The Refuge | Extra 2 | “Arbitrary and Capricious?” The Latest on the Refuge

The controversy over oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is at a critical point: a lease sale may be just days away, but lawsuits have piled up that could put a stop to that sale and put a wrench in the federal government’s efforts to open the refuge to drilling.In this update to our Peabody Award-winning series The Refuge, we dive into this moment through conversations with three lawyers and Vebjørn Aishana Reitan, a polar bear guide in Kaktovik, the only village within the refuge. Do these lawsuits hold water? What impacts might they have? And what’s next for the people living closest to the refuge, whatever happens in court?To listen to our series The Refuge, head over to Threshold’s website or find it on Threshold’s feed wherever you’re listening to this podcast. If you enjoy this episode, please support our independent nonprofit journalism at thresholdpodcast.org/donateAll donations through the end of the year will be doubled by NewsMatch. 

Om Podcasten

Threshold is a Peabody Award-winning podcast about people and the planet. Each season, we do a deep dive into one pressing environmental story, exploring it through the intersections of science, politics, culture, and environmental justice. We aim to make space for thoughtful, honest, and intersectional conversations about human relationships with the natural world. Season 4: "Time to 1.5" documents this profound moment in human history, when the window for keeping global heating to 1.5ºC is still open—just barely. Season 3: "The Refuge." The controversy over drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Season 2: "Cold Comfort." Climate change in the Arctic through the eyes of people who live there. Season 1: "Oh Give Me a Home." Can we ever have wild, free-roaming bison again?