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Wonders of the Near North

Wonders of the near north.
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Underground… and out of mind?

By Stephanie Hemphill | June 15, 2024 |

Talon Metals plans to build an underground nickel mine in a mineral-rich part of Aitkin County. Environmental advocates are concerned.

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Mississippi River, Policy, Resource Management Tagged With: mining, Northern Minnesota, resource management

Comprehensive and beautiful bird atlas published

By Stephanie Hemphill | May 17, 2024 |

A long-awaited atlas of Minnesota’s breeding birds is here, and what a treat it is!

Filed Under: Agate Book Review, An Agate Original, Birds, Commentary, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Nature, Science, wildlife Tagged With: conservation, minnesota, Nature

CO2 pipeline proposed across the Upper Midwest

By Stephanie Hemphill | April 19, 2024 |

Carbon dioxide pipelines are coming; but do we want them?

Filed Under: Agriculture, An Agate Original, Climate Change, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Policy, Resource Management Tagged With: Ethanol

Can we transform recycling?

By Stephanie Hemphill | March 22, 2024 |

Recycling can be confusing. Several bills in the Minnesota legislature this year are designed to make it easier for us and more comprehensive. They would flip the current pattern and make producers take responsibility for the entire life cycle of their products.

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Conservation practices, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Policy, Resource Management Tagged With: conservation, policy, resource management

Small co-ops lag in clean energy production

By Stephanie Hemphill | February 17, 2024 |

Solar panels being installed

Small rural electric co-ops struggle to join the clean energy transition.

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

Finding new ways to assert treaty rights and protect the environment

By Stephanie Hemphill | December 10, 2023 |

Wild rice on a lake

White Earth attorney Frank Bibeau is coming up with new ways to protect the environment by asserting tribal rights.

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Commentary, Conservation practices, Freshwater lakes, History, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Nature, Policy, Resource Management, Water quality Tagged With: conservation, Nature, policy, resource management

Climate disruption: what are we in for?

By Stephanie Hemphill | November 21, 2023 |

Pines on the St. Croix River

We are all noticing changes in the climate. What can we expect in Minnesota?

Filed Under: An Agate Original, Birds, Climate Change, Conservation practices, Forestry, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Lake Superior, Nature, Research Tagged With: conservation, Lake Superior, minnesota, Nature, Northern Minnesota

Environmental Review: how are we doing?

By Stephanie Hemphill | October 13, 2023 |

Blackhawk Lake

How well is Minnesota’s environmental review program working?

Filed Under: An Agate Original, History, Homepage Bottom Features, Homepage Top Feature, Issues, Resource Management, Science Tagged With: policy, resource management

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

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