on for Minnesota this week and heat waves are making news across the world.
Hospitals in Phoenix are treating burn patients from sizzling pavement. Tourists in Greece are evacuating fire zones.
How can scientists gauge when heat events are normal and when they’re fueled by climate change?
Climate Central chief meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky talks about a tool she uses called the Climate Shift Index.
The heat is on for Minnesota this week and heat waves are making news across the world.
Hospitals in Phoenix are treating burn patients from sizzling pavement. Tourists in Greece are evacuating fire zones.
How can scientists gauge when heat events are normal and when they’re fueled by climate change?
Climate Central chief meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky talks about a tool she uses called the Climate Shift Index.
The heat is on for Minnesota this week and heat waves are making news across the world.
Hospitals in Phoenix are treating burn patients from sizzling pavement. Tourists in Greece are evacuating fire zones.
How can scientists gauge when heat events are normal and when they’re fueled by climate change?
Climate Central chief meteorologist Bernadette Woods Placky talks about a tool she uses called the Climate Shift Index.
Climate change is putting stress on the traditional spruce and pines in Minnesota’s northern forests — and there’s real concern about their future.
So, researchers are planting trees from the southern parts of our state in hopes of saving our northern forests.
It’s called assisted migration and University of Minnesota professor Julie Etterson is studying if it can be an effective strategy for reforesting and fighting climate change.
How can your home be a weapon in the fight to reduce climate change?
One of the biggest opportunities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is weatherizing and super insulating existing homes and buildings.
And lawmakers this year set aside a big chunk of money to help people do just that.
Tina Clarke has super insulated her own homes and helped others do the same. She shared her tips on how to get started.
A “constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment”.
That’s why 16 young people between ages 5 and 22 are suing the state of Montana seeking a transition to a less carbon-intensive energy policy.
The trial has been called historic in Montana and could have implications nationwide on climate litigation.
Amanda Eggert has been following the case for the Montana Free Press and she shared her reporting with Climate Cast.
A “constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment”.
That’s why 16 young people between ages 5 and 22 are suing the state of Montana seeking a transition to a less carbon-intensive energy policy.
The trial has been called historic in Montana and could have implications nationwide on climate litigation.
Amanda Eggert has been following the case for the Montana Free Press and she shared her reporting with Climate Cast.
Earth’s oceans are the hottest on record. That’s the finding from a recent paper in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. What effects could this have globally and in Minnesota?
Earth’s oceans are the hottest on record. That’s the finding from a recent paper in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. What effects could this have globally and in Minnesota?
Birds are sentinel species when it come to our changing climate. And even subtle climate shifts can have outsized impacts.
The Mississippi River reached record lows in the southern U.S. this fall causing major problems for the 60% of U.S. grain harvest that’s typically shipped down America’s largest river.
The United Nations’ COP27 global climate summit of world leaders takes place this week. And the need for global cooperation against climate change is more urgent than ever.
The University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative is developing special crops that can improve crop productivity and fight climate change. One of which is a hybrid hazelnut grown regeneratively that’s packed with flavor and good for the environment.
There are now 12.7 million jobs worldwide in renewable energy including 700,000 new jobs in the past year alone. The growth of renewable jobs has been impressive but how long can this boom last?
Forestry and climate experts say Minnesota’s extreme whiplash between soggy years and extreme drought recently is killing our trees.
There are about 6 million acres of peatlands in Minnesota — nearly 10% of our state. And it turns out, peat bogs have climate change fighting superpowers.
Hydrogen may be a lesser-known climate-friendly fuel solution — but it’s gaining traction quickly.
Carbon dioxide gets most of the climate change headlines but methane has 82 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timespan.
Carbon dioxide gets most of the climate change headlines but methane has 82 times more warming potential than carbon dioxide over a 20-year timespan.
The summer of 2022 was marked by floods, droughts, and hurricanes. How did climate change supercharge these events?
The summer of 2022 was marked by floods, droughts, and hurricanes. How did climate change supercharge these events?
How are small towns building clean energy futures? L. Michelle Moore, author of “Rural Renaissance: Revitalizing America’s Hometowns through Clean Power,” shares examples of how rural towns are taking on the biggest ideas to transform our energy systems.
