Coral Reefs Negative
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Coral Reefs Negagtive
Summary/Glossary ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Biodiversity Advantage Answers
Oceans not at risk....................................................................................................................................... 3-4
Biodiversity is not important .................................................................................................................... 5-6
Coral reefs are resilient ............................................................................................................................. 7-8
Diseases Advantage Answers
Bioprospecting fails.................................................................................................................................. 9-10
Prevention solves HIV Spread ................................................................................................................ 11-2
HIV Declining Now .................................................................................................................................. 13-4
Solvency Answers
Too many coral killers ............................................................................................................................. 15-7
Global Action Needed .............................................................................................................................. 18-9
Artificial Reefs hurt exisiting reefs ......................................................................................................... 20-1
Artificial Reefs Fail ..................................................................................................................................... 21
Regrowing Reefs Fails ................................................................................................................................ 23
Regrowing Reefs Fails- Extensions............................................................................................................ 24
Property Rights Counterplan (JV & V Only)
Property Rights Counter Plan ................................................................................................................... 25
Answers to: Privatization fails ................................................................................................................ 26-7
Answers to: Privatization causes inequality ............................................................................................. 28
Answers to: Privatization hurts the environment ............................................................................... 29-30
Tourism Case Turn
1NC Shell………………………………………………………………………………………………….31
Impact Extnesion………………………………………………………………………………………32
AT Coral Regeneration…………………………………………………………………………………33
1
Coral Reefs Negative
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Summary/Glossary
Coral reefs around the world face a number of threats from manmade and environmental causes. One of
the strongest negative arguments against this affirmative is that a small action to rebuild some reefs in
the United States is not enough to save reefs and ocean ecosystems. Arguments are also included on how
the attempts to rebuild and regrow reefs will fail.
The counterplan included in this file takes an alternative approach to solving the cause of reef
deterioration. The affirmative tries to deal with the symptom (dying reefs) by building new reefs, not
dealing with the root cause killing the reefs. The counterplan deals with the “tragedy of the commons” of
coral reefs by granting leasing rights for coral reefs. Since property rights could now be controlled by a
single owner, perhaps a non-profit devoted to maintaining the reef, and then the owner could act to
protect their property when people damage the reef by polluting. The idea is that private markets have a
better way of providing a value for protecting the reef than the federal government decreeing that reefs
should be protected.
Lease- is a contractual arrangement calling for the user to pay the owner for use of an asset.
Privatization- the process of transferring ownership of a business, enterprise, agency, public service, or public
property from the public sector (a government) to the private sector, either to a business that operates for a
profit or to a nonprofit organization.
Tragedy of the Commons- an economic theory that individual users will over use a shared resource in a way
that is against the interest of the entire community in the long term.
2
Coral Reefs Negative
Biodiversity Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Oceans not at risk
Oceans can maintain biodiversity—huge natural variability in species.
Dulvy et al, School of Marine Science and Technology at the University of Newcastle, 2003
(Nicholas, , Fish and Fisheries, “Extinction vulnerability in marine populations”, 4:1, Blackwell-Synergy)
Marine fish populations are more variable and resilient than terrestrial populations Great natural
variability in population size is sometimes invoked to argue that IUCN Red List criteria, as one example,
are too conservative for marine fishes (Hudson and Mace 1996; Matsuda et al. 1997; Musick 1999; Powles et
al. 2000; Hutchings 2001a). For the (1996) IUCN list, a decline of 20% within 10 years or three generations
(whichever is longer) triggered a classification of 'vulnerable', while declines of 50 and 80% led to
classifications of 'endangered' and 'critically endangered', respectively. These criteria were designed to be
applied to all animal and plant taxa, but many marine resource biologists feel that for marine fishes 'one size
does not fit all' (see Hutchings 2001a). They argue that percent decline criteria are too conservative compared to
the high natural variability of fish populations. Powles et al. (2000) cite the six-fold variation of the Pacific
sardine population (Sardinops sagax, Clupeidae) and a nine-fold variation in northern anchovy (Engraulis
mordax, Clupeidae) over the past two millennia to suggest that rapid declines and increases of up to 10fold are relatively common in exploited fish stocks. It should, however, be borne in mind that the variation of
exploited populations must be higher than unexploited populations because recruitment fluctuations
increasingly drive population fluctuations when there are few adults (Pauly et al. 2002).
3
Coral Reefs Negative
Biodiversity Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Oceans not at risk extensions
[___]
[___] Oceans are resilient will bounce back from new stresses.
Kennedy, Environmental science professor, Maryland, 2002
(Victor, Coastal and Marine Ecosystems and Global Climate Change,
http://www.pewclimate.org/projects/marine.cfm)
There is evidence that marine organisms and ecosystems are resilient to environmental change. Steele (1991)
hypothesized that the biological components of marine systems are tightly coupled to physical factors,
allowing them to respond quickly to rapid environmental change and thus rendering them ecologically
adaptable. Some species also have wide genetic variability throughout their range, which may allow for
adaptation to climate change.
4
Coral Reefs Negative
Biodiversity Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Biodiversity is not important
The importance of biodiversity is overblown. Ecosystems have built in redundancies to adapt to loss of
species.
