Tournament: New York City Invitational - Bronx Science | Round: Doubles | Opponent: Blake SW | Judge:
Plan: The United States federal government should substantially increase joint oil cooperation towards Cuba. 

Contention 1 is Spills
Cuban offshore drilling is inevitable – only a rapid response with US expertise can prevent spills
Bert and Clayton 12 (Captain Melissa –2011-2012 Military Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard, and Blake – Fellow for Energy and National Security, “Addressing the Risk of a Cuban Oil Spill”, March, http://www.cfr.org/cuba/addressing-risk-cuban-oil-spill/p27515)

Defending U.S. Interests An oil  … Horizon, this time from Cuba.

Alternative methods fail in Cuban waters – only expertise solves
Bert and Clayton 12 (Captain Melissa –2011-2012 Military Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard, and Blake – Fellow for Energy and National Security, “Addressing the Risk of a Cuban Oil Spill”, March, http://www.cfr.org/cuba/addressing-risk-cuban-oil-spill/p27515)

Washington cannot count on the … the event of a crisis.

-- Florida is a unique biodiversity hotspot
Alles 7 (David L. Professor of Biology – Western Washington University, “Biodiversity Hot Spots: The Florida Everglades”, 3-7-2007, http://www.biol.wwu.edu/trent/alles/Everglades.pdf) 

"Biodiversity hot spots are areas  … the water is contaminated by pollutants.

-- Resiliency does not apply to the Gulf —another spill will destroy biodiversity
Craig 11 (Robin Kundis Craig, Attorneys’ Title Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Environmental Programs, Florida State University College of Law, Tallahassee, Florida, 12/20/11 “Legal Remedies for Deep Marine Oil Spills and Long-Term Ecological Resilience: A Match Made in Hell” http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1906839)

Importantly, however, the second aspect  … they depend for future generations.”168

The Gulf is a key to ocean biodiversity
Brenner 8 – Jorge Brenner, March 14th, 2008, "Guarding the Gulf of Mexico's valuable resources" www.scidev.net/en/opinions/guarding-the-gulf-of-mexico-s-valuable-resources.html

Rich in biodiversity and habitats …  the climate of western Europe.

Extinction
Clark and Downes 6
Dana Clark, Center for International Environmental Law, and David Downes, US Interior Dept. Policy Analysis Senior Trade Advisor, 2006, What price biodiversity?, http://www.ciel.org/Publications/summary.html

Biodiversity is the diversity of … rejuvenation through contact with nature.

Contention 2 is Relations
-- US-Cuban relations virtually non-existent because of embargo and travel restrictions.
Hanson and Lee 13 Editors for Council on Foreign Relations, January 31, 2013, “US-Cuba Relations”, The Council on Foreign Relations, http://www.cfr.org/cuba/us-cuba-relations/p11113

They are virtually nonexistent. There … for educational or religious purposes.

Now is key - Relations remain low and unoptimistic despite reforms made by Castro regime.
Starr 13 Pamela K Starr, Professor of international relations at USC and research fellow at the Pacific Council on International Policy, May 2013, “As Cuba Changes, U.S. Policy Does Not”, Pacific Council on International Policy, https://www.pacificcouncil.org/document.doc?id=539

Precisely where these changes will … nature of current U.S.-Cuban relations.

Cooperative drilling is critical for relations – energy has strategic significance for both countries
Grogg 12 – IPS (Patricia, citing Luiz Rene Fernandez, Senior Research and Professor at University of Havana in International Economics, “Cuba: Oil Drilling Opens Up New Possibilities”, 2/16, http://www.ipsnews.net/2012/02/cuba-oil-drilling-opens-up-new-possibilities/)//SEP

The search for oil in Cuba’s … cooperation definitely outweigh them,” Fernández concluded.

Scenario 1 is energy
Cuban oil production insufficient now - US tech is key to increase Cuban oil production
Benjamin-Alvarado ‘10
Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, PhD of Political Science, University of Nebraska, 2010, “Cuba’s Energy Future: Strategic Approaches to Cooperation,” a Brookings Publication – obtained as an ebook through MSU Electronic Resources – page 111-12

The authors of chapter 2, Jorge R…  industry, and future petrochemical plants.

