Tournament: Lakeland | Round: 2 | Opponent: Newark Science SQ | Judge: Alec Oppermann
1AC Lakeland
Warming
Contention 1 is Warming
Global warming is real and anthropogenic
Anderegg et al 10 – PhD Candidate @ Stanford in Biology
(William, “Expert credibility in climate change,” National Academy of Sciences, p. 12107-12109)BB

Preliminary reviews of scientific literature and surveys of cli- mate scientists indicate striking agreement
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discussions in media, policy, and public forums regarding anthropogenic climate change.
It also causes extinction — positive feedbacks will push us past the tipping point.
Morgan 9 (Dennis Ray Morgan, Professor of Current Affairs at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, “World on fire: two scenarios of the destruction of human civilization and possible extinction of the human race,” December 2009 Science Direct)

As horrifying as the scenario of human extinction by sudden, fast-burning nuclear
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civilization has been destroyed, and the question concerning human extinction becomes moot.
Action now prevents runaway warming — it’s not too late.
Hansen 8 (James Hansen, directs the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies,  adjunct professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University, “Tell Barack Obama the Truth – The Whole Truth,” Nov/Dec 2008, http://www.columbia.edu/~jeh1/mailings/2008/20081121_Obama.pdf)

Embers of election night elation will glow longer than any prior election. Glowing even
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and Middle East countries will decide to leave their oil in the ground.
The plan solves:
1) Technical assistance - U.S. clean energy investment solves reduction and adaptation
BECC 11 — Border Environment Cooperation Commission (Border Environment Cooperation Commission, November 2011, “Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy and Transportation: Project Opportunities in the U.S. – Mexico Border Region”, http://www.cocef.org/Eng/VLibrary/Publications/SpecialReports/BECC20WP2020Nov20201120index.pdf, Accessed 08-29-2013)

SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
This white paper describes the current deficit in the U.S.-Mexico border region in terms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transportation projects focused on the reduction of greenhouse gases (GHG). In the presentation, the argument is made that the primary reason this project deficit exists is due to: 

1. limited resources for project development,
   2. lack of capacity building, at the most fundamental level, in the public and public-private sectors, and
   3. lack of technical assistance program to address this deficit
   Specifically targeting a technical assistance program for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and transportation projects to achieve GHG reductions would be invaluable in promoting an environment for effective climate action in border communities. A proposed technical assistance program could help public sector entities build the bases on which they can develop both mitigation and adaptation greenhouse gas projects.
   Mitigation projects are the priority of the program since they are intended to directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Adaptation projects are important as well, and it is recommended they be developed as “capacity building” initiatives to assist municipalities better manage the current realities of climate change. Ultimately, these project types do need technical assistance funds, and the funds will need a highly capacitated and experienced program manager.
   2) Global modeling — U.S.-Mexico cooperation persuades developing economies to transition.
   Selee 12 — Vice President for Programs and Senior Advisor to the Mexico Institute, and Wilson, associate with the
   Mexico Institute (Andrew and Christopher, November, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, “A New Agenda With Mexico,” http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/a_new_agenda_with_mexico.pdf)

Over the past few years, the U.S. and Mexican governments have
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the developed and developing worlds, and between North America and Latin America.
That’s key to solve climate change — U.S. investment in renewables is key.
Passell 12 (Peter Passell, the Economics Editor of Democracy Lab, is a Senior Fellow at the Milken Institute, 5/23/12, “Two Worlds, One Climate,” http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/05/23/two_worlds_one_climate?page=full)

Climate change, we are often told, is everyone's problem. And without a
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with the army you've got, not the one you'd like to have.
Allowing warming and coal consumption to continue perpetuates and amplifies racist inequalities
Hoerner 8—Former director of Research at the Center for a Sustainable Economy, Director of Tax Policy at the Center for Global Change at the University of Maryland College Park, and editor of Natural Resources Tax Review. He has done research on environmental economics and policy on behalf of the governments of Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States. Andrew received his B.A. in Economics from Cornell University and a J.D. from Case Western Reserve School of Law—AND—Nia Robins—former inaugural Climate Justice Corps Fellow in 2003, director of Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative (J. Andrew, “A Climate of Change African Americans, Global Warming, and a Just Climate Policy for the U.S.” July 2008, http://www.ejcc.org/climateofchange.pdf)

