By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership This week, the US House Oversight Subcommittee on Environment held hearings on a growing health and safety issue in our waters and environments, especially in Minnesota: chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAs. These two types of chemicals are ubiquitous in many consumer products, including fabrics, stain-… Read more »
Loon Commons Blog
Minnesotans join with global climate strike September 20
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership On September 20, the second year of the Global Climate Strike movement will be well-represented here in Minnesota. Ten events across the state have been registered with the Strike in Center City, Grand Rapids, St. Joseph, Moose Lake, Morris, Willmar, Minneapolis, St. Peter, Northfield, Mankato, and St. Paul. The St. Paul event is… Read more »
Empowering Minnesotans to start clean commuting
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership – (@mattjdoll) Two weeks ago, we reported on efforts to making Minnesota’s transportation sector – our number one source of carbon emissions – cleaner and healthier. In that issue, we focused on electrifying fossil-fueled vehicles. But an even more efficient part of the solution is reducing reliance on motor vehicles… Read more »
MN lakes face blue-green problem
photo credit: MPCA By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership (@mattjdoll) This week, Carver Lake, a popular beach destination in Woodbury that draws hundreds from throughout the East Metro in warm months, became the latest Minnesota lake to be temporarily closed this summer due to a blue-green algae outbreak. The same lake previously suffered from blue-green blooms… Read more »
Cleaning up the ways we get around in Minnesota
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership (@mattjdoll) This week, we’d like to thank all the Minnesotans who have spoken up this summer to help clean up Minnesota’s transportation. Hundreds of Minnesotans contacted the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to weigh in on Phase 2 of the state’s Volkswagen settlement plan, asking the MPCA to prioritize electrification of vehicles… Read more »
Climate Reality Leadership Corps comes to Minnesota
By Sara Wolff (@True2OurFuture) and Matt Doll (@mattjdoll), Minnesota Environmental Partnership Last weekend, more than a thousand climate activists, scholars, and leaders gathered in Minneapolis for a gathering of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps Training. Chaired by former Vice President Al Gore, this is the latest in the series of 40 trainings. It’s fitting that… Read more »
Minnesota River problems call for regenerative solutions
photo credit: MPCA By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) recently began collecting public comments on its reports – and proposed solutions – for the challenges facing the Minnesota River. The Minnesota is the third-longest stretch of river in the state. The area of its watershed extends over one-sixth of… Read more »
Great Lakes groups ask presidential candidates to make greatest freshwater resource a priority
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership This week, the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition (in which MEP and other MEP member organizations participate) called on presidential candidates to respond its new Great Lakes platform, a framework for solving the pressing challenges that threaten this priceless resource. 1 in 10 people live in the Great Lakes basin,… Read more »
Twin Metals announcement alters sulfide mining picture …but doesn’t answer fundamental questions
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental On Thursday, Twin Metals announced some major changes to its proposal to conduct sulfide ore mining near Ely. Twin Metals’ new waste storage plan would move its storage location from the St. Louis River’s headwaters into the Boundary Waters watershed, where the mine itself would also sit. Some of the… Read more »
Making Minnesota an oasis for pollinators
By Matt Doll, Minnesota Environmental Partnership – @mattjdoll It’s no secret that pollinating species – including bees, butterflies, birds, and beetles – are facing sharp declines across the world. Minnesota is no exception, and as a state with economic sectors that rely on these species, we’re especially sensitive to this crisis. For that reason, making Minnesota… Read more »