Sagoff, Senior Research Scholar – Institute for Philosophy and Public policy in School of Public Affairs –
U. Maryland, 1997
(Mark, “INSTITUTE OF BILL OF RIGHTS LAW SYMPOSIUM DEFINING TAKINGS: PRIVATE
PROPERTY AND THE FUTURE OF GOVERNMENT REGULATION”, 38 Wm and Mary L. Rev. 825,
March, L/N)
To make up your mind on the question of the functional redundancy of species, consider an endangered species
of bird, plant, or insect and ask how the ecosystem would fare in its absence. The fact that the creature is
endangered suggests an answer: it is already in limbo as far as ecosystem processes are concerned. What
crucial ecological services does the black-capped vireo, for example, serve? Are any of the species
threatened with extinction necessary to the provision of any ecosystem service on which humans depend?
If so, which ones are they? Ecosystems and the species that compose them have changed, dramatically,
continually, and totally in virtually every part of the United States. There is little ecological similarity, for
example, between New England today and the land where the Pilgrims died. n353 In view of the constant
reconfiguration of the biota, one may wonder why Americans have not suffered more as a result of ecological
catastrophes. The cast of species in nearly every environment changes constantly-local extinction is
commonplace in nature-but the crops still grow. Somehow, it seems, property values keep going up on Martha's
Vineyard in spite of the tragic disappearance of the heath hen. One might argue that the sheer number and
variety of creatures available to any ecosystem buffers that system against stress. Accordingly, we should
be concerned if the "library" of creatures ready, willing, and able to colonize ecosystems gets too small.
(Advances in genetic engineering may well permit us to write a large number of additions to that "library.") In
the United States as in many other parts of the world, however, the number of species has been increasing
dramatically, not decreasing, as a result of human activity. This is because the hordes of exotic species
coming into ecosystems in the United States far exceed the number of species that are becoming extinct.
Indeed, introductions may outnumber extinctions by more than ten to one, so that the United States is becoming
more and more species-rich all the time largely as a result of human action. n354 [*908]
5
Coral Reefs Negative
Biodiversity Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Biodiversity not important – extensions
[___]
[___] No impact to species or ecosystem loss---it doesn’t destroy the overall environment or cause a
domino effect---claims of low resiliency are unfounded
Ridder Phd School of Geography and Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania, 2008, (Ben,
“Questioning the ecosystem services argument for biodiversity conservation” Biodiversity and conservation
yr:2008 vol:17 iss:4 pg:781)
That the low resilience assumption is largely false is apparent in the number of examples of species
extinctions that have not brought about catastrophic ecosystem collapse and decline in ES, and in the
generally limited ecosystem influence of species on the cusp of extinction. These issues have been raised by
numerous authors, although given the absence of systematic attempts to verify propositions of this sort, the
evidence assembled is usually anecdotal and we are forced to trust that an unbiased account of the
situation has been presented. Fortunately a number of highly respected people have discussed this topic,
not least being the prominent conservation biologist David Ehrenfeld. In 1978 he described the
‘conservation dilemma’, which “arises on the increasingly frequent occasions when we encounter a
threatened part of Nature but can find no rational reason for keeping it” (Ehrenfeld 1981, p. 177). He
continued with the following observation:
6
Coral Reefs Negative
Biodiversity Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Coral reefs are resilient
Coral ecosystems are resilient. Outside stresses like rising temperatures or acid levels are balanced out by
new growths in the community. Reefs will survive.
Idso et al, professor Arizona State Office of Climatology, 2010
[Sherwood, “The Real Ocean Acidification Story “March,
http://www.co2science.org/articles/V13/N9/EDIT.php]
Yet even
this mitigating factor is not the end of the good news, for Hendriks et al. write that "most
experiments assessed organisms in isolation, rather than [within] whole communities," and they say that
the responses of other entities and processes within the community may well buffer the negative impacts
of CO2-indced acidification on earth's corals. As an example, they note that "sea-grass photosynthetic rates may
increase by 50% with increased CO2, which may deplete the CO2 pool, maintaining an elevated pH that may
protect associated calcifying organisms from the impacts of ocean acidification."
In describing another phenomenon that benefits corals, the researchers write that "seasonal changes in pCO2 are
in the range of 236-517 ppm in the waters of the northern East China Sea (Shim et al., 2007)," and that
"metabolically-active coastal ecosystems experience broad diel changes in pH, such as the diel changes of >0.5
pH units reported for sea grass ecosystems (Invers et al., 1997)," which they say represent "a broader range than
that expected to result from ocean acidification expected during the 21st century." And they remark that these
fluctuations also "offer opportunities for adaptation to the organisms involved."
Hendriks et al. additionally state that the models upon which the ocean acidification threat is based
"focus on bulk water chemistry and fall short of addressing conditions actually experienced by [marine]
organisms," which are "separated from the bulk water phase by a diffusive boundary layer," adding that
"photosynthetic activity" -such as that of the zooxanthellae that are hosted by corals -"depletes pCO2 and
raises pH (Kuhl et al., 1995) so that the pH actually experienced by organisms may differ greatly from that
in the bulk water phase (Sand-Jensen et al., 1985)."
7
Coral Reefs Negative
Biodiversity Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Coral reefs are resilient- extensions
[___]
[___] Coral reefs are resilient to all sorts of disturbances.
