In this time of economic prosperity in the U.S., many ask "What effect has this period of sustained economic growth had on the Earth’s environment?" During this Interim Term, we will look at the current state of the environment and attempt to:

1. Understand how our perceptions and attitudes toward environmental issues are affected by prevailing social, economic, and political systems and activities, as well as learning to weigh the attitudes of developing countries as they use resources such as the rain forest to build economic wealth vs. our desire to preserve their resources.

2. Increase our knowledge of the nature and use of energy and the relationship between energy consumption and the environment, including the issues of over consumption, pollution, environmental disasters, nuclear energy, and alternative energy sources.

3. Build our knowledge of the effects of individual and collective actions on the environment with emphasis on the Foxcroft ecosystem, and to determine what effect our "consumption" decisions have on the quality of life for humans as well as other species, now and in the future.

4. Evaluate the current environmental health of the Foxcroft ecosystem as a part of the world at large, including the areas of resource consumption, use of pesticides, threatened/endangered species, global warming, etc.

5. Study how environmental policy is made and the role that citizens play in the process. In light of government oversight and the financial power of corporations, what influence do individuals really have?

6. Understand the delicate balance between our right to use what is "ours" vs. our responsibility to preserve what will be lost forever.

7. Examine local environmental issues, such as water use, land use, growth, and transportation/road construction, in order to see how Foxcroft and the local community identify and address environmental concerns.

8. Better understand the science of the earth's ecosystems and the scientific inventions and innovations which may help solve our problems.

9. Explore the relationship between nature and the process of human creativity and to experience the natural world as subject, inspiration, and source of materials for many forms of artistic expression.

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