Everywhere we turn, the issues and impacts of climate change confront us. One
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points and raising the average African American income by 3 to 4 percent.
Climate change exacerbates every scenario for social injustice - ethical obligation prevent warming
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 a crucible of inequality, for it is a product
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surprisingly, their vulnerabilities are also shaped by norms of sex and gender.
Plan
The United States federal government should substantially increase its infrastructure assistance toward Mexico through the North American Development Bank
Solvency
Contention 2 is Solvency
Public advocacy of climate solutions key to change governmental policy---individual change insufficient
CAG 10—Climate Change Communication Advisory Group. Dr Adam Corner School of Psychology, Cardiff University - Dr Tom Crompton Change Strategist, WWF-UK - Scott Davidson Programme Manager,  Global Action Plan - Richard Hawkins Senior Researcher,  Public Interest Research Centre - Professor Tim Kasser, Psychology department, Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, USA.  - Dr Renee Lertzman, Center for Sustainable Processes and  Practices, Portland State University, US. - Peter Lipman, Policy Director, Sustrans. - Dr Irene Lorenzoni, Centre for Environmental Risk,  University of East Anglia. - George Marshall, Founding Director, Climate Outreach , Information Network - Dr Ciaran Mundy, Director, Transition Bristol - Dr Saffron O’Neil, Department of Resource Management and Geography, University of Melbourne, Australia.  - Professor Nick Pidgeon, Director, Understanding Risk Research Group, School of Psychology, Cardiff University. - Dr Anna Rabinovich, School of Psychology, University of Exeter - Rosemary Randall, Founder and director of Cambridge Carbon Footprint - Dr Lorraine Whitmarsh, School of Psychology, Cardiff University and Visiting Fellow at the, Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research. (Communicating climate change to mass public audience, http://pirc.info/downloads/communicating_climate_mass_audiences.pdf)

This short advisory paper collates a set of recommendations about how best to shape mass
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they would like structural barriers to behavioural/societal change to be removed.
Simulation and institutional deliberation are valuable and motivate effective responses to climate risks
Marx et al 7 (Sabine M, Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (CRED) @ Columbia University, Elke U. Weber, Graduate School of Business and Department of Psychology @ Columbia University, Benjamin S. Orlovea, Department of Environmental Science and Policy @ University of California Davis, Anthony Leiserowitz, Decision Research, David H. Krantz, Department of Psychology @ Columbia University, Carla Roncolia, South East Climate Consortium (SECC), Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering @ University of Georgia and Jennifer Phillips, Bard Centre for Environmental Policy @ Bard College, “Communication and mental processes: Experiential and analytic processing of uncertain climate information”, 2007, http://climate.columbia.edu/sitefiles/file/Marx_GEC_2007.pdf)

Based on the observation that experiential and analytic processing systems compete and that personal experience
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engage both systems in the process of individual and group decision-making.

The state is inevitable and an indispensable part of the solution to warming
Eckersley 4 Robyn, Reader/Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Melbourne, “The Green State: Rethinking Democracy and Sovereignty”, MIT Press, 2004, Google Books, pp. 3-8

While acknowledging the basis for this antipathy toward the nation- state, and the
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at least as a potentially more significant ally in the green cause.17
Pragmatic warming policy is effective and key to prevent extinction
Simpson 10 (Francis, College of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, “Environmental Pragmatism and its Application to Climate Change The Moral Obligations of Developed and Developing Nations to Avert Climate Change as viewed through Technological Pragmatism”, Spring 2010 | Volume 6 | Number 1)

Pragmatism and Footprinting¶ Environmental pragmatism is a relatively new field of environmental ethics that
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have a moral obligation to protect the future of humanity and the biosphere.
Consensus-based climate science ensures best environmental policy
Rice 09 (Jennifer Lea, PHD in Phil Thesis, U of Arizona, “MAKING CARBON COUNT: GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE AND LOCAL  CLIMATE GOVERNANCE IN THE UNITED STATES”, http://arizona.openrepository.com/arizona/bitstream/10150/194452/1/azu_etd_10727_sip1_m.pdf#page=111)

In Seattle, the science of climate change has been framed in three distinct and
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multiple and diverse ways during  debates about urban governance in the Seattle area.
But how are these close relations of science and policy negotiated within the  science and
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by government workers trying to mitigate GHG  emissions and prepare for climate impacts.
 But, even as evidence that “science is a socially embedded
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the estimation of possible sea level rise provided in a regional  scientific report:
“If you want a rough guide to how bad it sea level rise could really be over the next 100  years, here it is. At one point she a coastal engineer said, ‘You're frustrating me. Why  don't you just tell me the answer?’ You know better than that. You're not a politician. So  that's an example of how we were asked.”