All individuals deserve electricity access – we have an obligation to rectify the government’s failure to provide energy to the poor
Tully 6 – former BP Postdoctoral Fellow of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for the Analysis of Risk and Regulation and of the Law Department of the London School of Economics and Political Science
(Stephen, “The Human Right to Access Electricity,” The Electricity Journal vol 19 issue 3, April 2006, pg 30-39, dml)

Characterizing electricity as an essential … agricultural or industrial applications.

The right to energy is uniquely key to assist and empower women living in poverty
Clancy, Skutsch, and Batchelor 2 – *a Reader in technology transfer with the Technology and Development Group, University of Twente, Senior
Lecturer with the Technology and Development Group, University of Twente, AND *Director of Gamos Ltd
(Joy, Margaret, and Simon, “The Gender-Energy-Poverty Nexus: Finding the energy to address gender concerns in development,” http://www.sarpn.org.za/documents/d0000378/P342_Skutsch_Batchelor.pdf, dml)

This paper set out to examine … sustainable biomass fuel supply. 

The energy-oppressed poor experience hell on a daily basis
Driessen 6 – senior policy advisor for the Congress of Racial Equality and Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT), and author of Eco-Imperialism: Green power and Black death
(Paul, “Nuclear to the rescue”, http://www.maninnature.com/Energy/Nuclear/Nuclear1a.html, dml) 

No wonder. Without electricity, modern  … forever dependent on foreign aid. 

Scenario 2 is warming
Cuba is key to US-Latin American Relations-specifically spills-over to global coop on warming- overcomes alt causes
Shifter 12
(Michael is an Adjunct Professor of Latin American Studies at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and writes for the Council's journal Foreign Affairs. He serves as the President of Inter-American Dialogue. “Remaking the Relationship: The United States and Latin America,” April, IAD Policy Report, http://www.thedialogue.org/PublicationFiles/IAD2012PolicyReportFINAL.pdf)

Cuba, too, poses a significant challenge  … more effective approach to the problem.

Climate change exacerbates every scenario for social injustice
Cuomo 11 (Chris J Cuomo, PhD in philosophy from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, activist, professor of philosophy and women’s studies at the University of Georgia, Fall 2011, “Climate Change, Vulnerability, and Responsibility,” Hypatia Volume 26, Issue 4, pp 690-714, http://academia.edu/attachments/9105834/download_file)

Climate change was manufactured in … by norms of sex and gender.

Best methodology shows status quo will push us past the tipping point – causes extinction
Guterl 12 – Executive Editor of Scientific American, expert in Climate and Environment, Science Policy, citing James Hanson, a NASA scientist (Fred, “Climate Armageddon: How the World’s Weather Could Quickly Run Amok”, 5/25/12;  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-worlds-weather-could-quickly-run-amok)

The world has warmed since … from one state to another.

Credibility
Contention 3 is Credibility
Engagement with Cuba revitalizes Obama’s diplomatic power
Dickerson 10 – Lieutenant Colonel Sergio M. Dickerson, 2010, "United States Security Strategy Towards Cuba," Strategy Research Project, www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?Location=U2anddoc=GetTRDoc.pdfandAD=ADA518053

Conclusion¶ Today, 20 years have passed … bringing true peace for years to come.

Concessions to Cuba are uniquely key to Obama’s credibility – it’s perception based
French 10 (Anya, Director for the U.S.-Cuba Policy Initiative at the New America Foundation, “Stiffing Havana,” http://cuba.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2010/stiffing_havana_38758)

In the high-stakes world  … time to engage Cuba is now.

Obama’s credibility key to solve social injustices and porverty
Wartell 10 (Sarah Rosen, Degree in urban affairs from Princeton, J.D. from Yale, 3rd president of the Urban Institute, Co-founded the Center for American Progress, Deputy assistant for economic policy under Bill Clinton, formerly a Deputy Assistant Security at the Federal Housing Administration, formerly a visiting scholar/adjunct professor at Georgetown, “The Power of the President”, November 2010, http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/11/pdf/executive_orders.pdf  Accessed 9/22/2013)

There are many federal government  … state  and local collaboration efforts.

