June 20, 2024 PlantSwitch turns agricultural byproducts into into plastic alternatives that are compostable, high-performance, and affordable. Dillon Baxter, co-founder of PlantSwitch says his mission is to replace all petroleum-based single-use plastic with plants. The company's proprietary technology upcycles agricultural residues into a plant-ba…

June 6, 2024 Last week, MN Governor Tim Walz signed a law which makes Minnesota the first state in the Midwest to phase out the sale of Fluorescent lighting. Fresh Energy's Eric Fowler talks about this law and others that will impact how much $$ Minnesotan's save on utility bills and lower emissions.…

May 30, 2024 Dr. Severin Borenstein, Director of the Energy Institute at Haas - University of California Berkely, discusses the economics of rooftop solar power and what we can learn from California.By KMSU

May 23, 2024 Twenty years ago, Minnesota took a step toward a cleaner environment when the MPCA fist removed a lake from its list of polluted bodies of water in the state. Since then, more than 60 other lakes have also returned to health. Scott McClean, Southwestern Minnesota Watershed Supervisor, discusses the "de-listing" process and the work tha…

May 15, 2024 Weather is one of the most talked about topics in our day-to-day life. But what about Climate Forecasts? What are they? How can we use them? And how soon will they be on your local TV newscast. Meteorologist Lauren Casey at Climate Central talks about the Climate Shift IndeBy KMSU

May 9, 2024 Electronic Waste (E-waste) is the fastest growing waste stream in the world and it's full of valuable metals that can be reclaimed, Maria Jensen, co-founder of RECA (Recycling Electronics for Climate Action), based in Minnesota talks about her organization's work toward a 100% e-waste collection bill.…

May 2, 2024 Love Earth Now: The Power of Doing One Thing Every Day is a book by Cheryl Leutjen. KMSU's Karen Wright talks with the author about finding one's own path to living more earth-conscientiously.By KMSU

April 25, 2024 Sonia Parr-Baker talks about an event called LESS IS BEST event on Sat. April 27, 2024. Details: Less is Best - Ways to Reduce Waste Event Less is Best - Ways to Reduce Waste Event Hosted by Mankato Area Zero Waste Saturday, April 27, 10 a.m-1 p.m. Sibley Park Pavilion, Mankato Breakout Sessions: 10:00-10:20: Beyond Plastics 10:30-10…

April 18, 2024 The Blue Earth Project,advocating for ecological resilience in Southern Minnesota. KMSU's Karen Wright talked with Blue Earth Project founder Paul Ebbenga about the program's kick-off to create a better environment for all. Check out The Blue Earth Project's new website as it kicks off Earth Day 2024: https://blueearthproject.org/…

April 11, 2024 Students in Gustavus Adolphus College professor Jeff Jeremiason's Environmental class senior project was to take an inventory of greenhouse gases in the city of St. Peter. KMSU's Karen Wright talked with Gabe Mauer, Lucy Peterson, Ari DeVries and Scott Knowlton about what they learned.…

April 4, 2024 You Can Score Your Shore and improve water quality and our natural environment according to Holly Bushman, Environmental Resource Specialist from LeSueur County. She will be one of the speakers at the upcoming The Future of Southern Minnesota Lakes 2024 Conference on April 13, and will discuss this program. https://www.isginc.com/…

March 28, 2024 "Can We Regenerate Soil Health and Enhance Corn Productivity in the U.S. Corn Belt through Perennial Cover Crops and Poultry Integration”. It's a long title for a very important research -- saving and improving the soil in southern Minnesota and beyond. Dr. Mriganka De, a soil scientist at Minnesota State Mankato talks about his rese…

March 21, 2024 What is the State of the Minnesota River? Carly Griffith, the Water Program Director with the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy gives us a preview for an upcoming Town Hall to be held on Saturday, March 23, 2024 at the Kato Ballroom 10 - 11:30 a.m., Mankato. Anyone who cares about our waters is welcome to attend.…

March 14, 2024 What is the impact of plastic on our health? Plenty - and it's NOT good news. Jane Dow and Betty Winkworth, co-chairs of Mankato Zero Waste, talk about the latest research in how plastic waste is affecting our health and climate change. They update us on the latest legislation to help with the problem and how we all can be a part of …

February 22, 2024 Jeffrey Rissman is the senior director of the industry program at Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan energy and climate policy think tank. He talked with KMSU's Karen Wright about his new book," Zero-Carbon Industry:Transformative Technologies and Policies to Achieve Sustainable Prosperity", which he describes as a groundbreaking pl…

