Climate Cast
274 episodes - English - Latest episode: 2 days ago - ★★★★★ - 79 ratingsMPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner with the latest research on our changing climate.
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Dairy farmers are cashing in on clean fuel standards
June 10, 2021 19:43 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBMinnesota state lawmakers are trying to hammer out a deal on clean car rules. Meanwhile, Midwest dairy farmers are cashing in on California's clean car standards by supplying the state with perhaps the smelliest clean fuel out there.
Court orders Shell to do more to cut carbon emissions
June 04, 2021 19:29 - 4 minutes - 4.17 MBA ruling by a Dutch court in May says Shell should cut its gas emissions 45 percent by 2030. The outcome, which is expected to be appealed, has caught the attention of climate lawyers.
Court rules Shell needs to do more to cut carbon emissions
June 04, 2021 19:29 - 4 minutes - 4.17 MBIn May, a Dutch court ruled Shell should cut its gas emissions 45 percent by 2030. The ruling has the attention of climate lawyers including Margaret Peloso, an attorney with Vinson and Elkins. Her work focuses on climate change risk management and environmental litigation. MPR chief meteorologist and Climate Cast host Paul Huttner spoke with Peloso following the announcement. “This ruling is significant because the company in question here, Shell, actually has its own very sign...
Refurbished wind turbine powers homes — and learning
May 27, 2021 20:10 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBIt travelled some 1,800 miles from Palm Springs, California. Now the wind turbine near Pioneer Ridge Middle School in Chaska, Minnesota, is offering affordable electricity to nearby homes, as well as learning opportunities to the area’s schoolchildren.
Will Steger's 1989 route across Antarctica in gone
May 20, 2021 20:00 - 4 minutes - 3.84 MBA new film looks at how the explorer's observations in Antarctica have pushed the conversation about climate change forward.
Will Steger's 1989 route across Antarctica no longer exists
May 20, 2021 20:00 - 4 minutes - 3.84 MBA new film looks at how the explorer's observations in Antarctica have pushed the conversation about climate change forward.
How colleges are preparing the next generation for climate change and sustainability
May 20, 2021 12:59 - 4 minutes - 4.21 MBAt the University of Minnesota Crookston, the next generation of climate scientists, policymakers and activists is learning how to reach sustainability goals set forth by the United Nations.
The search for a better EV battery as customer demand rises
May 06, 2021 22:24 - 4 minutes - 4.22 MBThe surge in demand for electric vehicles has ignited a new kind of “space race” within the automobile industry.
Climate change risks mounting for businesses
April 29, 2021 21:17 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBFrom litigation to financial and material loss due to extreme weather — the corporate world is managing mounting risks due to climate change.
Carbon dioxide in atmosphere spikes to new high
April 22, 2021 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.87 MBIn the past month, atmospheric carbon dioxide reached 420 parts per million for the first time. That’s a 50 percent increase from pre-industrial levels.
A missing sign of spring worries fire researchers
April 15, 2021 22:12 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBPlants that researchers use to measure moisture are so dry, they aren’t growing this spring. The conditions could act as kindling for another record fire season.
The natural gas boom appears to be going bust
April 08, 2021 22:49 - 4 minutes - 3.77 MBMany saw natural gas the bridge fuel to a net-zero energy future. But rapidly emerging climate solutions mean that bridge is getting shorter fast.
Expect low ice years on Lake Superior to continue
April 01, 2021 22:45 - 4 minutes - 3.86 MBThis year, Lake Superior saw its lowest January ice levels in 48 years. While there will be outliers, scientists expect the trend to continue.
Extreme weather is driving up costs for MN homeowners
March 25, 2021 21:52 - 4 minutes - 3.88 MBDamage from three storms in 1998 alone cost more than those during the previous 40 years combined. Since then, the pace of costly storms hasn’t let up.
Forecasts catching up with early hurricane arrivals
March 18, 2021 21:15 - 3 minutes - 3.57 MBThe National Hurricane Center is getting a head start this year by releasing its tropical weather outlook two weeks earlier.
How climate change is affecting walleye
March 11, 2021 23:18 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBIt’s the center of many Minnesota traditions, but the prized fish isn’t exempt from the effects of climate change.