Solvency
1AC allows for a more genuine political sphere – an examination of social injustice allows for a more informed vision of policy making
Pelton 05, Leroy H. Pelton professor in and former director of the School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Frames of Justice, 2005, pages 67, MC and JS

Certainly, social science's seat at … sake of some aggregate good.

My partner and I are interested in a more productive type of debate—one where we talk about issues relevant to the world and solutions relevant to the issues for a more educational debate space. This means that logical and likely arguments should be evaluated before obscure hypotheticals.  

The “any risk” logic of magnitude first impacts would make all decision making impossible—evaluate probability first
Meskill 2009 (David, professor at Colorado School of Mines and PhD from Harvard, “The "One Percent Doctrine" and Environmental Faith,” Dec 9, http://davidmeskill.blogspot.com/2009/12/one-percent-doctrine-and-environmental.html)

Tom Friedman's piece today in … time (just barely) to take action.

Reject the Apocalypse from now on mindset in favor of more realistic or probable arguments for debate
Coviello 00 Peter (Professor of English); “Apocalypse from Now On”; Queer Frontiers; Ed. Joseph Boone et al. p. 40-1 nick

Perhaps. But to claim that American  … can scarcely be done without.   

No war – economic interdependence and nuclear deterrence
Deudney and Ikenberry, 09 — MA and PhD in Political Science, Professor, Political Science, Johns Hopkins University; PhD, Professor, International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University (Daniel and G. John, January/February 2009, “The Myth of the Autocratic Revival: Why Liberal Democracy Will Prevail,” Foreign Affairs Volume 88, Issue 1,ProQuest, Hensel)

This bleak outlook is based … than the autocratic revivalists acknowledge.

Even if it does occur, it will never involve great powers
Tepperman 9Deputy Editor of Newsweek, Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, now Managing Editor of Foreign Affairs, holds a B.A. in English Literature from Yale University, an M.A. in Jurisprudence from Oxford University, and an LL.M. in International Law from New York University(Jonathan, "Why Obama Should Learn to Love the Bomb," 8/28/09, http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2009/08/28/why-obama-should-learn-to-love-the-bomb.html)//AM

These efforts are all grounded … to the same safe conclusion.

Cuba says yes- the plan is in Cuba’s best interest
CDA 09 (The Center for Democracy In the Americas, an independent non-profit committed to the development of better US policy towards and relations with the Americas, “21st Century Cuba: As Cuba plans to drill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. policy poses needless risks to our national interest”, democracyinamericas.org, February 2011, http://democracyinamericas.org/pdfs/Cuba_Drilling_and_US_Policy.pdf)

6. Cuba would welcome U.S. investment…  Cuba looked for partners elsewhere.

Cuba’s commitment spills-into broader coop.  
Benjamin-Alvarado ‘10 (Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado, PhD of Political Science, University of Nebraska, 2010, “Cuba’s Energy Future: Strategic Approaches to Cooperation,” a Brookings Publication – obtained as an ebook through MSU Electronic Resources – page 120)

Undoubtedly, after fifty years of  … this type of engagement can occur.

Global focus on oppression key – analysis of the third world allows insight into the intersectional nature of oppression
Kabeer 97 – Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies
(Naila, “Tactics and Trade-Offs: Revisiting the Links Between Gender and Poverty,” IDS Bulletin Vol 28 No 3 1997 pg 1-13, dml)

In addition, some feminist scholars … also Sen and Grown 1985; Kabeer 1994).

You’re right to be skeptical of the state – but it’s the only viable actor in environmental politics.  Any anti-statist environmentalist struggles guarantees continual oppression of the impoverished and mass violence
Taylor 2k – Professor of Social Ethics
Bron, Professor of Religion and Social Ethics, Director of Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, BENENEATH THE SURFACE: CRITICAL ESSAYS IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF DEEP ECOLOGY, P. 282-284

A more trenchant problem is how … will be overwhelmed and futile.