Feb. 15, 2024 Dr. Elizabeth Burakowski, a Research Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire in the Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space talks about how she uses climate models, remote sensing, surface observations and citizen science to better understand changes in climate and impacts on society. Karen Wright talked wit…

Feb. 8, 2024 What will Minnesota's climate and weather look like in the next century? Dr. Susanna Clark of the University of Minnesota Climate Adaptation Project shares projections through the year 2100 and talks about what this means for us.By KMSU

Feb. 1, 2024 Soon you may buy an E-bike from your local car dealership. eBliss Global CEO/E-bike Developer Bill Klehm talks about the latest generation of electric bikes which will debut at the nation's largest National Independent Automobile Dealers Association Expo in Las Vegas this week.By KMSU

January 25, 2024 KMSU's Karen Wright talks with a panel of three scientists about incorporating renewable energy into the grid. Guests: Dr. Melissa Lott, Senior Research Scholar at the Center for Global Energy Policy, Columbia University. Dr. Sara Kurtz, University of California-Merced School of Engineering. Dr. Erin Baker University of Masachusset…

January, 18, 2024 In Southern and Western Minnesota, the watersheds the MPCA has fully assessed in the region, only 16% of the streams meet water quality standards for aquatic life. Chuck Brandel, National Agricultural Drainage Expert with ISG Engineering talks about past, current and future projects that are making a difference and how we can all …

January 11, 2024 Climate expert J. Drake Hamilton, with Fresh Energy, recently returned from COP28, the 28th annual United Nations (UN) climate meeting, where governments discuss how to limit and prepare for future climate change. She discusses what she learned and how it will impact Minnesota and the world.…

Dec. 28, 2023 Climate change is impacting our trees. Dr. Dan Herms, VP of Research & Development at the Davey Tree Company talks about how this impacts forests, yards, cities, etc. How can we adapt? What are the new superhero trees in our area?By KMSU

December 21, 2023 Climate change is impacting how communities have to plan and retro-fit infrastructure. Lauren McPhillips, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Energy and the Environment at Penn State discusses Green Stormwater Management and her research.By KMSU

Dec. 14, 2022 Winter is upon us and so is the cold weather. Managing heating bills can be a challenge for many. Minnesota Valley Action Council provides energy assistance and information about making your home more energy efficient. We talked with MVAC's Sheila Ous and Brianna Parr-Baker about the programs.…

Dec. 2, 2024 Frontier Energy works with customers and utilities to incorporate energy efficiency into various types of facilities -- from residential to commercial to building systems. Tanuj Gulati is director of Frontier Energy and talks about how he assists with making cost-effective, energy efficient choices that fit customer's needs.…

Nov. 16, 2023 Dr. Joshua Rhodes, a top energy researcher at University of Texas - Austin, talks about what's wrong with America's Power Grid and what can be done to fix it. Texas was in the dark in 2021 after a major winter storm knocked out the power grid for days and caused billions in damages. He asks: What did we learn and how can we fix it?…

Nov. 2, 2023 Daniel Knowles hates cars. He authored a book called: Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What to Do About It." He talked with KMSU's Karen Wright about taking action to make a change.By KMSU

Oct. 26, 2023 The Living Earth Center in Mankato is hosting the 18th annual Earth Conference on Nov. 4, 2023 at Minnesota State University from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Keynote speaker Carolina Ortiz, executive director of Latina Communities Organizing Power and Latin Action (COPAL) talks about Environmental Justice.…

Oct. 19, 2023 Betty Winkworth is Co-Chair of Mankato Area Zero Waste, a non-profit focusing on reducing waste in all forms. She is also focused on environmental justice, specifically to reduce harmful emissions from Mankato's Wilmarth Plant. She provides ideas on how we can all make a positive change to curb Climate Change and the quality of living…

Oct. 5, 2023 The Great Displacement - Climate Change and the Next American Migration by Jake Bittle. People all around us are moving as entire communities either disappear completely or are markedly changed because of natural disasters caused by climate change. Bittle discusses where people are going and what needs to happen as the geography of the…

Sept. 28, 2023 It used to be Solar Farms were barren with panels sitting on crushed gravel. Researchers are studying the role of biodiversity and exploring native plantings, crops and even animals to co-exist and make them multi-purpose. Lee Walston, an ecologist at Argonne National Laboratory's Environmental Science Division talks about the compan…

Contamination of water and soils with heavy metals is a problem affecting the safety of the foods we eat. Dr. Adeyemi Adeleye, a professor in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at University of California-Irvine, who has worked as a researcher at the US Environmental Protection Agency talks about the problem, possible solutions and…