How are small towns building clean energy futures? L. Michelle Moore, author of “Rural Renaissance: Revitalizing America’s Hometowns through Clean Power,” shares examples of how rural towns are taking on the biggest ideas to transform our energy systems.
Minnesota farmers weren’t just eyeing the latest tractors on display at the state fair this year. Many made their way over to the Eco Building to ask how they can rent their land out to solar developers.
Minnesota farmers weren’t just eyeing the latest tractors on display at the state fair this year. Many made their way over to the Eco Building to ask how they can rent their land out to solar developers.
Curious about the Ford F150 Lightning or Mustang Mach-E? Head to the Minnesota State Fair to learn more.
A new study suggests that even small temperature changes can have a big effect on our boreal forests.
Climate change is worsening more than half of all known human pathogenic diseases -- including those spread by mosquitoes and ticks in Minnesota.
Why did renewables do so well in April? And how did Minnesota do? Gregg Mast, executive director of Clean Energy Economy MN joined Climate Cast this week to talk about it.
Climate scientist and author Michael Mann tells Climate Cast, that while it stops short of the 50 percent emissions drop we need, the climate deal now poised to pass the Senate will be “the most progress we will have made in addressing the climate crisis — ever — from the standpoint of Congressional action.”
The experimental pavement mixes incorporate recycled bottles, fiber and other materials to reduce the proportion of concrete needed. The agency is also looking at whether it can sequester carbon in its pavement.
From 80-foot wells, to a secret passageway leading to a state-of-the-art geothermal system, to a stone statue signifying the people most at risk from climate change, former WCCO news anchor and climate advocate Don Shelby has built a home meant to inspire others to act.
North Shore photographer Bryan Hansel says climate change can make for more dramatic photos — but also risk and changing scenery.
Carmakers produced more electric vehicles in 2021, while the share of new gasoline and diesel cars dipped 9 percent.
A recent study found local incomes rise by around 5 percent and home values by 2.6 percent in areas near large wind projects.
According to the resolution, the company is not doing enough to address climate change, while also paying out settlements associated with it.
Atmospheric carbon dioxide is increasing 2 to 4 parts per million every year. That’s compared to a total increase of 80 ppm over 6,000 years when Earth was coming out of the Ice Age.
Some major companies are now burning waste in incinerators that it gets out of landfills, where it can release methane into the atmosphere.
But burning it can release carbon and other toxins into the air. So, what’s the most climate-friendly way for companies to handle bulk waste they can’t recycle?
Katie Schoolov covers Amazon for CNBC and recently looked into this. She joined Climate Cast to share her findings.
To hear the episode, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.
The University of Minnesota Morris and West Central Research and Outreach Center have launched a new center for battery technology.
An estimated 35 percent — or $408 billion worth — of food in the United States goes to waste, emitting methane and creating inefficiencies in carbon-heavy supply chains.
Forests are supposed to help us remove carbon from the atmosphere. But forest loss to development and fires last year meant some forests added carbon to the atmosphere.
Growing Shade helps city leaders, nonprofits, and residents target efforts to plant trees to the areas that need them most.
Growing Shade helps city leaders, nonprofits, and residents target efforts to plant trees to the areas that need them most.
Growing seasons are getting longer and plants are emitting more pollen as temperatures and carbon dioxide increase.
The taxpayer funded crop insurance program is propping up farmers who continue to plant in frequently flooded fields.
Battery storage capacity in the United States more than doubled last year. But supply chain issues and access to raw materials could slow that growth this year.
By 2030, research suggests the Arctic could see its first summer with no sea ice at all. But quick action on methane could help.
By the 2030s, research suggests the Arctic could see its first summer with no sea ice at all. But quick action on methane could help.
Climate scientists were stunned last week when temperatures in Antarctica spiked 50 to 90 degrees higher than average for March.
A new study says Minnesota winters and summers will be significantly warmer by the turn of the century.
Global leaders are calling for increased oil production outside of Russia at a time when scientists say the time to act on climate change is now.