This statement suggests that the role of scientists should end at the door of the  decision-maker. Even though the practices of resource managers and city workers  legitimate and reinforce the importance of science, scientists cannot (and should not) act  as policy advisors. The presentation of science and policy as autonomous spheres of  practice, even though they are widely understood and accepted as intimately intertwined,  is the heart of the “science effect.”
 The importance of this phenomenon is twofold. First, the nature of the
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This extended quote from a regional research scientist in  Seattle captures this sentiment:                                                                                   
“I try to be very clear about the fact that we cannot predict the
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our  future,’ And that’s just the way you have to be.”
Importantly, I do not wish to claim that this is an inappropriate relationship.  Indeed, good environmental policies are based on sound scientific information. Rather,  the point here is that the “science effect” necessities a careful distinction between what is  scientific fact and what is the perception of politicians. Scientists, it seems, walk the line  of science and policy with great caution.
Second, because of the need for objective and reliable scientific basis in climate  policy, only those that produce or utilize this type of information are relevant
for political  practice. The City must go to great lengths to justify their environmental
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of action, the causes and  consequences of which can be independently verified.  
Importantly, the three framings of science in Seattle presented here have forged a  progressive
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effect” can often suggest that those scientists are no longer  truly objective.
 Recently, some organizations have begun to integrate science and policy more  aggressively.
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arrangements of their engagements, however, is one of separation and  independence.
 Perhaps, the example provided by the City of Seattle and regional climate  scientists
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experiences to scientific inquiry, are incorporated into the making of climate policy.
Creating a global ethical commitment to future generations is the ONLY way to appreciate the moral scope of climate change – government policy action must be the primary moral focus to create change and unify support
Callicott 11 – (Oct. 2011, J. Baird, University Distinguished Research Professor and a member of the Department of Philosophy and Religion Studies and the Institute of Applied Sciences at the University of North Texas, “The Temporal and Spatial Scales of Global Climate Change and the Limits of Individualistic and Rationalistic Ethics,” Royal Institute of Philosophy Supplement, Volume 69, October 2011, pp 101-116, cambridge journals)

The temporal scale of this proposed moral ontology – moral considerability for human civilization per
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lies in scaling up the moral agent as well as the moral patient.
The identity of that moral agent is no mystery: the world's several governments acting
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to identify the effective moral agent for an ethics of global climate change.
Nor do I mean to reject altogether out of hand the efficacy of voluntary individual
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, is considered to be quite wrong and irresponsible as well as illegal.
Unfortunately, there is a limit to this contagious effect. Environmentalism has created a
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one dimension of a complex political struggle sometimescharacterized as ‘the culture war’.
I now conclude. This essay has not been about practical ethics, but about
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be effective in mitigating global climate change, they must act in concert.
Individual focus destroys progressive climate politics and forcloses technological solutions to the energy crisis – our primary focus should be rapid development of clean energy technologies
Karlsson 12 – (Nov. 2012, Rasmus, PhD, lecturer at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Seoul, South Korea, “Individual Guilt or Collective Progressive Action? Challenging the Strategic Potential of Environmental Citizenship Theory,” Environmental Values 21 (2012): 459–474, ingenta)

In terms of its performative content, environmental citizenship theory tends to overlook the fundamental
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crisis but also to build public support for radical investments in breakthrough technologies.
Recent paleoclimatological evidence suggests that in order to avoid reaching the tipping level for catastrophic
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2008) can we expect them to be implemented on a sufficient scale.
By individualising the site of political change, we risk losing the collective force necessary
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and radical investments to meet the challenges of environmental change (Lomborg 2010).
Climate change should be addressed through consequentialism – scientifically proven and most politically effective
Grasso 12 – (10/12, Marco, Senior Lecturer (Tenured Assistant Professor) in Economic and Political Geography Department of Sociology and Social Research, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, “Climate ethics: with a little help from moral cognitive neuroscience,” Environmental Politics, taylor and francis)

