2013 National Headliners Award First Prize Environmental Reporting: In the summer of 2012, one of the most vital ecosystems on earth, the Greenland ice sheet, experienced a meltdown that alarmed scientists the world over. Greenland is an island encased in ice and it's the world's second largest ice sheet after Antarctica. That summer, ninety-seven percent of the surface ice melted. "Melting Point" is a comprehensive examination of this event. Videographer Snorre Wik shot the footage under tough conditions—hauling around 1,000 pounds of gear by helicopter, by SUV (on Greenland's mostly dirt roads) and out on a thinning ice sheet made treacherous by the sun. Wik improvised to get the shots he needed—lying on helicopter floors to steady his camera without a gyro-stabilized mount, or holding his DSLR by hand on the dashboard of SUVs. His efforts were both breathtaking and disturbing. Additionally, Jens Christiansson is responsible for filming the destruction of the Watson River bridge. Marco Tedesco and his team of researchers filmed the moulins and ice cap during the record meltoff.

• published: 22 Dec 2012
• views: 158373