McClanahan and Polunin, Wildlife Conservation Society and Australian Institute of Marine Science,
2002
[Timothy, of the. And Terry ,“Ecological States and the Resilience of Coral Reefs” 2002.
http://www.ecologyandsociety.org/vol6/iss2/art18]
Coral reefs can be resilient to multiple scales of disturbances (Pandolfi 1996, Connell 1997). One
important factor that determines the degree of resilience at a particular place is the scattered patchy
distribution of reefs throughout tropical ocean basins (IUCN/UNEP 1988). Individual reefs may be
replenished to a greater or lesser extent by recruitment from planktonic larvae derived from other reef sources
outside of the disturbed areas (Hughes et al. 1999a). Ocean-wide currents can potentially deliver larvae across
hundreds and thousands of kilometers (Roberts 1997), although actual dispersal may be more limited (Cowen et
al. 2000). Consequently, the combination of spatial heterogeneity and refugia of reef systems, the temporal
heterogeneity of dispersal, and a physically stable but moving transport system of currents ensures the
connectivity among reefs that is required for recovery. This is an important aspect of ecological
resilience.
8
Coral Reefs Negative
Disease Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Bioprospecting fails
Coral and rare species are not key to cure diseases – researching synthetics are more effective routes.
Satel, MD and lecturer at Yale School of Medicine, 2005
(Sally, Diminishing Biodiverse Returns," Feb 16, http://www.aei.org/article/health/diminishing-biodiversereturns/
But, in truth, bioprospecting actually constitutes a small and shrinking percentage of the portfolio of major
drug companies. Eli Lilly, for example, has not engaged in the activity for several years. It is high risk and
very low yield. Instead, companies screen millions of synthetic molecules for promising medicinal leads.
Natural molecules, it turns out, are often maddeningly intricate and thus it is hard to replicate the
molecular structure reliably and to reproduce the substance on a large scale for manufacturing. Japanese
pharmaceutical companies, for example, have had virtually no success in isolating key elements from
traditional herbal medicines and commercializing drugs from them.
9
Coral Reefs Negative
Disease Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Bioprospecting fails -- Extensions
[___]
[___] Species have almost no value to medicine
Benjamin 98 Daniel K. Benjamin is a PERC [Political Economy Research Center] Senior Associate and
professor of economics at Clemson University. "Biodiversity Prospecting No Savior for Species," Jan 1, The
Heartlander, http://news.heartland.org/newspaper-article/1998/01/01/biodiversity-prospecting-no-savior-species
Indeed, it now appears that the good news and the bad news are one and the same: The expected value of a
new species for pharmaceutical purposes is actually very low. That makes it unlikely that private firms
will have much economic incentive to protect species. But that also means that the loss--measured in
human illness or death--caused by the loss of a species is also likely to be small.
[___] New technology - means species are no longer needed to find new cures.
Simon and Wildavsky 96 Julian L. Simon is a professor of business and management at the University of
Maryland and an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute. Aaron Wildavsky was a Professor of Political Science
and Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley. "Species Loss Revisited," an excerpt from the book
"The State of Humanity." http://old.positivepress.com/pn/essays/stateof2.php3
In 1984 we reviewed the data on the observed rates of species extinction. We found that the scientific
evidence was wildly at variance with the by-then-conventional wisdom, and did not provide support for
the various policies suggested to deal with the purported dangers. We also reminded readers that recent
scientific and technical advances - especially seed banks, and the extraordinary leaps in knowledge of
genetic engineering though it is still in its infancy, and perhaps electronic mass-testing of new drugs - had
rendered much less crucial the maintenance of a particular species of plant life in its natural habitat than
would have been the case in earlier years. But the bandwagon of the species extinction issue continues to
roll with ever-increasing speed.
10
Coral Reefs Negative
Disease Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Prevention solves HIV Spread
High-Impact Prevention averting HIV
Center for Disease Control, 2013
(CDC, 04/17/13, CDC, "High-Impact HIV Prevention: CDC's Approach to Reducing HIV Infections in the
United States", URL, 7/1/14, SJ)
In the United States, prevention has already averted more than 350,000* HIV infections.1 Now, we have
the potential to go much further. The nation's HIV prevention efforts are guided by a single, ambitious strategy
for combating the epidemic: the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS).2 Recent scientific breakthroughs have
equipped us with an unprecedented number of effective tools to prevent infection.3-6 And in many of the
communities hardest hit by HIV, there is growing leadership and momentum for change. Yet the challenges
remain daunting. By CDC's latest estimates, approximately 50,000 Americans become infected with HIV
annually, and 16,000 people with AIDS died in 2008.7,8 As a result, the number of people living with HIV in
the United States, now at nearly 1.2 million, continues to grow by tens of thousands each year, creating more
opportunities for HIV transmission.9 And a range of social, economic, and demographic factors affect some
Americans' risk for HIV, such as stigma, discrimination, income, education, and geographic region. While
current prevention efforts have helped to keep the number of new infections stable in recent years,
continued growth in the population living with HIV will ultimately lead to more new infections if prevention,
care, and treatment efforts are not intensified.10 To address these challenges, CDC and its partners are
pursuing a High-Impact Prevention approach to reducing new HIV infections.11 By using combinations of
scientifically proven, cost-effective, and scalable interventions targeted to the right populations in the right
geographic areas, this approach promises to increase the impact of HIV prevention efforts – an essential
step in achieving the goals of NHAS. This approach is designed to maximize the impact of prevention
efforts for all Americans at risk for HIV infection, including gay and bisexual men, communities of color,
women, injection drug users, transgender women and men and youth. *A conservative estimate examining the
period 1991 to 2006.