Ultimately, in this article, I simply assume the fundamental, and less controversial
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deontological arguments is, therefore, far beyond the scope of the article.
What implication does the dual-process theory have for climate ethics? To put
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with human morality, and perhaps because of its possibly greater political feasibility.
Scientific knowledge is good because it subjects itself to constant refinement based on empirical evidence
Hutcheon 93—former prof of sociology of education at U Regina and U British Columbia. Former research advisor to the Health Promotion Branch of the Canadian Department of Health and Welfare and as a director of the Vanier Institute of the Family. Phd in sociology, began at Yale and finished at U Queensland. (Pat, A Critique of "Biology as Ideology: The Doctrine of DNA", http://www.humanists.net/pdhutcheon/humanist20articles/lewontn.htm)

The introductory lecture in this series articulated the increasingly popular "postmodernist" claim that
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mean failure, in that the theory itself has altered in the process.

Tournament: Lakeland | Round: 5 | Opponent: Edgemont CJ | Judge: Omer Bhatti
1AC Lakeland-~--Lex LiMe
Plan
The United States federal government should substantially increase joint oil cooperation towards Cuba.
Spills
Contention 1 is Spills
Cuban drilling is inevitable but dangerous without US help, a spill would spread to Cuban and US ecosystems and collapse regional hotspots
Gibson 1/21 (William E. Gibson, Sun-Sentinel's Washington bureau chief for 25 years and studied journalism at the University of Kansas and Columbia University, January 21 2014, "Cuba presses ahead on offshore oil drilling", http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-01-21/news/fl-bob-graham-cuba-drilling-20140120_1_oil-drilling-cuban-waters-major-oil-spill)

WASHINGTON — Cuban officials are preparing to resume offshore oil drilling in deep waters as
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and inlets to protect mangroves and hatching waters for fish and other wildlife.

Now current impediments to US-Cuban oil cooperation destroy spill response – three reasons:
a) Company-specific permits and licenses can’t solve – companies won’t apply and even if they did response time is too slow
Reilly and Cayten 12 (William K. AND Megan, "Why the U.S. should work with Cuba on oil drilling," 2/17/12, http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2012-02-17/opinions/35445244_1_blowout-preventer-scarabeo-deepwater-horizon)//AM

The U.S. government can, and should, make available the resources
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a clear signal from the executive branch in order to move forward.¶ s
b) Absent changes in US policy, the Coast Guard and US Companies can’t use expertise and specially designed equipment, 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 well blowout in Cuban waters would almost
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the United States risks a second Deepwater Horizon, this time from Cuba.
c) Transparency - Even if limited licenses already granted, lack of transparency thwarts fast response.
Peterson, Whittle, and Rader, ’12 – Assoc. at California Environmental Associates, Environmental Defense Fund's Cuba program director, and  (Emily A., Daniel J., and Douglas N., “Bridging the Gulf Finding Common Ground on Environmental and Safety Preparedness for Offshore Oil and Gas in Cuba,” Environmental Defense Fund, http://www.macfound.org/media/article_pdfs/Bridging_the_Gulf.pdf

Without immediate access to a full range of U.S. resources and technology
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joint U.S.-Cuban oil spill response in Cuban waters.6’
Cuban oil spills threatens the most biodiverse area in the region—ONLY lifting sanctions can prevent and contain a spill
Almeida, 12 http://gcaptain.com/drilling-cuba-embargo-badly/?46322 Drilling Off Cuba, and How the Embargo Could be Very Costly for the US BY ROB ALMEIDA ON MAY 18, 2012

Prior to commencing drilling operations, Repsol contracted Helix Energy Solutions Group to provide immediate
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oil spill could inflict unprecedented environmental devastation if not planned for in advance.
Caribbean biodiversity is key to global biodiversity
CEPF ’10 (quoting Mittermeier -- the same author that establishes the “hotspot” thesis and writes our impact ev. , Dr. Russell Alan Mittermeier is a primatologist, herpetologist and biological anthropologist. He holds Ph.D. from Harvard in Biological Anthropology and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. CEPF is the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund – “Ecosystem Profile: THE CARIBBEAN ISLANDS BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT” – Prepared by: BirdLife International¶ in collaboration with:¶ Durrell Wildlife Conservation¶ Trust / Bath University¶ The New York Botanical Garden¶ and with the technical support of:¶ Conservation International-Center¶ for Applied Biodiversity Science; assistance for this report was offered by 100 international and non-profit organizations. Jan 15th– http://www.cepf.net/Documents/Final_Caribbean_EP.pdf)

