Emily Guerin

North Dakota's fortunes have taken an abrupt turn for the worse. The state was recently a destination for thousands of people seeking a better life and high paying jobs in the Bakken oil field. But oil prices have fallen nearly 70 percent, along with agriculture prices. NPR reports on how residents are handling the sudden downturn.

Under the final version of the plan, North Dakota will have to cut emissions by 45 percent — a fourfold increase from the draft plan, and more than any other state.

Light pollution has increased by 500 percent at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota, thanks to nearby oil fields. Stargazers and oilmen are working together to find a solution.

The high school football game is the center of life for many towns in rural America. One town in western North Dakota is celebrating the return of the ritual for the first time in more than 25 years.

Wastewater is arguably worse for the environment than oil, killing vegetation and leaving farmland sterile for generations. Some say the state isn't doing enough to get its spill problem controlled.

Trains carrying oil from North Dakota pass through American towns daily — and sometimes they derail and explode. The oil industry is now under pressure to make the oil less volatile before shipping.