Climate Cast

Climate advocates are showing strong support for Gov. Tim Walz’s vice presidential campaign. They point to his record.

“Walz was responsible, or at least, signed into law several climate action bills that are progressive no matter which state you live in,” said Kristoffer Tigue, who wrote about Walz’s climate record for Inside Climate News. “That includes a law from 2023 which requires Minnesota utilities to produce 100 percent of their electricity from carbon free sources by 2040. He also signed several other bills that do a lot to advance the effort to slow down climate change.” 

Tigue joined MPR News chief meteorologist Paul Huttner to talk about Walz’s record in Minnesota and what that might mean for the Harris-Walz ticket.

“A lot of advocates and political analysts believe that the Harris-Walz ticket will probably walk a line that’s similar to what Biden has been doing in his last couple of years as president, which is taking kind of a moderate approach, trying to appeal to a broader audience, rather than appeasing a smaller, more progressive climate constituency,” Tigue said.

But there’s not a lot to go on.

“Both Walz and Harris have largely refrained from talking about climate change since announcing their campaign together, but in the debate with former President Trump earlier this month, Harris did address climate change, and the two have since released a platform, though the details on policy are still pretty slim,” she said.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

A new report from the Global Carbon Project finds several sources of methane gas are on the rise.

Sahrah Kaplan, climate and science reporter for the Washington Post says the powerful greenhouse gas is “the fastest way to heat the planet and we’re doing that at an ever accelerating rate.”

Kaplan wrote about the Global Carbon Project report and joined Climate Cast to explain how agriculture as well as human influence are contributing to the rise in this potent greenhouse gas. 

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

David Lipsky, author of “The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial,” talks about the history of climate change and those who deny the science behind human-caused climate change. 

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The State Fair gates are open – but there’s a noticeable absence in the Miracle of Birth Center: birthing cows and newborn calves. 

It’s all due to the spread of avian flu, also known as bird flu or H5N1. So how serious is the spread of avian flu, and what does climate change have to do with the spread of viruses between species? 

Izzy Ross is a climate solutions reporter for Interlochen Public Radio and wrote about the threat of bird flu spreading to dairy cows for Grist. Ross stopped by Climate Cast to talk about the link between bird flu and climate change.

Recent abundant levels of rainfall across the state have pulled Minnesota out of drought for the first time since June 2022.

Will this rainfall pattern continue? And how are Minnesota’s precipitation swings a symptom of climate change? 

Kenneth Blumenfeld with the Minnesota State Climatology Office talks about recent rainfall across the state and explains how both dry and wet patterns — sometimes lasting several months — are connected to climate change. 

Scientists are concerned that Earth’s temperature rise is accelerating, and certain factors known as “tipping points” could speed up the process.

What will that mean for the planet and what can be done to keep the planet warming at a fast pace? Andrew Freedman wrote about the new study for Axios and explains the research behind the warming climate report.

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Climate change is putting stress on the traditional spruce and pines in Minnesota’s northern forests — and there’s real concern about their future.

So, researchers are planting trees from the southern parts of our state in hopes of saving our northern forests.

It’s called assisted migration and University of Minnesota professor Julie Etterson is studying if it can be an effective strategy for reforesting and fighting climate change.

An increasing number of wildfires in Canada and the western U.S. is pumping smoke toward Minnesota.

But how much smoke will reach Minnesota? And how do meteorologists forecast wildfire smoke events and trends across the state?

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s supervisory meteorologist Matt Taraldsen talks about the wildfire smoke that sullies Minnesota’s blue skies and triggers air quality alerts.

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Flash floods and extreme temperatures — both heat and cold — are having a negative impact on infrastructure across the Midwest. 

These extreme weather swings take a toll on roads, bridges and railroads, leading to headaches for travel and daily commutes.

Kiley Price wrote about the threat for Inside Climate News and joined MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner to explain what’s being done to address the aging infrastructure in the Midwest.

Climate change-enhanced rainfall events threaten nearly 92,000 dams across the U.S. and many are over 100 years old — including dams in Minnesota.

Climate reporter Kristoffer Tigue wrote about aging dams and the risk for extreme rainfall for Inside Climate News.

Tigue joined MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner to explain how extreme weather events pose a threat to dams in Minnesota and the Midwest.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.