Now, we have the potential to go much further.
11
Coral Reefs Negative
Disease Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Prevention solves HIV Spread- Extensions
[___]
[___]New testing is being used to decrease HIV transmission.
Blumenthal, US Assistant Surgeon General, 2014
(Susan," The Power of HIV/AIDS Prevention: Using a 21st Century Toolkit to Reverse the Epidemic", Dr.
Susan, 6/27/14,www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-blumenthal/hivaids-prevention_b_5537199.html, 7/1/14, SJ)
It is critical to screen pregnant women for HIV for their own health as well as to prevent transmission of
HIV to their infant if they are HIV positive. The CDC recommends that healthcare providers test pregnant
women for HIV and provide them with written materials and risk-reduction counseling. These efforts
have proved effective with a significant decrease in mother-to-child HIV transmission from 1,650 cases in
1991 to 162 cases in 2010. Despite dramatic reductions in the number of babies born HIV positive in America,
every case of HIV infection in an infant is a missed opportunity for prevention. Our goal must be an HIV-free
generation in the near future.
12
Coral Reefs Negative
Disease Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
HIV Declining Now
HIV/AIDS deaths on decline in the status quo.
National AIDS Council, 2014
(4/26/14, National AIDS Council, “Sharp decline in HIV deaths,” http://www.nac.org.zw/news/sharp-declinehiv-deaths, 6/28/14, SM)
The number of people dying from HIV and Aids-related illnesses has significantly dropped from a high
of 170 000 in 2003 to about 60 000 last year, a development attributed to Government programmes of
effectively administering anti-retroviral therapy. The numbers include both adults and children. According to a
preliminary report of the 2013 HIV estimates presented to various Aids stakeholders in Harare yesterday, the
number of adults who died in 2013 has gone down from 50 230 in 2012 to 49 605 in 2013. The number of
deaths among children between 0 and 14 years has also gone down from about 36 000 (2003 statistics) to
10 795 in 2013.¶ In 2012, 12 004 child deaths were recorded.¶ Presenting the 2013 preliminary report, Ministry
of Health and Child Care strategic information co-ordinator for the Aids and TB Unit Dr Mutsa Mhangara said
the number of people living with HIV seems to have stabilised and stands at 14,4 percent.¶ Last year, the
prevalence rate was 14,5 percent. Dr Mhangara said the number of people getting infected had also decreased
from 1,18 percent in 2012 to 1,05 percent in 2013. “Although this is a preliminary report, indications are that
the number of people living with HIV and Aids in the country is stabilising as many people living with the
virus are now surviving longer, while the number of people getting infected continues to drop,” he said.
13
Coral Reefs Negative
Disease Advantage
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
HIV Declining Now- Extensions
[___]
[___] AIDS epidemic is slowing—rhetoric of global spread is pure hype
Washington Post 2007 (11/20, U.N. to Cut Estimate Of AIDS Epidemic, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wpdyn/content/article/2007/11/19/AR2007111900978_pf.html)
The United Nations' top AIDS scientists plan to acknowledge this week that they have long overestimated
both the size and the course of the epidemic, which they now believe has been slowing for nearly a
decade, according to U.N. documents prepared for the announcement. AIDS remains a devastating public
health crisis in the most heavily affected areas of sub-Saharan Africa. But the far-reaching revisions amount to
at least a partial acknowledgment of criticisms long leveled by outside researchers who disputed the U.N.
portrayal of an ever-expanding global epidemic. The latest estimates, due to be released publicly Wednesday,
put the number of annual new HIV infections at 2.5 million, a cut of more than 40 percent from last year's
estimate, documents show. The worldwide total of people infected with HIV - estimated a year ago at nearly 40
million and rising - now will be reported as 33 million. Having millions fewer with a lethal contagious disease
is good news. Some researchers, however, contend that persistent overestimates in the widely quoted U.N.
reports have long skewed funding decisions and obscured potential lessons about how to slow the spread of
HIV. Critics have also said that U.N. officials overstated the extent of the epidemic to help gather political
and financial support for combating AIDS. "There was a tendency toward alarmism, and that fit perhaps a
certain fundraising agenda," said Helen Epstein, author of The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight
Against AIDS. "I hope these new numbers will help refocus the response in a more pragmatic way." In
documents obtained by The Washington Post, U.N. officials say the revisions stemmed mainly from better
measurements rather than fundamental shifts in the epidemic. Among the reasons for the overestimate is
methodology; U.N. officials traditionally based their national HIV estimates on infection rates among pregnant
women receiving prenatal care. As a group, such women were younger, more urban, wealthier and likely to be
more sexually active than populations as a whole, according to recent studies. The United Nations' AIDS
agency, known as UNAIDS and led by Belgian scientist Peter Piot since its founding in 1995, has been a major
advocate for increasing spending to combat the epidemic. Over the past decade, global spending on AIDS has
grown by a factor of 30, reaching as much as $10 billion a year. But in its role in tracking the spread of the
epidemic and recommending strategies to combat it, UNAIDS has drawn criticism in recent years from Epstein
and others who have accused it of being politicized and not scientifically rigorous. For years, UNAIDS reports
have portrayed an epidemic that threatened to burst beyond its epicenter in southern Africa to generate
widespread illness and death in other countries. In China alone, one report warned, there would be 10 million
infections - up from 1 million in 2002 - by the end of the decade. Piot often wrote personal prefaces to those
reports warning of the dangers of inaction, saying in 2006 that "the pandemic and its toll are outstripping the
worst predictions." But by then, several years' worth of newer, more accurate studies already offered
substantial evidence that the agency's tools for measuring and predicting the course of the epidemic were
flawed.
