2. To appreciate the environmental fragility and delicate natural balance of these extremely cold areas.

3. To learn to see the polar regions as barometers for global warming, ozone depletion, and the general health of the planet.

4. To understand the unique history and cultures born of such stark demanding lands where subsistence is a continuous battle.

5. To explore the wonders of adaptability to climate and inhospitable conditions both in humans and animals.

6. To begin to appreciate the solitude and aesthetic grace of these seemingly harsh and forbidding environments.

7. To consider Man’s endless desire to conquer hostile and difficult environments in his quest to master the most difficult challenges and perhaps to make every last inch of the earth habitable.

8. To contemplate the polar environment as inspiration and setting for literature, music and art.

9. To explore what humans bring back from extreme survival experiences and what qualities such as perseverance, self-reliance, and leadership are developed because of the challenge.

10. To increase our knowledge of the history of exploration of Antarctica and the Arctic and the many perilous and sometimes tragic journeys to the Earth’s extreme outposts.

11. To study and evaluate the economic aspects of the poles. What is the potential for development? Will the poles become more economically significant as other resources are depleted?

12. To understand the struggle to preserve Antarctica as an international scientific and peace zone as well as the inherent difficulty in protecting a part of the earth which is under the administration of multiple countries. Is it wise for the future of mankind and the world to maintain wilderness for its own sake?