Sept. 14, 2023 The Fall 2023 Geography Presentations at MNSU feature many topics related to Climate Change, Sustainability, Recycling, Environmental Justice and more! Professor Don Friend describes the upcoming series of ten programs held Fridays, 3:00 - 4:15 at MNSU (Sept. 15 - Dec. 1) and are open to the public. For details, see: https://hss.mnsu…

Sept. 7, 2023 Theresa Pistochini, the co-director of engineering of the Energy Efficiency Institute and Western Cooling Efficiency Center at the University of California, Davis discusses home heat pumps—what they are, and how they work; how efficient they are at cooling and heating homes; how switching to a heat pump can reduce a home’s global warm…

Aug. 30, 2023 Sarah Perrault, a senior editor of the Old Farmer's Almanac talks about the 2024 weather predictions, including how climate change has impacted the ocean currents which are bringing more severe weather events. The magazine has been tracking weather trends for 230 years.By KMSU

Aug. 24, 2023 Stephen Mikkelson, with the Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair talks about this year's exhibits by the MN Pollution Control Agency about air, land, water and climate. He discusses what's new and special presentations.By KMSU

Aug. 17, 2023 The Clean Energy Resource Team is seeking applicants for its seed grants to communities for clean energy projects within Minnesota. CERT co-director Joel Hanskard talks about who is eligible and how to apply. Deadline is Oct. 10, 2023.By KMSU

August 10, 2023 Clean & Green Lawn Care started operations in Mankato in late 2022. Owner/Operator John Addink saw a need for an environmentally-conscious service and now has a fleet of all-electric equipment - from mowers, blower, edgers, to weed whackers. He also will incorporate organic products in place of chemicals if that's what a customer wa…

By KMSU

July 19, 2023 Climate Scientist, Dr. Heidi Roop, who is the director of the University of Minnesota's Climate Adaptation Partnership, talks about her research and how it drove her to write a new book, The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone. The highly-rated book details actions to fight climate change.…

July 6, 2023 The Friends of the Mississippi River organization has been around for decades. Executive Director Whitney Clark talks about the non-profits mission and what it has accomplished and how the public can get involved in preserving one of the state's greatest treasures.By KMSU

June 28, 2023 The 2023 State Transportation Electrification Score Card evaluates U.S. states on their policies to encourage electric vehicle adoption. The American Council for an Energy--Efficient Economy (ACEEE)released the second edition which showed Minnesota dropped from 12th to 17th in the ranking, but still is a leader in the Midwest. Researc…

June 22, 2023 We often think of weatherizing our homes to get ready for winter to save on energy costs. It's equally important to prepare for the summer cooling season. Minnesota Valley Action Council Energy Auditor, Brianna Parr-Baker, provides tips on saving energy and the new legislation which can provide rebates to save $$.…

June 15, 2023 Just about anything with metal in it can be recycled. New Ulm Steel & Recycling Manager Rocky Bernard talks about the process and how you can earn some extra cash and prevent items containing metal from going into the landfill.By KMSU

June 8, 2023 The legislature just passed an historic Climate Action framework last week totaling over $700 million for more than 40 climate initiatives in energy, environment, agriculture, health, transportation and construction. Frank Kohlasch, Asst. Commissioner of Air & Climate Policy talks about the significance of this new legislation.…

May 18, 2023 The Living Earth Center in Mankato operates community gardens in a sustainable manner and takes into account social justice. LEC Director Laura Marsala Peterson talks about the expanding programs and special events to connect the community to the earth in a meaningful way.By KMSU

May 4, 2023 New battery storage technology is helping make renewable energy sources like solar and wind power more attractive due to new technology. Excel Energy VP of Regulatory, Bria Shea, talks about iron-air batteries which can provide 100-hour, multi-day storage of energy.By KMSU

May 11, 2023 Know your local farmer. Dan Zimmerli of Cedar Crate Farm near Waldorf talks about his sustainable produce and its availability at the local Farmer's Market. Zimmerli is on the board of the Mankato Farmers Market and provides insight into Farmer's Market Shopping 101.By KMSU

Minnesota is reportedly the 8th Greenest State in the nation. WalletHub today (Wednesday) released its report on 2023's Greenest States. They compared the 50 states in terms of 25 key metrics that speak to the current health of the environment and residents' environmental-friendliness. WaletHub Analyst Jill Gonzalez explains.…

April 20, 2023 It's Earth Week. Plastic pollution is a growing global environmental crisis. Mankato Area ZeroWaste Co-founder, Jane Dow, talks about this problem and how it impacting our environment and our health. Mankato ZeroWaste is a grassroots organization focused on reducing waste in all forms. This weekend, it is sponsoring a first-of-its-ki…