The Caribbean Islands Hotspot is one of the  world’s greatest centers of biodiversity and¶ endemism, yet its biodiversity and the natural¶ services it provides are highly threatened. Although¶ the islands have protected areas systems, most ar¶ e inadequately managed and important areas lack¶protection. This strategy will ensure that CEPF¶ funds are employed in the most effective manner¶ and generate significant conservation results that¶ not only complement the actions of other¶ stakeholders but also enable significant expansion¶ of strategic conservation for the benefit of all.¶ Everyone depends on Earth’s ecosystems and their life-sustaining benefits, such as clean air,¶ fresh water and healthy soils. Founded in 2000,¶ the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF)¶ has become a global leader in en¶ abling civil society to participate in and benefit from conserving¶ some of the world’s most critical ecosystems. C¶ EPF is a joint initiative of l'Agence Française de¶ Développement, Conservation International, the Gl¶ obal Environment Facility, the Government of¶Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the World Bank. As one of the¶ founding partners, Conservation International ad¶ ministers the global program through a CEPF¶ Secretariat.¶ CEPF provides grants for nongovern¶ mental and other private organizations to help protect¶ biodiversity hotspots, Earth’s most biologically¶ rich and threatened areas. The convergence of¶ critical areas for conservation with millions¶ of people who are impoverished and highly¶ dependent on healthy ecosystems is more ev¶ ident in the hotspots than anywhere else.¶ CEPF is unique among funding mechanisms in th¶ at it focuses on biological areas rather than¶ political boundaries and examines conservation th¶ reats on a landscape-scale basis. A fundamental¶ purpose of CEPF is to ensure that civil society is¶engaged in efforts to conserve biodiversity in¶ the hotspots, and to this end, CEPF provides ci¶ vil society with an agile and flexible funding¶ mechanism complementing funding currently¶ available to government agencies.¶ CEPF promotes working alliances among commun¶ ity groups, nongovernmental organizations¶(NGOs), government, academic institutions and¶ the private sector, combining unique capacities¶ and eliminating duplication of efforts for a¶ comprehensive approach to conservation. CEPF¶ targets trans-boundary cooperation for areas rich of¶ biological value that straddle national borders¶ or in areas where a regional approach may be more effective than a national approach.¶ A recent, updated analysis reveals the existence of¶ 34 biodiversity hotspots, each holding at least¶ 1,500 endemic plant species, and having lost at¶ least 70 percent of its original habitat extent¶ (Mittermeier¶ et al¶ . 2005). The Caribbean islands qualify  as one of these global biodiversity¶ hotspots by virtue of their high endemicity and high degree of threat.¶ The Caribbean Islands Hotspot is exceptionally important for global biodiversity conservation.¶ The hotspot includes important ecosystems, fro¶ m montane cloud forests to coral reefs, and¶ supports populations of unique species amounting to at least 2 percent of the world’s total¶ species
Losing species in specific hotspots checks extinction. Key to agriculture and medicine
Mittermeier ‘11
(et al, Dr. Russell Alan Mittermeier is a primatologist, herpetologist and biological anthropologist. He holds Ph.D. from Harvard in Biological Anthropology and serves as an Adjunct Professor at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He has conducted fieldwork for over 30 years on three continents and in more than 20 countries in mainly tropical locations. He is the President of Conservation International and he is considered an expert on biological diversity. Mittermeier has formally discovered several monkey species. From Chapter One of the book Biodiversity Hotspots – F.E. Zachos and J.C. Habel (eds.), DOI 10.1007/978-3-642-20992-5_1, # Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2011. This evidence also internally references Norman Myers, a very famous British environmentalist specialising in biodiversity. available at: http://www.academia.edu/1536096/Global_biodiversity_conservation_the_critical_role_of_hotspots)

Extinction is the gravest consequence of the biodiversity crisis, since it is¶ irreversible
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than 30 of original vegetation remaining” criterion to a genuine hotspot.
Biodiversity loss causes extinction
Coyne and Hoekstra, 07 (Jerry Coyne, professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Chicago AND Hopi Hoekstra, Associate Professor in the Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology at Harvard University, September 24 2007, “The Greatest Dying,” 9/24, http://www.truthout.org/article/jerry-coyne-and-hopi-e-hoekstra-the-greatest-dying)