14
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Too many coral killers
Multiple independent factors are killing coral reefs around the world, the plans restoration cannot keep
up.
Agardy, Executive Director Sound Seas and PhD Biological Sciences, 2013
(Tundi, “America’s Coral Reefs: Awash with Problems”, Nove 27, Issues, http://issues.org/20-2/agardy-2/)
Although in many parts of the world coral reefs are deliberately destroyed in the process of coastal
development or to obtain construction materials, in the United States coral reefs suffer the classic death of
a thousand cuts. They are strongly affected by eutrophication: the overfertilization of waters caused by the
inflow of nutrients from fertilizer, sewage, and animal wastes. The overabundance of nutrients causes
algae to overgrow and smother coral polyps; in extreme cases, leading to totally altered and biologically
impoverished alternate ecosystems. Reefs are also sensitive to sediments that increase turbidity and reduce
the sunlight reaching the coral colonies. (Though corals are animals, they have symbiotic dinoflagellates
called zooxanthellae living within their tissues. The photosynthesis undertaken by these plant symbionts
provides corals with the extra energy needed to create the calcium carbonate that forms their skeletons and thus
the reef structure.) Sedimentation is a common threat to U.S. coral reefs, especially in areas where
unregulated coastal development or deforestation causes soil runoff into nearshore waters.
15
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Too many Coral Killers- Extensions
[___]
[___] Too many causes to coral die off
US Commission on Ocean Policy, 2004
(Chapter 21, “PRESERVING CORAL REEFS AND OTHER CORAL COMMUNITIES” An Ocean Blueprint
for the 21st Century Final Report, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/oceancommission/
documents/full_color_rpt/21_chapter21.pdf)
Coral reefs are declining at a disturbing pace.8 The causes of this decline are varied, particularly
for warm-water reefs. Many scientists believe that excessive fishing pressure has
been the primary threat to coral ecosystems for decades.9 However, pollution and runoff
from coastal areas also deprive reefs of life-sustaining light and oxygen, and elevated sea
surface temperatures are causing increasingly frequent episodes of coral bleaching and
appear to be exacerbating other coral disease outbreaks.10 Although little is known about
the condition of the world’s deep-water coral communities, extensive damage has been
documented in some areas, with fishing activities suspected as being the largest humanrelated
threat.11
Worldwide, no pristine, undamaged warm-water coral reefs remain, and one-third of
the world’s identified reefs are severely damaged.12 In the United States, every warm-water
reef system has suffered varying degrees of impacts from natural and human disturbances.
Only the coral reefs in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands and some remote Pacific refuges
are in near-pristine condition, although they too have started to show signs of damage,
particularly from marine debris. In the U.S. waters of the south Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico,
and Caribbean, two-thirds of reef fish species are overfished. In addition, during the 1990s,
white band disease killed 90–96 percent of the most common nearshore species of corals.13
16
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Too many Coral Killers- Extensions
[___]
[___] Coral Reefs can’t survive attacks from human causes.
US Commission on Ocean Policy, 2004
(Chapter 21, “PRESERVING CORAL REEFS AND OTHER CORAL COMMUNITIES” An Ocean Blueprint
for the 21st Century Final Report, http://govinfo.library.unt.edu/oceancommission/
documents/full_color_rpt/21_chapter21.pdf)
Coral communities have existed for millions of years and have developed mechanisms to cope with natural
threats such as hurricanes, landslides, and predation. Often, when one part of a coral community is damaged, the
overall functioning of the coral reef ecosystem is sustained by other, untouched communities that are able to
repopulate damaged areas. However, the point is fast approaching where this natural cycle of repair may not be
able to keep pace with the increasing rate of damage. Without immediate and large-scale protection from the
cumulative impacts of a multitude of human activities, many reefs, particularly those located near heavily
populated coastal areas, may soon be irretrievably harmed.14
[___] Land based pollution is the biggest threat to oceans and the pollution sources are only expanding.
Craig and Hughes, Associate Dean for Environmental Programs, Florida State University College of Law
and Professor at Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, 2012
(Robin K. and Terry, Marine Protected Areas, Marine Spatial Planning, and the Resilience of Marine
Ecosystems (August 16, 2012). RESILIENCE AND THE LAW, Forthcoming; FSU College of Law, Public
Law Research Paper No. 550. Available at SSRN: http://ssrn.com/abstract=1917696)
The three principal drivers of change in marine ecosystems are land-based marine pollution, overfishing and
climate change (e.g. Hughes et al. 2003; Jackson et al. 2001). Marine pollution takes many forms, but it is,
critically, predominantly a land-based governance problem that cannot be addressed through the establishment
of marine parks: Almost all marine pollution comes from land, the result of direct ocean dumping; direct and
controlled discharge of pollutants from coastal facilities; indirect and largely uncontrolled runoff from
agricultural and urban areas; and atmospheric deposition of pollutants initially emitted into the air.
Deforestation, intensification of agriculture, urban sprawl, industrialization, population growth and migration to
the coast have all contributed to increased near-shore pollution.
