PODCAST

Climate Cast

Minnesota Public Radio

MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner with the latest research on our changing climate.

science earth sciences

All Episodes

00:04:51

Lights out for fireflies? Climate change, pesticides...

Climate Cast ·

2025/08/21

Fireflies across the U.S. have seen a robust surge in growth this summer in part to a wetter weather pattern. But those fiery little critters — which some call lightning bugs — might be in a steady decline. “Insect populations are known to vary from year to year,” said Eric Berger, a freelance journalist for The Guardian. “A one-year increase is not enough to indicate that there has been a reversal in the downward trajectory of fireflies.”Berger added that scientists do not have baseline

00:04:33

An exceptionally dry year in Canada fuels Minnesota's...

Climate Cast ·

2025/08/14

The smoky summer of 2025 has produced a near record number of air quality alerts for Minnesota. Most of this summer smoke has drifted in from these massive Canadian wildfires where more than 16 million acres of forest has burned in Canada this year.MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner talked with Matthew Taraldsen, a meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), about poor air quality and reason behind the state’s smoke-filled summers.The following has been lightly

00:04:27

How people are fighting climate change on multiple...

Climate Cast ·

2025/08/07

The Trump Administration has claimed that greenhouse gases don’t endanger people. And last month, the Environmental Protection Agency said it intends to rescind a landmark 2009 legal opinion — effectively ending all its climate regulations.This all comes on the cusp of a rapidly-warming planet fueling extreme weather events. A hotter planet poses an existential crisis on multiple fronts, said Alan Weisman, journalist and author of “Hope Dies Last: Visionary People Across the World, Fighting

00:04:59

As some governments pull away from climate issues,...

Climate Cast ·

2025/07/31

Despite efforts from some governments to slowly pull away from climate regulations and actions, one writer discovered a climate revolution through a combination of technology, science and community.“I was looking for our realistic hopes, when we're standing at an existential brink,” said Alan Weisman, author of “Hope Dies Last: Visionary People Across the World, Fighting to Find Us a Future.”“Hope is an active verb, and in place after place I found things that just completely surprised me,”

00:04:39

Toxic blue-green algae thrive as Minnesota lakes grow...

Climate Cast ·

2025/07/25

Minnesota’s clear, cool lakes are heating up over the summer, and those warmer waters can produce a toxic agal bloom.“Blue-green algae is bacteria,” said Kim Laing, a surface monitoring manager with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. “It often looks like pea soup [or] green paint; sometimes it might have a smell to it. It thrives in warm, shallow, nutrient-rich lakes.” Water that’s warmer than 75 degrees along with calm, sunny weather is a perfect recipe for blue-green algae, he said

00:04:55

With eliminated tax credits, solar power heads into...

Climate Cast ·

2025/07/17

President Donald Trump’s massive budget bill eliminates tax credits and incentives for small and large scale solar and wind projects in Minnesota. It’s also projected to increase electricity bills across the state. The clean energy industry in Minnesota is now trying to figure out a new path forward in the wake of the massive federal budget bill where credits will dry up at the end of the year. “There’s no phase-down period,” said All Energy Solar co-founder and CEO Michael Allen. “At the

00:04:44

Business affected by climate change consider a move...

Climate Cast ·

2025/07/10

Will Minnesota become a climate refuge for business? A survey conducted by MIT Technology Review Insights, in conjunction with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, asked 300 senior level executives in 14 industries how climate change is impacting their company’s bottom line. The overwhelming answer was that many companies have been harmed, to some degree, by climate change. And nearly half said Minnesota and the Midwest are the best places to relocate their business to minimize

00:04:47

'Water vapor is a greenhouse gas': The little-known...

Climate Cast ·

2025/06/26

An increase in water vapor in the atmosphere is driving more extreme weather around the world.How is that playing out here in Minnesota?John Abraham, thermal sciences professor and mechanical engineering program director at University of St. Thomas, shared more about the little-known but growing climate concern.To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

00:04:35

Expert dispels myth that cities are immune from tornados

Climate Cast ·

2025/06/20

This week brought another significant tornado outbreak to parts of Minnesota. Downtowns for the Twin Cities, Rochester and Duluth were spared from any storm damage, but are cities safer from tornadoes than rural parts of Minnesota? Does the urban heat island effect spare urban residents from a tornado tearing through their cities? “The urban heat island probably would not save you if the storm were in a position to enter that urban area,” said climatologist Kenneth Blumenfeld. “We should

00:05:04

Despite EV boom, Minnesotans slower to embrace...

Climate Cast ·

2025/06/12

Electric vehicle use in Minnesota boomed over the past decade due to the popular fleet of Tesla vehicles driving into the market. However, the Q1 auto sales report from earlier this year, showed a drop in sales for Tesla’s EVs. The indication that there might be a slowing popularity for the brand had some experts blame the company’s CEO Elon Musk and his relationship with American politics. Even Gov. Tim Walz took at jab at Musk and the company’s business woes. “The governor has certainly

00:04:45

Earth reaches level of warming climate scientists...

