the Arctic, onshore and offshore, contains vital energy resources that can reduce the Nation’s dependence on foreign oil and improve the national balance of payments;

the Arctic is critical to national defense;

the renewable resources of the Arctic, specifically fish and other seafood, represent one of the Nation’s greatest commercial assets;

Arctic conditions directly affect global weather patterns and must be understood in order to promote better agricultural management throughout the United States;

industrial pollution not originating in the Arctic region collects in the polar air mass, has the potential to disrupt global weather patterns, and must be controlled through international cooperation and consultation;

the Arctic is a natural laboratory for research into human health and adaptation, physical and psychological, to climates of extreme cold and isolation and may provide information crucial for future defense needs;