A lead author of the latest United Nations’ climate report says climate migration is already happening in many places.
Coffee is a very finicky crop, needing just the right “Goldilocks” climate and altitude to produce rich, quality brews. So naturally, climate change is taking a toll.
The shift in cold weather trends has affected everything from when you can begin ice fishing each year, to what you can plant in your yard, to the management of invasive pests.
More frequent severe storms and subtle temperature shifts are threatening Monarchs in Mexico’s butterfly sanctuaries.
Nature Conservancy Chief Scientist Katharine Hayhoe visited Minnesota this week to help recognize the state’s climate action leaders.
A tense, years-long standoff between farmers and crews trying to build a power transmission line through west-central Minnesota offers lessons for energy companies today, as the United States prepares to spend billions on clean energy infrastructure.
Large insurers are calling for urgent action on climate change after another year of costly catastrophic losses because of extreme weather.
Aviation and shipping companies are among the fastest growing emitters in the transportation sector. Even small tweaks to their routes can cut emissions and save money.
Last year’s infrastructure bill includes a significant investment in electric vehicle charging stations — along with new roads and highway expansions. Public transit gets a much smaller piece of the pie.
A Conservation International study has mapped forests and other natural areas that store so much carbon, it could be impossible to offset their emissions if lost to development or natural disasters.
A new report says the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus has surpassed its goal of cutting greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2021. It reached 51 percent a year early, in 2020.
Minnesota saw it’s first December tornado Wednesday, after a swarm of deadly tornadoes swept through the Midwest days earlier.
A report from the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency says the National Hockey League and chemical company Chemours are teaming up to expand the use of Opteon, a refrigerant that is “1,700 to 3,100 times more potent than carbon dioxide.”
Solar projects are booming in Minnesota, and so are delays in getting those projects connected to the power grid.
The infrastructure bill President Joe Biden signed Monday will fund a national network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
Indigenous people from around the world are sharing their knowledge and advocating for their communities at the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow.
The climate world is focused on Glasgow this week for COP26, and Minnesota is playing a role in pushing the climate conversation forward.
The cost of climate-change-enhanced weather disasters is hitting taxpayers and companies directly. Now the White House is taking steps to protect the country’s financial systems from such risks.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has signed a letter of understanding with Finland, pledging to encourage the state's agencies, universities and businesses to collaborate with Finland on sustainable technology.
The world’s largest carbon capture facility takes a year to sequester 3-seconds worth of carbon emissions.
The effort is part of a federal investment in climate modeling to help communities better prepare for the effects of climate change.
The health of the seal population can tell scientists how climate change is affecting ice and fish in Antarctica.
It’s Climate Week in New York City. The good news? Dozens of companies are announcing new climate goals. But do their good intentions actually translate into lower carbon emissions?
Changing rainfall patterns and more extreme weather swings have made water managers’ jobs difficult. They moderate lake and creek levels to prevent flooding and pollution.
This week, we’ve seen fire in California, storms in New Orleans and the Northeast and drought in Minnesota. How is climate change linked to these three separate extreme weather events?
The drought has challenged many in Minnesota. But for grape growers, it’s the silver lining to a difficult 18 months.
Climate change is affecting everything from campers’ schedules, to infrastructure needs, to the kinds of trees on the property at Camp Mishawaka in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. And it isn’t alone; a major insurer of summer camps has pulled out of the business as camps on the coasts lose property to wildfires and hurricanes.
The Senate’s bipartisan infrastructure bill is headed to the House, where progressive Democrats say it doesn't do enough to reduce emissions. But it does invest billions to help communities prepare for the effects of climate change.
After much debate and opposition from Republicans, Minnesota’s clean car rules were made official this week.
The weather numbers clearly show Minnesota is getting warmer and wetter overall, so why is drought the weather story of 2021 in the Upper Midwest?
Chicago has been battling extreme weather swings that have left the city dealing with flooding, wild lake and river level changes and beach erosion.
Tom Swain has had a long career, including chief of staff to a Minnesota governor and mayor of a small Minnesota town. Now 100, he still has energy to burn — and he’s putting it into climate change.