The solar panels will go up before year's end at the northeastern entrance to the Lincoln Park neighborhood.

Prior to 2013, three million gallons of storm water runoff was pouring into Lake Nokomis in south Minneapolis every year, along with over two tons of soil-suspended solids and more than 15 pounds of phosphorus. Metro Blooms is a non-profit organization in the Twin Cities, encouraging gardeners to become active stewards of local water resources, and with a few small fixes and a neighborhood working together , they've made a huge difference in the lake's water quality - and the community's sense

Living a zero-waste lifestyle can be labor-intensive -- and a little intimidating. A "low-waste" lifestyle, on the other hand, is just a series of baby steps. More information about Zero Waste Duluth is available here. Earlier this week, Earth Wise Radio brought us a story about packaging, meal kits and the environment. You can hear the story here.

The last time we checked in with Tone Lanzillo , the environmental activist was walking from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C. His walk, to raise awareness about climate change and what he calls "The Duluth Agreement," is over but it's leading right into his next project, "Making It Personal." If you'd to take part in Tone Lanzillo's "Making It Personal" project, you can email him here .

If Minnesota is going to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% in the next 30 years , we need to take a hard look at transportation. Our gas-powered vehicles are responsible for most of it. Next week, the Minnesota Department of Transportation will host a public meeting at AICHO to look at some possible solutions and get ideas and feedback on a program called Pathways to Decarbonizing Transportation . Sessions will be held in the afternoon and evening so folks can attend even if they're working

Last week the US Bureau of Land Management renewed mineral exploration leases for Twin Metals, a crucial step in the Chilean-owned mining company’s bid to develop a large copper-nickel mine adjacent to the Boundary Waters. On Green Visions this week we are joined by Tom Landwehr, Executive Director of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters and former Minnesota DNR commissioner who shares his concerns on how this project will impact America's most popular wilderness area.

Ecolibrium3 likes to say they sit at the nexus of energy, equity and economic vitality. The new Lincoln Park Solar Garden, however, will sit behind the M&H gas station along I-35 and Michigan Street. And the project will not only generate energy, it will help folks suffering with "energy poverty" and veterans, too. More information about the Lincoln Park Solar Garden is here. More information about the SUNraiser is here.

Most cash registers are ready for it. Most retailers know it's coming. Over two thousand people in Duluth have signed a pledge to support it. Even the ordinance has basically been written. So why hasn't the Duluth City Council moved ahead with the proposed initiative to place a nominal charge on single use carryout bags, eliminate non-compostable plastic straws (and offer alternatives only on demand) and phase out Styrofoam™ to-go containers? More information about Bag It, Duluth's screening of

Honor The Earth’s Winona LaDuke in a wide-ranging conversation about the Green New Deal, the Husky Energy refinery explosion a year later, Line 3 and the work Native communities are doing to move toward clean, sustainable energy.

In a special full-length podcast, KUMD's Adam Reinhardt investigates the concept of Energy Democracy and the possibility of expanding citizen participation in energy production as the world transitions to renewables. Focusing on Germany as our key example, Adam talks with Craig Morris, author of Energy Democracy: Germany’s Energiewende to Renewables. He also talks with Anya Schoolman, Executive Director of US-based solar advocacy group Solar United Neighbors. To conclude, Dr. Josef Pesch, a