Aside from the Great Dying, there have been four other mass extinctions, all
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just another Great Dying, but perhaps the greatest dying of them all.
There's an invisible threshold - resiliency isn't sufficient
Craig, 2003, Associate Professor of Law, Indiana U School Law, McGeorge Law Review, 34 McGeorge L. Rev. 155 Lexis

Biodiversity and ecosystem function arguments for conserving marine ecosystems also exist, just as they
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kill ourselves, and we will take most of the biosphere with us.
Relations
Contention 2 is Relations
Scenario 1 is Russia:
Russia is seeking to increase military ties with Cuba -~-- influence is in limbo because of the death of Chavez and imminent retirement of Castro -~-- Russia would place cruise missiles and boost electronic spying capability
Gertz 13 (Bill Gertz - national security columnist for The Washington Times and senior editor at The Washington Free Beacon, The Washington Times, “Inside the Ring: Russia boosts Cuba ties” Wednesday, July 31, 2013,http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/31/inside-the-ring-russia-boosts-cuba-ties/?page=all

The Russian military recently dispatched a guided-missile warship to Cuba as part of
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signs that the Russians want to return to Lourdes for more electronic spying.
That causes war -~-- a lack of communication between the two power houses allows escalation -~-- relations determine influence
Inter-American Dialogue 12 (U.S. based think tank for policy analysis, exchange, and communication on issues in Western Hemisphere affairs, “Are External Tensions Entangling Latin American Countries?” http://www.cepr.net/documents/CEPR_News/LAA120810.pdf)

A Stephen Johnson, senior fellow and director of the Americas Program at the Center
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Latin America. There is no reason for the Russians to do so."
The plan is key to US-Cuban energy cooperation-~--solves US-Cuba relations
Benjamin-Alvadaro 10 – Jonathan Benjamin-Alvadaro, Report for the Cuban Research Institute, Florida International University, PhD, Professor of Political Science at University of Nebraska at Omaha, Director of the Intelligence Community Centers of Academic Excellence Program at UNO, Treasurer of the American Political Science Association, 2010, Brookings Institution book, “Cuba’s Energy Future: Strategic Approaches to Cooperation”
Conclusion and Recommendations
Oil exploration is an inherently risky enterprise; there are always trade-offs between
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tangible benefits for the people of Cuba, it neighbors, and beyond.
The plan is critical to reverse Russian influence indefinitely.
Bloomberg, 12/11/13(Leonid Bershidsky, an editor and novelist, is a Bloomberg View contributor, “Obama’s Handshake Trumps Putin’s Money in Cuba,” 12/11/13, http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-12-11/obama-s-handshake-trumps-putin-s-money-in-cuba.html)

Are the 1950s coming back? The U.S. and Russia appear to
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S. does or risk forever losing its tenuous foothold in the tropics.
Our argument is not that Russia wants to attack, rather that US policymakers will perceive a threat, and miscalculate accordingly
Richter 08 (Paul, Staff Writer for New York Times, “Moscow-Havana ties worry U.S.” http://articles.latimes.com/2008/sep/01/world/fg-usrussia1)

But at a time when Russia has intervened forcefully in Georgia and is extending the
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that sending the bombers would cross a "red line in the sand."
Taking steps to reduce the probability of war is key -~-- the plan is the only way to deal with dogmatic policy makers on the hill
Baum ‘12 (Seth Baum, Executive Director of the Global Catastrophic Risk Institute,  
Nuclear War Group Discusses Ongoing Risk Of US-Russia Nuclear War, 12/30/2012, Global Catastrophic Risk Institute,http://gcrinstitute.org/nuclear-war-group-discusses-ongoing-risk-of-us-russia-nuclear-war/)

The key statistic here is the probability of US-Russia nuclear war per unit
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Putin’s concerns about NATO plans for a missile defense shield in Eastern Europe.
US-Russia nuclear miscalc over external crises is likely—risks extinction
Barrett et al. 13 (Anthony M. Barrett- Global Catastrophic Risk Institute, Seth D. Baum- Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, Columbia University, Kelly R. Hostetler- Department of Geography, Pennsylvania State University, 2013, “Analyzing and Reducing the Risks of Inadvertent Nuclear War Between the United States and Russia”, http://sethbaum.com/ac/fc_NuclearWar.pdf)

