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EPISODE DESCRIPTION
When a major storm hit Shishmaref, Alaska in 2005, the town became a poster child for climate change in the Arctic. Dramatic pictures of houses falling into the sea showed up in news outlets around the world. But the story here starts way before that storm.
SEASON TWO: COLD COMFORT
The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of planet, and that has big consequences for all of us. But satellite images of melting sea ice don't begin to tell the whole story. Four million people live in the Arctic, and they’ve been dealing with the effects of climate change for decades. We wanted to hear from them in this pivotal moment -- when the ground is literally shifting beneath their feet.
For Threshold season two, we went on a circumpolar journey to find out what the Arctic is, how it is changing, and why that matters.
We traveled on four-wheelers and fishing boats, bush planes and dog sleds. We camped out on the Greenland ice sheet with a team of scientists and hung out with Inuit rock stars in Canada. We visited all eight Arctic countries, and we discovered countless stories unfolding in the far north. Climate change is just the tip of the iceberg.
ALASKA SHORELINE CHANGE TOOL
This interactive tool allows users to see where Alaska’s shoreline has been in the past, and where it will be in the future.
INVISIBLE HANDS
At the end of this episode, the Shishmaref church choir sings “Invisible Hands” by Hank Snow. The lyrics and original recording can be found here.