17
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Global Action Needed
Global actions will still harm US reefs and other reefs worldwide.
Agardy, Executive Director Sound Seas and PhD Biological Sciences, 2013
(Tundi, “America’s Coral Reefs: Awash with Problems”, Nove 27, Issues, http://issues.org/20-2/agardy-2/)
Global forces are at play: The United States is not an island. Were the United States suddenly to act more
effectively to protect reefs under its jurisdiction, our reef ecosystems would still be in some peril, for many
reasons. First, many damaging activities occur out of sight, especially in remote reef areas with little or no
surveillance. Second, the open nature of marine systems means that reefs are affected by the condition of
the environment far from the reef tracts themselves. Sometimes larval propagules travel long distances, and
the origin of recruits is tens or hundreds of kilometers away, in areas that could be entirely outside U.S.
jurisdiction. Similarly, pollution from outside the U.S. can easily find its way to reefs within America’s
borders. Finally, some threats to reefs are global in nature, such as rising temperatures caused by global
warming. These threats will not diminish unless meaningful international agreements succeed in tackling
the root causes of the threats. For all these reasons, protection of U.S. reefs will require more than
administering the reefs within our borders; it will also require international negotiation, cooperation, and
capacity-building.
18
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Global Action Needed- Extensions
[___]
[___] International practices are worse. Rice farmers use too much fertilizer- kill coral reefs.
CNN Traveler, 2001
(Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, “"MIRACLE RICE" UNWITTINGLY DESTROYS
BALI'S CORAL REEFS” http://www.sochaczewski.com/ARTjika-miraclerice-july2001.htm)
I
da Bagus Gede Jika squats and examines emerald green rice stalks in a postcard-pretty paddy in the center of
Bali. "This is 'old' rice," he explains, referring to the traditional variety that pre-dates so-called 'miracle rice'.
"Doesn't need pesticides." Jika then points to a neighboring field of shorter rice stalks. "Those farmers are
growing new rice," he says, rubbing his fingers to indicate that big money is involved. "Uses plenty of
chemicals."
Had anyone bothered to ask him, Jika's knowledge of traditional farming techniques could have helped stop the
destruction of the oft-visited island's coral reefs.
Today less than five percent of Bali's reefs are healthy, according to a WWF-World Wide Fund for Nature
study, down from approximately 32% healthy reefs in 1986.
One of the surprising causes of this coral reef destruction is the way the government tells farmers to grow rice,
according to Ketut Sarjana Putra, a marine biologist with WWF.
The problem can be traced to the introduction of so-called miracle rice. Stephen Lansing, of the University of
Arizona, and I Wayan Alit Artha Wiguna, of Bali's state-run agricultural research center, have discovered that
much of the phosphorus and potassium Balinese farmers apply as fertilizers to grow miracle rice is not
needed. The volcanic soil of Bali is naturally rich in many of the nutrients essential for rice growth.
Not only is the runoff of excess nutrients a waste of money, but nutrient enrichment is harmful to the reef
environment.
19
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Artificial Reefs hurt exisiting reefs
Attempts to create artificial reefs damage the coral reefs dramatically, human additions to reefs do more
harm than good.
Florida Department of Environmental Protection, ’09 (7/08/09, DEP, “Osborne Reef Waste Tire Removal
Project”, http://www.dep.state.fl.us/waste/quick_topics/publications/shw/tires/reef/OsborneReefProjectFinal-7-8-09.pdf, 6/28/14, AEG)
During the 1970s, between one and two million tires were put in the ocean off Broward County in an
effort to create additional fish habitat. Over the years, many of the tires were mobilized by tropical
storms and hurricanes, the movement of which caused damage to nearby existing coral reefs. The threat
is serious, but the complexity and magnitude of the challenge of removing these tires has prevented any
individual government agency from doing so. The NOAA Marine Debris Program funded a reconnaissance
project that was conducted in August, 2006. The scope of work for this project included the development of a
potential strategy for removing and properly disposing of the tires. It was decided that a pilot program was
needed to test diver retrieval productivity, loading and transportation methods, and tire processing and disposal.
In 2007, a group of federal, state and county government agencies worked jointly to complete the pilot study
with the objective of defining the technical and economic feasibility of coordinating agency capabilities to
accomplish the objectives listed above. This joint-effort program involved Coastal America, US Navy, Army,
Coast Guard, Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Broward County Environmental
Protection and Growth Management Department, and Broward County Port Everglades Department. Funding
for the military mission, which included a multi-branch team of divers and an Army landing craft utility (LCU)
ship was provided by the Department of Defense’s Innovative Readiness Training Program. Permit fees,
equipment and supplies, and tire processing services were funded by DEP out of 2007 abatement funds. Project
management and dockage for the 2007 pilot were provided by Broward County. The pilot project allowed
productivity projections to be made for the remainder of the project. Monthly tire removal was estimated at
20,000 passenger tire equivalents (PTEs). At this rate, complete cleanup of the estimated 650,000 tires
remaining would take more than the three years originally intended. After the pilot, it was decided that
previously established priority areas needed to be redrawn to emphasize the importance of removing tires from
the eastern edge of the affected middle reef (designated Priority Area 1). In order to remove the estimated
370,000 tires from Priority Area 1, an increase in military salvage resources, divers, and watercraft would be
needed during 120-day project periods in each of the three years beginning in 2009. Given these additional
assets, Priority Area 1 could be cleared in three years. Actual productivity could increase in future years and
these projections can be revised accordingly. The extent of the funding required for full abatement was
estimated to be about $3.4 million in state and county funds. The cost to abate the pile exceeded amounts in
DEP’s waste tire abatement contracts. Because of the need to save this resource, Governor Crist recommended
and the Florida Legislature passed a $2 million special appropriation in 2007 for DEP to complete its share of
the project.
