Being Affirmative

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Being Affirmative
maffie
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Resolved

• The United States federal government should
  substantially increase alternative energy
  incentives in the United States.

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What does it means to be aff?
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Benefits of being aff on this years topic.

• Big impacts - Finally no more African nuclear
  war
• Timely / lots of evidence
• Flexible - you can be both critical and policy

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What are incentives?

• Google defines incentives as
• An incentive is an inducement or stimulus (the
  carrot or the stick), that encourages someone to
  do something.
• Motivational forces that stimulate individuals to
  greater efficiency or activity
• benefits, or reduced costs, that motivate a
  decision maker in favor of a particular choice

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Reduction vs. Incentive

• Reduction vs. incentive.
• Conservation?
• Example
• CAFÉ
• Steel Company.
• Extra T?

• Key idea the plan must promote an alternative
  energy.

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Aff Mechanism.

• Money.
• (Soft Cap)
• Example Subsidize Solar power
• Limit Fossil Fuels
• (Hard cap)
• Example Carbon Tax

• Government creates a market
• Example RPS
• Tax breaks, refunds, etc.

But.cant the states do all this?
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Well, maybe not.

• Some examples
• International Modeling
• Hegemony/Leadership
• International Relations

• Things the states cannot do
• Nuclear Power
• Interstate commerce
• Automotive standards
• Rollback federal policy (farm bill)
• Military issues

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Sectors of the Economy

• Main sectors of the economy use energy
• Transportation
• Agriculture
• Energy generation
• Heating/Cooling

• Some examples
• Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• Subsidize non-fossil fuel based pesticides
• RPS

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So, what has the Federal Government done so far?
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Inherency

• RPS 27 states.
• Nuclear - over 100 billion in the last 50 years.
• Northeast cap and trade system.
• Subsidies for Ethanol (corn)
• Tax credits
• Bottom line 3 of US energy

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Energy Bills

• Four Major Energy Bills.
• 1992 - natural gas
• 2004
• 6 new Nuclear Power Plants
• 50 million - biomass
• Subsidies - Wind/Alternative energy
• 2007
• Hydrogen
• Consumer products
• RD - alternative energy
• 2008 (failed)
• Cap and trade

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Advantage Peak Oil

• Main idea finite Oil
• Goal energy independence
• Impact -
• International Scenarios (High oil prices hurt
  China, Russia, Saudi Arabia)
• Domestic - High oil prices hurt the US economy,
  Hegemony etc.

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Peak Oil, II

• Based on the Hubbert curve.
• economically recoverable oil
• Light/Sweet vs. Heavy.

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Advantage Environment

• The link
• Global Warming
• Byproducts (Nuclear waste, runoff, CO2)
• Two different ways to run
• General Environmental quality
• Specific species (Caribou, salmon, etc)

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Advantage Warming

• Any plan that reduces CO2
• Many impact scenarios
• Sea level rise
• Disease
• Environment
• Etc

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Pollution

• Pollution
• Pollution kills 5 million a year in developing
  countries.
• Pollution Emitters Coal, Oil (smog), ethanol?
• Link - plans reduce pollution (oil, coal)
• Impact - pollution kills millions in both
  developing and developed countries
• Note International modeling is important

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Soft Power

• Hegemony (soft power)
• Original Theorist Joseph Nye
• Nations can lead by either example (soft power)
  or force (hard power)
• SP Hollywood, the dollar, McDonalds, etc.
• HP Tanks, Bombs, Planes, etc
• Resentment?
• Link - Affs that green-up the united states
• Impact - Leadership is good for a variety of
  reasons.

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Advantage Competitiveness

• - Basic theory Countries compete for whos
  number 1.
• Economics, Military, Culture, etc.
• This year will focus on US industries and credit
  trading
• Uniqueness
• Iceland, Hydrogen cars public transportation
• France, 70-80 renewable energy (nuclear)
• Germany - 5.8 renewable energy

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Competitiveness, II

• Link
• Plans that increase Renewable energy consumption
• Plans that increase research and development
• Plans that increase credit trading in the US
  (kyoto-ish)
• Impact
• Economy
• Hegemony

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Environmental Justice

• Environmental justice - environmental impacts
  disproportionately harm communities of color.
• Inherency - most power plants / pollution is
  cited in neighborhoods of color.
• Link - clean energy
• Link - locations
• Impact - Plan ends a racist policy.

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Green Jobs/ Economy

• Green Jobs / Economy
• Link - Renewable energy
• Link - soft cap
• Link - Creating a market (best link)
• Impact - Wars.

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Advantage Proliferation

• Idea Countries developing nuclear weapons is
  bad.
• Link - modeling (safe energy)
• Link - safe nuclear programs
• Impact - instability / war
• General US credibility
• Specific countries

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Aff 1Renewable Subsides

• Main idea Spend more on renewable energy
• Mechanism Tax credits, rebates, or cash.
• Benefits Topical
• Both energy and non energy advantages
• Environmental Justice, Green Jobs, Warming, oil,
  etc.

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Aff 2 Solar Powered Satellites

• Plan Send satellites to harvest energy.
• Beams energy to collectors on the planet
• Unique advantages
• Only FG can do space
• Hegemony in space
• Revitalize the space program

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Aff 3 Nuclear Power

• Plan build more nuclear reactors
• Advantages
• Only FG can regulate the nuclear industry
• Advantages
• Renewable power
• Proliferation
• Power outages - not enough energy.

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Aff 4 Ethanol

• - Switchgrass vs. Corn ethanol.
• - Liquid Fuel
• - Plan Subsidize switch grass ethanol
• - infrastructure?
• - Advantages World Poverty
• Soft power
• Economy/inflation
• Oil

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Aff 5 Green Military

• Idea implement renewable energy in the US
  military (air force)
• Distinct advantages
• Readiness
• Oil Blackmail - wont intervene because of oil
• USFG justification

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Aff Renewable Portfolio Standard

• Advantages
• Economy / Competitiveness
• Soft power
• Warming?
• Pollution (coal)
• Environmental justice.

• What is RPS?
• Inherency 27 states with RPS
• Main opponents Coal producing states

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Cap and Trade

• What is Cap/Trade?
• Existing programs (North)
• Auctions? Who?
• Base Year
• Rate of reduction
• Upstream / Downstream
• Detection?

• Advantages
• Economy / Competitiveness
• Soft power (Kyoto)
• Warming
• Pollution

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Cap and Trade Downside

• Disadvantages
• T issues.
• Economy Issues
• Political lightning rod.
• Big Aff

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Another approach - RD

• Some affs will build their plan around incentives
• Ie - FG will subsidize RD in solar energy

• Advantages
• Avoids renewable energy debate
• Built solely around incentives, not energy.
• Topical? Alternative energy incentives not
  incentives for alternative energy

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Basic Aff Tricks

• Most affs will have a few basic tricks
• International Relations
• Hegemony (Soft power)
• Federal signal (credibility/modeling)
• More advantages, more power.

Or Illusions..
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Strategy

• What can your plan do with FF consumption? (RPS?)
• Do you WANT to decrease FF consumption
• Wealth Effect.
• What advantages cannot be taken by common CPs
  (well talk later)
• What aff fits your debate style

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