News Watch Dec 18

TODAY'S TOPICS: AGRICULTURE AIR QUALITY; CLEAN POWER PLAN; CLIMATE CHANGE; ENERGY; FRAC SAND MINING; MINING; OIL OUTDOOR RECREATION; TRANSPORTATION; WASTE WATER; WILDLIFEAGRICULTURE ">Star Tribune: Some Minnesotans garden under the snow AIR QUALITYStar Tribune: Letter: Recent days have been a rude reminder CLEAN POWER PLANE">Midwest Energy News: Midwest collaborative seeks flexibility on Clean Power Plan CLIMATE CHANGENPR: Arctic is warming twice as fast as anyplace else on Earth (In MPR) ENERGYDuluth News Tribune: Duluth in running for 5 million energy conservation prize Inforum: ND regulators approve 240 million wind farm Mankato Free Press: Mankato power plant could nearly double in size Midwest Energy News: Report sees bright future for renewable energy in Minnesota MPR: Community solar goes rural MPR: Minnesota's rural expansion of solar power FRAC SAND MININGWinona Daily News: Mike Kennedy: When it comes to frac sand, size matters MININGPioneer Press: Iron Range group looks to keep Legislature away from mining money Timberjay: Paddles down: Ely couple canoes to Washington, D.C. to highlight mining concerns OIL ">Bemidji Pioneer: Sandpiper pipeline hearing to take place in Bemidji Inforum: Groups want broader review for Sandpiper oil pipeline across northern Minnesota MPR: 5 public hearings set on Sandpiper pipeline plan Red Wing Republican Eagle: N.D. oil boom is hot Minnesota political topic Star Tribune: Commentary: Bakken dangers: Both the oil and the rail Star Tribune: Commentary: New Bakken volatility standards are pointless Star Tribune: Minnesota oil pipeline plan draws environmental lawsuit OUTDOOR RECREATIONAssociated Press: Apostle Islands ice cave visitors will pay 5 fee this winter (In Pioneer Press) Duluth News Tribune: Big tires, big smiles: Fat-bike riding growing in popularity TRANSPORTATIONConsumer Affairs: Electric vehicles could reduce air pollution deaths by 70%, study finds Product Design ">Red Wing Republican Eagle: Letter: ZipRail's shifting timeline raises many questions Star Tribune: Commentary: How to pay for roads, bridges, tunnels? Star Tribune: Letter: Electric cars TC Daily Planet: What if we took half the seats out of buses? WASTE ">Duluth News Tribune: New Magnetation plant needs IRRRB loan to fix structural problems WATERMankato Free Press: Letter: Rosen protects corporate agriculture Northlands News Center: Congress Funds Great Lakes Restoration Initiative at 300-million Star Tribune: Tensions rise around neighborhood ponds Star Tribune: Commentary: The imperfect stormwater pond WDIO: Cook Co. receives 829,000 for Poplar River Project WILDLIFEMinnPost: Earth Journal: Killing wolves may actually worsen livestock losses, new study finds MinnPost: Earth Journal: One-quarter of world's mammals at risk in new analysis of extinction rates MPR: Governor Dayton hopes pheasant summit will boost population Northlands News Center: North American Bear Center expanding with Northwoods Ecology Hall Star Tribune: Birding: Are empty feeders bad for birds? Star Tribune: Sunrise or sunset for pheasants? Summit seeks solutions West Central Tribune: Pheasant Summit: Habitat needs to be improved on private land

Reference: green-energy-technologies.blogspot.com