20
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Artificial Reefs hurt exisiting reefs
[___]
[___] Artificial reefs don’t have a good track record
TS Lane, 10,( 1/15, dicover5ocean, "Artificial Reefs: The Good, The Bad, The Controversial",
www.discover5oceans.com/2010/01/artificial-reefs-the-good-the-bad-the-controversial/, 7/1/14, aven)
Articial reef initiatives aren’t always successful, however, and the practice has critics. According to the
Surfrider Foundation a 10-year experimental project at El Segundo near Los Angeles failed to produce
desired outcomes and is now being removed. Washington-based Ocean Conservancy suggests that while some
projects may benefit some species of fish, others represent an inexpensive way to dispose of trash, which can
introduce toxins and other pollutants into the ocean.¶ “Although most artificial reefs offer potential habitat for
certain kinds of marine life, these are not always happy homes. Artificial reefs can cause damage to
natural habitats during their construction and can displace naturally occurring species and habitats,”
says the Ocean Conservancy web site. “They also tend to concentrate fish unnaturally, making them
more vulnerable to overfishing.”
[___] Artifical Reefs cause environmental damage
Bowerman, no date (Todd, "The Disadvantages of artificial coral reefs",
animals.pawnation.com/disadvantages-artificial-coral-reefs-7638.html, 7/1/14, CH)
While some substances make excellent artificial reefs, scientists are divided on the use of certain materials for
the creation of these underwater habitats. Heavy metals, often found in ships sunk for the sake of reef
creation, contain toxic materials that can slowly creep into the environment and cause damage to the
existing wildlife population. Even materials that have been thoroughly checked and cleaned may cause
unforeseen problems when introduced into a delicate environment.¶
21
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Artificial Reefs Fail
Artificial reef programs don’t help coral and just give the government an excuse to dump junk on the
bottom of the ocean.
Bohnsack, fisheries scientist, 2014
(James, Georgia Strait Alliance, " ARTIFICIAL REEFS & FISH HABITAT: WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY",
https://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/604, 7/1/14)
Dr. James Bohnsack, a Florida fisheries scientist, has said: "...little direct scientific evidence exists to
properly guide building efforts and show long-term beneficial or detrimental impacts", and that he is
"concerned about the current US practice of relaying on "materials of convenience" [ie. old ships],
especially considering that Japan has rejected this approach and has spent over $100 million annually
since 1976 for reef construction and research. He has expressed worry that "the enthusiasm for artificial
reefs could draw attention away from possibly more beneficial fishery management actions such as
enhancing or preserving existing estuaries and other natural habitats."
22
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Regrowing Reefs Fails
The affirmative’s focus on technologies like artificial reefs trades off with adaptation efforts.
Bradbury, Ecologist and Resource Management at the Australian National University. 2012
[Roger. “A World without Coral Reefs” The New York Times, 7/13/12 available via Lexis-Nexis]
This is less a conspiracy than a sort of institutional inertia. Governments don’t want to be blamed for disasters on
their watch, conservationists apparently value hope over truth, and scientists often don’t see the reefs for
the corals. But by persisting in the false belief that coral reefs have a future, we grossly misallocate the
funds needed to cope with the fallout from their collapse. Money isn’t spent to study what to do after the
reefs are gone — on what sort of ecosystems will replace coral reefs and what opportunities there will be
to nudge these into providing people with food and other useful ecosystem products and services. Nor is
money spent to preserve some of the genetic resources of coral reefs by transferring them into systems
that are not coral reefs. And money isn’t spent to make the economic structural adjustment that
communities and industries that depend on coral reefs urgently need. We have focused too much on the
state of the reefs rather than the rate of the processes killing them. Overfishing, ocean acidification and
pollution have two features in common. First, they are accelerating. They are growing broadly in line with
global economic growth, so they can double in size every couple of decades. Second, they have extreme
inertia — there is no real prospect of changing their trajectories in less than 20 to 50 years. In short, these
forces are unstoppable and irreversible. And it is these two features — acceleration and inertia — that have
blindsided us. Overfishing can bring down reefs because fish are one of the key functional groups that hold
reefs together. Detailed forensic studies of the global fish catch by Daniel Pauly’s lab at the University of
British Columbia confirm that global fishing pressure is still accelerating even as the global fish catch is
declining. Overfishing is already damaging reefs worldwide, and it is set to double and double again over the
next few decades. Ocean acidification can also bring down reefs because it affects the corals themselves.
Corals can make their calcareous skeletons only within a special range of temperature and acidity of the
surrounding seawater. But the oceans are acidifying as they absorb increasing amounts of carbon dioxide
from the atmosphere. Research led by Ove Hoegh-Guldberg of the University of Queensland shows that
corals will be pushed outside their temperature-acidity envelope in the next 20 to 30 years, absent effective
international action on emissions. We have less of a handle on pollution. We do know that nutrients, particularly
nitrogenous ones, are increasing not only in coastal waters but also in the open ocean. This change is
accelerating. And we know that coral reefs just can’t survive in nutrient-rich waters. These conditions only
encourage the microbes and jellyfish that will replace coral reefs in coastal waters. We can say, though,
with somewhat less certainty than for overfishing or ocean acidification that unstoppable pollution will force
reefs beyond their survival envelope by midcentury.
