"For starters, let's be clear about what we mean by 'saving the earth'. The globe doesn't need to be saved by us, and we couldn't kill it if we tried. What we do need to save is -- and what we have done a fair job of bollixing up so far -- is the earth as we like it, with its climate, air, water, and biomass all in that destructable balance that best supports life as we have come to know it. Muck that up, and the planet will simply shake us off, as it has shaken off countless species before us. In the end, then, it's us we're trying to save -- and while the job is doable, it won't be easy"

-- TIME Magazine Special Report

My overall mission as part of Team 4 is to evaluate the various exploration and production strategies in a manner which considers the impact of all human activities on the ANWR ecosystem. This must include both direct human impact, impact of man made structures, and long-term cummulative effects of all. My other team members will be working with Teams 1, 5, and 6 to determine the ecosystem requirements. I will be working with Team E directly, bringing in information from my team members and my own research in an effort to narrow down Team E's options to one "best" plan for ANWR oil extraction

In order to make a substantiated argument for or against a particular exploration or production strategy I will need to do some of the following. These steps will be changing a little as the project continues and I begin to realize the feasibility of each.

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