Climate change threatens winter recreation
March 04, 2021 23:51 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBIt’s cross-country skiing season and Minnesotan Jessie Diggins is on a roll. But the snow conditions she was brought up on are rapidly changing.
NOAA update to cement warmer climate as new normal
February 25, 2021 22:55 - 4 minutes - 3.76 MBBut will the routine update mask the magnitude of climate change when we hear our daily forecasts?
How we can climate-proof the power grid
February 19, 2021 00:46 - 4 minutes - 4.02 MBThe blackouts in Texas are just the latest example of of how vulnerable our power grids are to climate change-fueled extreme weather.
MN leads Midwest, but falls short on electric vehicles
February 11, 2021 23:40 - 4 minutes - 3.96 MBThe Biden administration and some car companies seem to be going big on electric vehicles. But are consumers and states ready for them?
Study shows faster payoff for reaching net-zero by 2050
February 04, 2021 23:47 - 4 minutes - 3.73 MBA recent study shows that if the world can reach net-zero by 2050, global temperatures would stabilize within a few decades. That’s more optimistic than some scenarios suggesting temperatures would keep rising.
MN lawmakers propose 100 percent clean energy by 2040
January 28, 2021 23:05 - 4 minutes - 3.88 MBWith a slate of executive actions this week, President Joe Biden is aiming the country to use 100 percent clean energy by 2050. In a bill introduced this session, Minnesota lawmakers proposed doing it by 2040.
Book update reflects climate change impact on Minnesota
January 21, 2021 22:00 - 4 minutes - 3.82 MBAfter 25 years of rapid climate change, “Minnesota’s Natural Heritage” needed an update. The second edition is out this month.
New book charts changing tactics of fossil fuel lobby
January 14, 2021 23:36 - 4 minutes - 3.92 MBRenowned climate scientist Michael Mann looks at the tactics fossil fuel interests are using to slow broad policy shifts that are our surest bet to “take back our planet.”
What to expect from NOAA under the Biden administration
January 07, 2021 22:41 - 4 minutes - 3.87 MBThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s focus on weather forecasting and climate science is likely to be a high priority under President-elect Joe Biden
Despite La Niña, 2020 could be hottest year on record
December 17, 2020 22:18 - 4 minutes - 3.95 MBLa Niña weather patterns are supposed to bring cooler weather. But 2020 could become the hottest on record despite in being a La Niña year.
A record year for wind turbine shipments through Duluth
December 11, 2020 00:07 - 4 minutes - 3.88 MBShips carried more than half a million tons of wind energy cargo through the Port of Duluth this year, setting a record and signaling opportunity for Minnesota’s economy and environment.
Rough 2020 hurricane season 'a preview of the future'
December 03, 2020 22:48 - 4 minutes - 4.05 MBWarmer oceans from climate change drove a new breed of supercharged hurricanes — and a lot of them — this year.
The art of science communication
November 20, 2020 00:00 - 4 minutes - 3.74 MBThis year’s winner of the American Geophysical Union’s Climate Communication Prize says scientists have a responsibility to clearly communicate their research with the public paying for it.
What GOP Senate could mean for Biden's climate agenda
November 12, 2020 20:57 - 4 minutes - 3.92 MBA former Republican Congressman says there’s agreement on clean energy and green jobs. He’s urging President-elect Joe Biden to focus on “durable” bipartisan legislation over executive orders that could be overturned.
New maps show more Upper Midwest homes in flood zones
November 05, 2020 21:20 - 4 minutes - 3.77 MBJust because a home isn’t in FEMA’s 100-year flood zone doesn’t mean it isn’t susceptible to a 100-year flood.
Climate change puts hundreds of Superfund sites at risk
October 29, 2020 20:55 - 4 minutes - 4 MBThe federal government says 945 Superfund sites are vulnerable to climate change-fueled floods, storms and fires, putting nearby communities at risk of contamination.
Can shorter climate plans net quicker change?
October 22, 2020 20:17 - 4 minutes - 3.89 MBIn a world of 20- and 30-year climate action plans, Red Wing, Minn., has just adopted a five-year plan.
Experts: NOAA appointees could undermine climate data
October 15, 2020 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.68 MBOne of the appointees has questioned the link between climate change and extreme weather events. The other questions humans’ role in climate change.
