Threshold: The Refuge

An examination of whether 9 million roadless acres in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge—home to moose and caribou, wolves and foxes, but also multiple tribal communities—will be drilled for oil and gas, The Refuge is an outstanding example of environmental journalism. Host Amy Martin helps us to see the tangle of traditional culture, economic aspirations, spiritual practices, protest movements, and political deal-making that shape current environmental policies. Each episode takes us deeper into the life stories of those living in the area and asks them “what’s at stake if we drill in the refuge—and if we don’t?” People in the lower 48 often have distanced and binary views on the issues while those on the ground see complexities, nuances, and compromises. For reporting which offers a complex account rather than simple answers, and for allowing us to hear such a range of indigenous voices discussing their own futures, The Refuge warrants a Peabody Award.