In the last two weeks, I've seen Inside out 2, Despicable Me 4, Deadpool and Wolverine, and Alien Romulus. I haven't seen that many quality films in a such a short period, in five years, before the pandemic and the infiltration of streaming services.
In any calendar year, there may be 10 to 20 terrific movies that you must or should see. Great films are a precious gift to the public.
Contrast the dearth of terrific films with podcasting. Not only are there a lot of podcasts, there are a lot of terrific podcasts. On any given day, with access to a smartphone or computer and a modicum of computer skills, any person can search for and find thousands of ear-worthy podcasts. With a portable storage device that could hold tens of thousands of podcasts, you could listen to a new podcast every day for decades and never duplicate a show.
The F5 tornado funneling around podcasting is its discoverability. It's like looking for galaxies through the Webb Telescope, there are so many.
The other danger sign is that independent podcasts get shoved aside by network-supported podcast networks, who have the resources to promote their podcasts, no matter how derivative they may be. Meanwhile, indie podcasters are scrambling to attract ears, eyeballs, media buzz, and achieve that ever-elusive tipping point.
I told you all that because of Threshold podcast series. I am embarrassed that a professional podcast reviewer (I have a name tag that says that) like myself could not find out about such a superb podcast as Threshold after it's produced four seasons of stellar episodes and is getting ready for season number five in the next few months.
Threshold is a Peabody Award-winning podcast and radio show that tackles one pressing environmental story each season. The podcast explores the intersections of environment, history, culture, science, politics and social justice, focusing on the human relationships with the natural world.
Is it a climate change podcast? Yes, but more. Is it a nature podcast? Yes, but more. Is it an environmental podcast? Yes, but more. Is it a history podcast? Again, yes, but more. Is it a culture podcast? Yes, but, yet again, more.
Threshold is a serial, season-based show. Each season, Threshold tackles one pressing environmental issue, exploring it from several angles and perspectives.
Season one explores the history of the American bison, the United States' national mammal. Hundreds of years ago, over 50 million bison roamed the lands of the United States freely. By 1901, only 23 wild bison were left inside Yellowstone National Park. Reporting from across Montana and interviewing ranchers, tribal members, scientists, and many others, the season asks: Can we ever live with wild, free-roaming bison again?
Season 2
Season two focuses on how the Arctic is changing due to climate change, and why that matters. The focus is on the four million people live in the Arctic, and they've been dealing with the effects of climate change for decades.
Season 3
Season three focuses on oil drilling in the Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In 2017, Congress opened part of the refuge for oil and gas development. But a number of communities, including indigenous communities, such as Iñupiat and the Gwich'in, in the region, oppose the drilling.
Season 4
Season four focuses on the climate goal of 1.5 °C over pre-industrial levels. Will we be able to prevent warming beyond 1.5 °C is the question. The first episode of the season was released on 1 February 2022 with a new episode each following week.
She created Threshold in 2016. Under her leadership, Threshold has received a Peabody Award, a national Edward R. Murrow Award as well as awards from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Overseas Press Club, and the Montana Broadcasters Association.
In addition to creating Threshold, Amy has produced stories for NPR’s All Things Considered, PRI’s The World, Reveal, Here & Now, and other national outlets. In 2016, she was selected for the Scripps Fellowship in Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado Boulder.
Amy Martin has been invited to give presentations about her work at the Environmental Film Festival in The Nation's Capital, the International Wildlife Film Festival, the Arctic Frontiers conference in Tromsø, Norway, and on the TEDx stage.
Amy Martin holds a BA in philosophy from Augustana College. She was raised on an Iowa farm. That last fact makes sense because farmers have respect for the majesty of the land and the tenuous balance that humans can easily and willingly disrupt.
Holly Kirkpatrick of Rise Collaborative wrote that Threshold Season 2 helps listeners gain a more in-depth understanding of the Arctic. "In most of the 1–4 minute news and radio reports about the Arctic or climate change, we don't always hear enough from the four million people actually living there. Threshold aims to change that by exploring the complexities of the Arctic through the stories of its residents," Kirkpatrick writes.
Dan DeLuca of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote that Threshold Season 1: "an immersive exploration of the nation's history with the [bison]... It digs deep into issues about conservation and politics and the relationship of the U.S. government to native populations, both animal and human, while never losing a sense of wonder about the majestic beasts."
As I mentioned, the sonic lushness of the show is produced via original music by Travis Yost in seasons two and three and Threshold Conversations. Music in season four was composed by Todd Sicakafoose.
Such an ambitious undertaking requires a team, and Erika Janik has her hand in every aspect of production, from training and managing the production team and developing new projects to helping edit and elevate the stories. She previously worked as the Director of On-Demand at New Hampshire Public Radio where she oversaw the award-winning podcasts Civics 101, Outside/In, and Patient Zero, among others, and co-founded and oversaw Wisconsin Life, a multimedia storytelling project at Wisconsin Public Radio.
Check out Threshold. Did you know that before Europeans came to North America, 50 million bison (buffalo) roamed the land? By 1903, there were 23 left. Did you know that, despite the climate deniers here in the lower 48, four million people in the Arctic are being affected by climate change right now? Did you know that The Arctic Refuge is an important carbon reserve, locking carbon in the frozen ground? Drilling for oil in the Arctic Refuge would release large amounts of carbon into the atmosphere.
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