Climate change is affecting flower pigments
October 08, 2020 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBA new study in the journal Current Biology shows climate change is contributing to changes in flower pigmentation. Clemson University researchers used flower pressings dating back to the 1940s to study how their ultraviolet pigmentation, which is invisible to the human eye but can be captured through UV photography, has changed over time. They found that higher temperatures and ozone depletion correlated with pigment increases and decreases, depending on the species.
Ocean stratification and what it means for weather
October 02, 2020 16:43 - 4 minutes - 3.92 MBOceans are becoming more stratified, and that could have grave consequences for the health of marine animals and humans alike.
Next generation nuclear is a step closer to market
September 24, 2020 21:29 - 4 minutes - 3.68 MBThe federal government recently approved a new kind of nuclear reactor that’s smaller, cheaper and could be one the final pieces of the carbon-free puzzle.
A degree warmer, a fire career changed
September 18, 2020 17:33 - 9 minutes - 9.13 MBThis year’s historic fire season in the west has made the link between climate change and more intense and frequent wildfires abundantly clear. For firefighter Don Whittemore, it was a close call with a fireball in 2006.
Carmakers rev up electric truck, SUV production
September 10, 2020 22:36 - 7 minutes - 6.58 MBNearly half of all vehicles sold in the United States are sport utility vehicles, and the International Energy Agency reports they’re second-largest contributor to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions in the last decade. But a new wave of electric SUVs and pickup trucks is on the horizon.
There's a push to name and rank heat waves
September 03, 2020 22:15 - 3 minutes - 3.47 MBWe’ve named hurricanes for decades and The Weather Channel names winter storms. Now one group wants to name heat waves to boost awareness about their growing impact.
Minnesota's boreal forest is a climate change hot spot
August 27, 2020 21:56 - 4 minutes - 3.94 MBNorthern Minnesota is warming twice as fast as most other parts of the United States, and that’s beginning to change the makeup of forests there.
Can the Midwest expect more derechos?
August 20, 2020 21:17 - 4 minutes - 3.79 MBClimate change is expected to increase the number of hot, humid days in the Midwest. But will the heat and humidity, which are key components of derechos, translate into more of the destructive windstorms?
Changing of the guard in Minn. climate research
August 13, 2020 21:00 - 4 minutes - 3.75 MBScientist Heidi Roop is replacing Mark Seeley at the University of Minnesota Department of Soil, Water, and Climate.
Big Oil pivots to renewables, but will it last?
August 06, 2020 22:00 - 4 minutes - 4.07 MBThe coronavirus outbreak is costing big oil big billions, causing some oil companies to invest in renewable energy.
Great Lakes temperatures breaking records
July 30, 2020 22:14 - 4 minutes - 3.72 MBWater temperatures in the Great Lakes have been trending upward for decades, but this summer has brought temperatures near 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Climate change is hastening lakeshore erosion
July 23, 2020 21:00 - 4 minutes - 4.21 MBWetter, warmer weather brought about by climate change appears to be hastening lakeshore erosion, and it’s putting some cabins precariously close to the water’s edge.
COVID-19 is increasing carbon-emitting medical waste
July 16, 2020 22:36 - 4 minutes - 3.75 MBA lot of waste produced by hospitals has to be burned. The incinerators used to do that emit more carbon dioxide per megawatt hour than coal power plants.
Pandemic bike boom paves way for greener streets
July 10, 2020 22:45 - 4 minutes - 4.18 MBA survey of residents in six European countries found 75 percent of respondents supported maintaining changes to streets that have allowed for more biking and socially-distant walking during the pandemic.
Crop failure rate for wild rice is increasing with climate change
July 02, 2020 18:00 - 8 minutes - 7.99 MBClimate change is taking a significant toll on wild rice in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The crop failure rate has gone from 25 percent to 50 percent on some lakes, and the plant's significance to Ojibwe communities makes finding a solution all the more delicate — and dire.
Climate change affecting wild rice
July 02, 2020 18:00 - 8 minutes - 7.99 MBClimate change is taking a significant toll on wild rice in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The crop failure rate has gone from 25 percent to 50 percent on some lakes, and the plant's significance to Ojibwe communities makes finding a solution all the more delicate — and dire.