The last new mammal to Minnesota was identified in 1991—a shrew species. Now there is another, the evening bat (Nycticeius humeralis). It was found this summer during a survey of Minnesota’s forest bats, which was focused on their mating habits. DNR Nongame Wildlife Program and Central Lakes College researchers conducted the survey. “It’s very exciting to discover a new bat
Minnesota Power has released the first in a series of RFPs as part of its plans to address environmental responsibility to further its EnergyForward strategy. EnergyForward calls for a diversified power supply to meet customers’ needs reliably and cost-effectively in an environmentally responsible manner. “EnergyForward is how Minnesota Power is doing its part to change the
Enel Green Power North America (EGNA), the local subsidiary of Italian utility Enel, has stated work is underway on Aurora, a distributed solar project in Minnesota, ruled by a judge in 2014 to be a better, more cost-effective investment decision than was a natural gas option. The project, containing 150MW DC of solar PV, is
In a boost for clean energy, the US Department of Energy will provide funding for 24 American Indian and Alaska Native communities to deploy clean energy and energy efficiency projects. In today’s press announcement, the DOE outlined plans to invest over $9 million in 16 facility- and community-scale energy projects in 24 tribal communities. This represents a
I’ve written in the past about the fact that 100% of the world could be power from clean, renewable energy. But to get to that 100% target, you need a lot of small 100% targets (i.e. 100% renewable energy for Scotland, 100% renewable energy for Tokelau, etc.). Now, a report just out yesterday from
Yep, global warming is a scam, which is why it feels like late Spring in Florida, Poland, and numerous places around the world… in the middle of January! “Fueled by billions of tons of greenhouse pollution, a surge of record warmth has flooded the United States, shattering records from southern California to North Dakota,”
The cloud that is seen streaking away from the Minnesota Fires in the image below is a ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ cloud, formed as a result of the fires beneath it.
The GOES-13 satellite and NASA’s Aqua satellite have captured imagery of massive storm clouds stretching over the eastern third of the United States of America. The storm stretched from Minnesota east to Wisconsin and Michigan, then south through the Ohio Valley and all the way down to eastern Louisiana. Source: NASA Goddard Photo and Video
[social_buttons] Green Cities California (GCC) announced today the release of its Master Environmental Assessment (MEA) on Single Use and Reusable Bags. The MEA, commissioned by GCC and developed by ICF International’s Sacramento office, summarizes existing studies on the environmental impacts of single use plastic, paper, compostable and reusable bags, as well as the impacts of
[social_buttons] As the product stewardship movement gains steam, attention is turning to the issue of unsafe disposal of residue or unwanted consumer pharmaceuticals. The widespread detection of pharmaceutical residues in public waters and fish has raised biologists’ concerns. In Minnesota, the popularity of public-sponsored take-back days and a coming legislative proposal in the 2010 session
A new Minnesota stakeholder report identifies 38 solid waste reform recommendations that could dramatically reduce the state’s greenhouse gas emissions. [social_buttons] A report submitted December 31 to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) outlines 38 ways the state could achieve a 20-year reduction of 52.5 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions through changes
The Prairie Island nuclear plant at Red Wing, Minnesota, on the Mississippi River. Nuclear power advocates want to repeal the state’s 15-year-old ban on new nuclear plants. [social_buttons] The state that enacted one of the nation’s most farsighted clean energy laws in 2007 may be a battleground over nuclear power in 2010. A coalition of
The discovery of malformed frogs in the Minnesota River watershed in the 1990s touched off field and lab research on endocrine disrupters that is continuing to yield findings. [social_buttons] Minnesota, the state that made national headlines with the discovery of malformed frogs in the 1990s, has found endocrine disrupting chemicals and traces of pharmaceuticals even
[social_buttons] Oregon this summer became the first state to enact in law a product stewardship law for the collection of leftover consumer paint. The pilot program, which expires in 2014, involves a consumer fee that a nonprofit organization established by paint producers uses to pay for the collection and proper disposal or reuse of the
[social_buttons] An expert advisory committee this week released recommendations on restoring Minnesota’s dwindling moose population, whose decline one expert said is related to gradual warming of the state’s climate. “The moose, of course, is not an animal that deals very well with heat,’’ panel chairperson Rolf Peterson of Michigan Technological University said. “We wouldn’t even
Oh! The weather outside [can be] frightful, which is why Stephen Chu of the U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday that 7 states (Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and New Hampshire) will be the recipients of more than $288 million dollars, which will be put toward weatherization projects.
Alan Doering of AURI says agricultural residues and co-products aren’t waste, they’re potential new revenue streams to power the future. AURI, or Agricultural Utilization Research Institute of Waseca, Minnesota, is a nonprofit organization that develops new uses for agricultural products and ag-processing co-products. Alan Doering, an Associate Scientist with AURI, filled me in on steps
