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Wonders of the Near North

Wonders of the near north.
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Protecting wild rice: will site-specific standards work?

By Stephanie Hemphill | September 15, 2023 |

Rice on lake. Photo courtesy Fond du Lac Resource Management

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has been trying for years to figure out how to get taconite mines to reduce the sulfate in their effluent because it damages wild rice. The current effort involves something called Site Specific Standards, and it looks likely that it will have no more success than previous attempts.

Filed Under: Freshwater lakes, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Policy, Research, Science, Taconite mining, Water quality Tagged With: mining, Northern Minnesota, resource management

In northern Minnesota, early adopters make the case for cold-climate heat pumps

By Stephanie Hemphill | August 10, 2023 |

Michael Overend stands under the manifold where the heat pump refrigerant comes in and warm air is sent to several rooms through ductwork.

Heat pump installers and early adopters in and around Duluth, Minnesota, are demonstrating how the technology can work even in a notoriously cold climate such as northern Minnesota.

Filed Under: Climate Change, Conservation practices, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Policy Tagged With: conservation, Northern Minnesota, resource management

Groups ask for further study of Northshore Mine Tailings Pond Work  

By Stephanie Hemphill | July 7, 2023 |

Northshore Mine in Silver Bay wants to expand its tailings pond; environmental groups are asking for a thorough Environmental Impact Statement.

Filed Under: An Agate Original, History, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Lake Superior, Policy, Taconite mining, Water quality Tagged With: Lake Superior, Northern Minnesota, resource management

Trying (again) to tackle mercury in the St. Louis River

By Stephanie Hemphill | February 28, 2023 |

Taking steps to put the St. Louis River on a mercury diet.

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Lake Superior, Nature, Peatlands, Policy, Research, Resource Management, Science, Taconite mining, Water quality Tagged With: Lake Superior, mining, minnesota, Nature, Northern Minnesota, policy, resource management

Wind Resistance

By Patrick Shea, Points North | December 31, 2022 |

Wind turbines are being built in ocean waters off the east and west coasts. But why don’t we see any in the Great Lakes?

Filed Under: Climate Change, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Lake Superior, Policy Tagged With: conservation, policy

Bat Gadgetry: High-Tech Solutions to a Deadly Problem 

By Patrick Shea | October 15, 2022 |

Bat cave

A deadly fungus is threatening bats across the continent and it’s pushed several species towards extinction. But some scientists are hopeful they’ve found a solution: a “bug buffet.”

Filed Under: Conservation practices, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Nature, Research, wildlife Tagged With: conservation, Nature

Remembering Grant Merritt, genial and tenacious defender of Minnesota’s environment

By Stephanie Hemphill | May 28, 2022 |

Environmental crusader shares his perspectives in highly readable memoir.

Filed Under: Agate Book Review, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues Tagged With: Lake Superior, memoir, minnesota, policy

Living with Aquatic Invaders

By Stephanie Hemphill | May 14, 2022 |

Scientists have learned a lot about aquatic invasive species, and experts now say the appearance of an exotic species in a body of water doesn’t necessarily mean the end of life as we know it.

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Fish, Flowers, Freshwater lakes, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Insects, Issues, Nature, Policy, Research, Resource Management, Science, Water quality, wildlife Tagged With: conservation, Nature, policy, resource management

What We Must Bring to Politics: Don Arnosti on citizen advocacy

By Agate | February 17, 2022 |

Our window of opportunity for the environment

Filed Under: Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Uncategorized

Experts clash over logging in wildlife areas

By Stephanie Hemphill | November 20, 2021 |

“Timber sales are not planned by wildlife managers; they’re assigned from the top down.”

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Forestry, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Nature, Policy, Resource Management, Science, Uncategorized, wildlife Tagged With: minnesota, Nature, policy, resource management

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