Climate Cast ·

2025/06/05

For the past eleven years, the planet has been consecutively warmer each year. It’s a trend that has climate scientists and policy makers worried.In 2024, global temperatures reached 1.5 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial record, according to the World Meteorological Organization and the Copernicus Climate Change Service. It’s the level of warming that those who work for climate solutions have been trying to avoid. “Now the question is: What are we going to do next? What is the next

00:04:39

Brewing breakthrough: Craft beer makers eliminate...

Climate Cast ·

2025/05/30

Craft beer grew in popularity over the past decade across Minnesota, but the brewing process has also created a ton of wastewater. Now, there’s an experiment to make the process carbon neutral. University of Minnesota professor Paige Novak and Fulton Brewing are working on a new, sustainable way to treat wastewater from the brewing process.She spoke to MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner for Climate Cast.The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity and length.Tell us about the

00:04:54

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency adds ‘blowing...

Climate Cast ·

2025/05/28

Minnesota has experienced four significant blowing dust episodes over the past few years, and the uptick in frequency has raised air-quality concerns across the state. Now, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency will start issuing air quality alerts for blowing dust this summer. Matt Taraldsen, MPCA meteorologist, says the fine particle pollution from dust — technically known as PM10 — is similar to wildfire smoke. “People are very familiar with PM2.5 or fine particle pollution and

00:04:31

Political headwinds could spell trouble for solar...

Climate Cast ·

2025/05/14

Minnesota has been a part of the solar energy boom that has swept across the nation over the past decade. Research has shown solar energy is now the cheapest form of electricity in the history of electric power generation, but politics on the state and federal level could trigger challenges for the renewable resource. MPR News Chief Meteorologist Paul Huttner talked to Brian Martucci, an energy reporter with the Minnesota Reformer, about the issues solar power could face in Minnesota.

00:04:45

How one Minnesota recycling facility is becoming more...

Climate Cast ·

2025/05/09

Recycled plastics reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30 to 80 percent compared to creating new plastics. But the process isn’t always waste-free.Eureka Recycling, a 20-year-old mission-driven zero-waste recycler, has upgraded its facility to ensure recycled materials are effectively repurposed.“It’s incredible how much less energy it takes,” said Miriam Holsinger, co-President and COO of Eureka Recycling. “We really work hard to keep the material we sort as local as possible — a lot of it

00:04:17

Tech giants vie to build data centers in Minnesota to...

Climate Cast ·

2025/05/01

Tech companies are looking to the land of 10,000 lakes as a suitable environment to expand their data footprint.About 10 tech giants, such as Microsoft and Meta, are vying to build data centers in Minnesota to support their growing AI networks. “The Midwest is kind of a big emerging market right now,” said Nick Halter, a Twin Cities reporter for Axios. “That's because we have abundant water, which oftentimes is used to cool these [centers] down, and also because we have much cooler

00:04:41

Mississippi named 'most endangered' river in the U.S.

Climate Cast ·

2025/04/25

The mighty Mississippi, which flows from its headwaters in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico, has topped an endangered rivers list.A report from nonprofit conservation organization American Rivers states that a combination of extreme flood, drought cycles, toxic runoff, and poor river management threatens the Mississippi. The 2,300-mile-long river is a water source for more than 50 cities in the U.S., including several in Minnesota.Cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency

00:04:17

Writer turned citizen scientist offers tips on living...

Climate Cast ·

2025/04/17

Writer Tamara Dean knew she wanted to live lightly on the planet. Her search to live a productive life while lowering her carbon footprint led her to the Driftless Area of Wisconsin — also known as Bluff Country and the Paleozoic Plateau — with dreams of become a homesteader. Dean shares her experience in her new memoir “Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless.” She spoke to MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner for Climate Cast.The transcript below has been lightly edited for clarity

00:04:10

It’s not your imagination, Minnesota is experiencing...

Climate Cast ·

2025/04/07

There’s a warming trend in cities across American, and that’s extending allergy season for millions of Americans. A new study by Climate Central found five cities in Minnesota have increased their pollen season — in some cases by nearly a month. The Twin Cities allergy season has expanded by 27 days, Duluth is seeing an average of 24 extra days of allergy season, while Mankato is experiencing 11 and Rochester is averaging 10 extra days, said Kristoffer Tigue, a reporter for the Minnesota

00:04:34

Minnesota's volatile winter could be the new normal

Climate Cast ·

2025/04/02

Minnesota experienced a seasonably cold but relatively snowless winter. Now, the spring months are making up for lost time by dumping sloppy snowstorms. State climatologist Pete Boulay said what Minnesota is seeing is over time is a different start and end times for the seasons. “Winter is shifting around a bit,” said Boulay. “We’re not seeing as big of snow storms in November like we used to, but April is becoming a shining moment of winter.” Boulay said winters have also lost their cold

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