War involving significant fractions of the U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals,
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one or both nations more likely to misinterpret¶ events as attacks.16
US-Russia war leads to extinction
Helfand and Pastore 9 Ira Helfand, M.D., and John O. Pastore, M.D., are past presidents of Physicians for Social Responsibility. March 31, 2009, “U.S.-Russia nuclear war still a threat”, http://www.projo.com/opinion/contributors/content/CT_pastoreline_03-31-09_EODSCAO_v15.bbdf23.html

President Obama and Russian President Dimitri Medvedev are scheduled to Wednesday in London during the
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alert status of nuclear weapons that existed  in 1995 remains in place today.
Scenario 2 is Cuba:
Cuban oil production insufficient now – US tech is key to successfully increase
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. Piñón and Jonathan Benjamin-Alvarado
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that city’s thermoelectric power plant, local industry, and future petrochemical plants.
Oil drilling is key to Cuban economy
Hoffman 12 Karen Hoffman, Hoffman is a research analyst for environmental studies, 3/15/12, “Cuba’s Gulf of Mexico Oil Exploration Makes Strange Bedfellows,” http://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/elist/eListRead/cubas_gulf_of_mexico_oil_exploration_makes_strange_bedfellows/

Between North Cuba and South Florida lie the narrow Florida Straits — a channel of
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Brazilian and Russian state oil companies for oil exploration rights off its north shore
Cuban economic collapse distracts the U.S. from critical hotspots
Gorrell, 5 - Lieutenant Colonel, US Army, paper submitted for the USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT (Tim, “CUBA: THE NEXT UNANTICIPATED ANTICIPATED STRATEGIC CRISIS?” http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA433074  

Regardless of the succession, under the current U.S. policy, Cuba’s
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in an effort to facilitate a manageable transition to post-Castro Cuba?
Those hotspots escalate
David Bosco (a senior editor at Foreign Policy magazine) July 2006 “Forum: Keeping an eye peeled for World War III” http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06211/709477-109.stm_
¶ The understanding that small but violent acts can spark global conflagration is etched into
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not even a hint that France, Russia or China would respond militarily.

Solvency
Contention 3 is Solvency
The plan doesn't lift the entire embargo - only specific energy provisions
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 122

U.S. cooperation with Cuba in energy just may create an opportunity for
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as it has in the case of food and medicine sales to Cuba.
Cuba says yes- the plan is in Cuba’s economic 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.¶ At MINCEX, the
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, due to the ¶ embargo, and Cuba looked for partners elsewhere.
Lifting the embargo improves hemispheric dialogue
Meyer 4/8/13 (Peter, CRS Analyst in Latin America Affairs, “Organization of American States: Background and Issues for Congress”, https://www.google.com/url?sa=tandrct=jandq=andesrc=sandsource=webandcd=12andved=0CDgQFjABOAoandurl=https3A2F2Fwww.hsdl.org2F3Fview26did3D735022andei=6RcaUsTSDMqT2QWrvYFIandusg=AFQjCNEJiXMS8Gf1AQ19Y_PlL5Nj_fXEGAandsig2=qNsFfyBS3N6r0sCguR_JAw)

Policy Considerations ¶ Since the early 1960s, U.S. policy toward Cuba
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could send a signal that their commitment to democracy is less than absolute.
Plan is effective, topical, and US firms would say “yes”.
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 125-26)

There are numerous areas in the energy sector in which the United States and Cuba
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changes in the Cuban embargo so that this type of engagement can occur.
Certainty is key
Hamilton 12 writer for Freedom Works (Amelia Hamilton, 8/23/12  “Government Regulation Slowing Energy Jobs and Economic Growth”, http://www.freedomworks.org/blog/ameliahamilton/government-regulation-slowing-energy-jobs-and-econ)

Kathleen Sgamma of The Western Energy Alliance testified earlier this month before the House Energy
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a detrimental effect on investment in the economy and investment in American workers.”

Tournament: Contact Info | Round: 1 | Opponent:  | Judge:
matthewcliu@gmail.com for aff cites
manucoolblue@gmail.com for neg cites