To lower your transportation carbon footprint, one good option is taking the bus or train.
Alex Kormann, Star Tribune
To lower your transportation carbon footprint, one good option is taking the bus or train.

Happy Earth Day! Here are some big and small ways to reduce your carbon footprint.

April 17
Eat less beef. Ride the bus. Turn down the thermostat. For Earth Day, we bring you ideas on how to do your part and reduce your carbon footprint.
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/rtsong-taatarii@startribune.com
Value Village, some donated clothing is baled and sold by the pound to used clothing giant Rags
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Why you should donate clothing: It (probably) won't end up at the dump

April 20
Fast fashion is tough on the climate, but clothes can have second and third lives.
Kids from Miss Maria Lazowski�s 2nd grade class from Saint Paul Music Academy planted, mulched and watered three native ornamental trees around the

Six changes to make your backyard greener life while reducing your carbon footprint

April 17
Plant a tree. Or four. And ornamental grasses can absorb three times as much CO2 as a typical lawn.
Workers from TruNorth Solar install a rooftop solar panel power system on the roof of Sheila and Richard Miller’s house in Golden Valley.

How to solar power your home to lower your carbon footprint

April 17
There are more options for boosting solar power at home than you might think, including installing rooftop solar, subscribing to a community garden or simply paying extra to your utility.
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Don't Miss

Your fridge is a place where fresh food goes to die. That doesn't have to happen.

April 17
Can't see the contents of your own fridge? It's not your fault (well, not entirely). Here are some quick hacks to reduce wasted food in your kitchen.
The turbulent course of carbon offsets in recent years means that many travelers should think twice before buying them.

Think twice about buying carbon offsets when you fly

April 17
Airlines are moving away from the practice and toward broader strategies to combat climate change. Do your research if you buy them.
Traffic moves along Hennepin Avenue near W. 24th Street during an evening commute in Minneapolis.

A climate-minded newcomer's guide to riding transit in the Twin Cities

April 17
With a little planning and perseverance, it can work for commuting and just getting around.
West Metro
April 17
Sealing up your home can fight climate change

Sealing up your home can fight climate change

An Edina woman knew her house could get drafty in the winter, so she signed up for a home energy audit to find out where cold and heat were getting in.
Business
April 17
FILE -- A rent deposit slot at an apartment complex in Tucker, Ga., on July 21, 2020. As an eviction crisis has seemed increasingly likely this summer

What a renter can do to fight climate change

Behavioral change, personal investments and even a conversation with your landlord can help reduce the carbon emissions from your rental home or apartment.
Local
April 17
Jenny Hoops just switched out the old gas water heater in her St. Paul Midway home for a new electric heat pump water heater by Rheem. She’s plannin

Replacing water heaters with heat pumps can help the environment, and get you a tax credit

Tax credits and subsidies are available for this lesser known appliance.
Local
February 7
An electric vehicle is getting a charge.

Minnesota rolls out rebates of up to $2,500 for EV buyers

Used vehicles could bring a $600 rebate. Federal tax credits are also available.
East Metro
November 13, 2023
Katie Wheeler held a photograph of her late husband, Steve, and their daughters Meskele, 16, left, and Shibere, 18, right. Wheeler’s husband died in

Twin Cities man's dying wish: Compost me for the benefit of the planet

He died in September, but Steve Wheeler's journey could change Minnesota.
April 17

What questions do you have about shrinking your carbon footprint?

Help us help you help the planet.
Business
October 14, 2023
Star Tribune agriculture reporter Christopher Vondracek charged his electric Nissan Leaf at Northern Lights Casino in Walker, Minn.

This farm reporter roams rural Minnesota by EV — and it's no easy task

After owning an EV more than six months — and using that vehicle for work as a journalist that involves predominantly driving across rural America — my personal experience suggests we're unprepared to help consumers successfully transition.
Outdoors
February 29
John Sheehan, owner of ROAM Bike Shop in White Bear Lake, right, said questions about the electric bike tax rebate are No. 1 these days.

What's up with that e-bike rebate? Shop owner creates calculator for answers

John Sheehan gets that question again and again from customers who walk into his bike shop in White Bear Lake. He's doing his best to help.
Variety
December 14, 2023

In frugal, freewheeling Buy Nothing groups, even dryer lint and used deodorant find new homes

Neighbors engaging in mutual aid turns household effluvia into social glue.
Business
January 18
There are two levels of charger your electric vehicle can use at your home.

Charging your electric vehicle is half the battle. Take these steps to make your home EV ready.

What the experts say about the cost and logistics of readying your house with one of the two types of electric vehicle chargers.