KMSU Every Day Is Earth Day

April 17, 2025 - Do you need an excuse to get out on the lake? Or to spend some time on a nearby waterway? The MPCA is searching for volunteers who want to do just that by being a Water Monitor. MPCA Volunteer Water Monitoring Program Coordinator, Waverly Reibel, explains how you can be a part in helping improve the quality of water in our state while enjoying the great outdoors!

Jan. 16, 2025 More than 100 Electric Vehicle models are now available in the U. S. market. Jukka Kukkonen, Chief EV Educator and Strategist with Shift2Electric, discusses how far the EV technology has grown and improved: with better range, new features, and vehicles for everyday lifestyles. For more info, see EVinfoList.com.

April 10, 2025 - Less than 1% of native prairie and savanna ecosystems exist today. That's why Kim Musser, co-director of the Minnesota State Mankato Water Resource Center and Henry Panoswitch, founder of Prairie Enthusiasts have developed a stewardship program to get youth involved in nature to protect our natural heritage.

March 26, 2025 - Eighty-percent of Americans can't see the Milky Way from their backyards due to light pollution. Astronomer Dr. James Lowenthal at Smith College talks about how it affects our health, our climate, wildlife and all aspects of our lives in negative ways. He discusses solutions and how we can all make a difference.

March 20, 2025 - The third annual Lakes Conference is set to bring water expertise and inspiration to lake stewards on March 20-21, 2025. ISG Water Business Unit Leader, Julie Blackburn, discusses common lake misconceptions, and how the conference is designed to empower lakes residents and stakeholders with practical tools and knowledge for managing their lakes. 

March 13, 2025 - In June 2024, the Rapidan Dam suffered catastrophic failure when floodwaters tore around the west end of the dam, eating away the shoreline and sending a century's worth of sediment stored behind the structure down the river. Dr. Phil Larson, co-director of Minnesota State Mankato's Earth Systems Laboratory, and MSU alum Dr. Zach Hilgendorf received a National Science Foundation g...

March 12, 2025 - A permit application to mine sand and gravel on land immediately adjacent to one of the Mankato area's newest and largest parks has been withdrawn following a flood of opposition. Community effort led by Charles Eltonga, who started a petition which helped to save the park from mining, was a success.

March 6, 2025 - Xcel Energy says it will go carbon-free earlier than anticipated. Bria Shea, regional VP of planning and policy discusses what is included in the new Xcel plan which was recently approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

Feb. 27, 2025  What is happening with climate change in the Trump era? Peter Prengaman, global news director for the Associated Press' Climate and Environmental team discusses Trump's new climate policies and what they mean for climate journalism over the next four years.

Feb. 20, 2025 "The Nature of Oaks" by Doug Tallamy is considered a highly important book because it sheds light on the crucial ecological role oak trees play in the environment, highlighting their vital function as a keystone species that supports a vast array of wildlife, and advocating for their protection and planting in our landscapes.

Feb. 6, 2025 - MNSU Urban Studies Professor Dr. Paul Prew’s research and personal interests revolve around the growing concerns regarding the destruction of our environment.  KMSU's Karen Wright talks with Prew about how we can understand this global crisis in the capitalist world-system and what we, as individuals, can do to make a difference.

January 9, 2024 The Blue Earth County Property & Environmental Resources/Waste & Recycling Division is seeking public input on proposed changes to its County Solid Waste Management Plan. Mark Manderfeld and Taylor Piotter discuss how you can learn about, and have input into this Plan at an upcoming Open House on Jan. 21, 2025.

Dec. 19, 2024   Magma Power, LLC, is pioneering energy technology to harvest the power of volcanoes for renewable energy. Magma Power CEO, Levi Connor, spoke with KMSU's Karen Wright about the proprietary system designed to safely, efficiently and cost effectively extract geothermal energy from magma reservoirs. 

Dec. 12, 2024  - Toby Bond is a Senior Scientist at the Canadian Light Source (CLS), Canada’s national synchrotron facility, where he specializes in x-ray imaging of batteries and fuel cells for companies doing industrial R&D. Bond says what’s most exciting about the research is that it suggests we may be near the point where the battery is no longer the limiting component in an EV – as it may...

Dec. 4, 2024 Author and Explorer, Jonathan Waterman, has witnessed first-hand the effects of climate change in one of America's last wild places - the Arctic. His recently published book, "Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis," draws from his life's most profound journeys over the past 40 years. Despite the unfolding climate crisis, Waterman shares his hope for the futur...

Nov. 21, 2024 Fresh Energy's J. Hamilton Drake represented Minnesota at the COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan this past week. She witnessed the historic 2015 Paris Agreement in support of the global response to the threat of climate change, and has attended nine COP summits. She shares her insights with KMSU's Karen Wright for "Every Day is Earth Day".

Nov. 14, 2024 Global Climate and Environmental News Director, Peter Prengaman, leads the Associated Press global climate and environment team. Prengaman was at the COP29 Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan when KMSU's Karen Wright talked with him about how U.s. President-elect Donald Trump's win last week will affect international efforts to combat climate change.

Nov. 7, 2024 Recent college graduate, Luke Drummer of Mankato, is hoping to make a difference and improve the environment. He is a member of the Conservation Corp of Minnesota and Iowa. Learn about how he is having an impact in the communities of Eagle Lake and Lake Crystal.

Oct. 31, 2024 The Living Earth Center is hosting its 19th Annual Earth Conference - From Extraction to Regeneration: The Future We Create. One of the keynote speakers of the event, Michael Wilson Becerril, who is an activist scholar specialized in Environmental Justice, spoke with KMSU's Karen Wright about the consequences of extraction on both the environment and human societies.

Oct. 24, 2024  More than a quarter of the dangerous climate-heating greenhouse gas emissions produced around the world today come from food. Mark Easter, Senior Research Associate at the Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University and author of "The Blue Plate: A Food Lover's Guide to Climate Change" talks about his research on the carbon footprint of food and innovative ways t...

Oct. 17, 2024 KMSU's Karen Wright talks with one of the world's leading climate scientists, Rob Jackson, who is Chair of the Global Carbon Project, a senior fellow at Stanford's Woods Institute for the Environment and Precourt Institute for Energy, and author of "Into the Clear Blue Sky: The Path to Restoring Our Atmosphere."

Oct. 10, 2024 If you can't pay your heating bill this winter, your energy can be disconnected. Minnesota Valley Action Council provides assistance for those who need extra help with their energy bills and home weatherization. Brianna Parr-Baker and Emily Holicky explain available resources.

October 3, 2024 The environmental and economic impact of food waste is substantial, and author Teralyn Pilgrim, a Zero-Waste Food advocate describes how we can all make a difference in her new book, No Scrap Left Behind: My Life without Food Waste.

Sept. 26, 2024 The city of Eagle Lake received a grant to create a Resiliency Plan. City Administrator Jennifer Bromeland explains what that means and how the community will be involved in making the city more climate-friendly.

Sept. 19, 2024 What is SWCD and why should I care? You may see SWCD Supervisor listed on your ballot when you vote, and you just check a box without knowing what you're voting for. Emily Minge, Political Organizer with Land Stewardship Action, explains the power of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and how they use your tax dollars to promote sustainable agriculture and develop healthy communi...