23
Coral Reefs Negative
Solvency Answers
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Regrowing Reefs Fails- Extensions
[___]
[___] Marine accretion is insufficient to save coral reefs
Gilhooly, Staff Writer for the Japan Times, 2002
[Robert.. Citing Kimiaki Kudo, the Research Supervisor of the Marine Ecosystems Research Department at the
Japan Marine Science and Technology Center. “Japanese scientists question mineral-accretion technique” The
Japan Times, 9/27/2000. Available via Lexis-Nexis’]
A Japanese researcher who conducted a project in Okinawa to explore the effectiveness of growing reefs via
mineral accretion in 1989, says he remains unsure of the effectiveness of the technique.¶ “From a scientific,
data-collecting viewpoint, the results were good,” said Dr. Kimiaki Kudo, research supervisor of the Marine
Ecosystems Research Department at the Japan Marine Science and Technology Center in Kanagawa Prefecture,
of the four-year experiment. “But it was impossible to say if this was due to the (mineral-accretion)
method,” he added.¶ The project was instigated by the Okinawa Prefectural Government and an Okinawabased shipbuilding firm, who asked Kudo to look into an alternative coral-growing technology that might help
Okinawa’s rapidly diminishing reefs recover.¶ In the 12 years after Okinawa’s return from U.S. military to
Japanese control in 1972, studies showed that about 90 percent of Okinawa’s coral reefs had been killed off by
development, Kudo said.¶ According to a document issued by The Marine Parks Center of Japan, another
contributory factor was the extensive presence of the crown-of-thorns starfish, which can destroy by predation
entire coral communities.¶ These two factors were at the root of Kudo’s experimental project, which Okinawa
officials hoped might lead to a method of recovering and growing corals.¶ Kudo and a team of marine
experts set a pyramid-shaped, three-tier structure on the seabed just off the southeast coast of Okinawa’s
main island.¶ The three tiers were fixed at 1-meter intervals onto a 6-sq.-meter concrete base. On each tier were
fixed mesh sheets, onto which healthy corals from nearby reefs were transplanted.¶ One section was wired to
take an electric current, and within a short time thick layers of limestone could be found on the structure,
Kudo said.¶ After a year, however, the growth of coral transplanted there was not significantly greater
than other areas that were not wired, Kudo said.¶ “An ecosystem is very complex, and there is no one
factor that determines its well-being,” he explained. “I saw nothing to indicate that better growth is
guaranteed just by creating a clean base, such as that created by the mineral-accretion technology.Ӧ
Furthermore, he argued, new limestone might act as a deterrent for growth. While transplanted adult
corals will grow on virtually anything, baby coral invariably settle on objects “with a history,” he said.
24
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Property Rights Counter Plan (1NC Shell) (JV & V Only)
1) Text: The United States federal government should create a lease based system of defined property
rights for the development and restoration of coral reefs.
2) The counterplan is net beneficial since it avoids the disadvantages to direct government action.
3) The Counterplan solves. Establishing ownership of the coral reefs is necessary to compel users to be
responsible for damage they bring to the coral reefs.
Watson and Howell, Research Fellow and Applied Programs Director, Property and Environment
Research Center (PERC) and Entrepreneur at PERC, 2013
(Reed and Brett, “Closing the Coral Commons to Support Reef Restoration in Florida”, http://perc.org/articles/closing-coralcommons-support-reef-restoration-florida)
Since no one owns the coral reefs off Florida’s coast, no one group has taken ownership of the problem of
reef degradation. The issue is one of property rights. Because Florida’s coral reefs are an open-access
commons, there is neither an incentive nor a mechanism for private reef stewardship. Those who recreate
by coral reefs and those who depend on reef recreationists for their livelihood currently have no claim
against those whose actions deteriorate the resource.
Defining and enforcing property rights to the reefs will require institutional reform and entrepreneurial
vision. But doing so has the potential to close the coral commons and generate stable funding for reef
restoration. Though full divestment of the reef resources is not likely, given the institutional constraints noted above, restoration zoning
and aquaculture leases are two options for defining and enforcing quasi-ownership rights that would
align the incentives of reef users with the long-term health of the resource.
25
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Answers to: Privatization fails
[___]
[___] Establishing property rights and control of coral reefs is a needed first step to creating meaningful
protections for the reefs.
Watson and Howell, Research Fellow and Applied Programs Director, Property and Environment
Research Center (PERC) and Entrepreneur at PERC, 2013
(Reed and Brett, “Closing the Coral Commons to Support Reef Restoration in Florida”,
http://perc.org/articles/closing-coral-commons-support-reef-restoration-florida)
The Property Rights Prerequisite
For markets to enhance environmental assets, two conditions must be met. First, there must be “clear
and recognized property rights and resource tenure so that there is a legitimate seller of ecosystem
services.”29 Second, the value of or benefit from the ecosystem service must be transferable from the
current owner to a willing buyer, who could be geographically or temporally distant from the resource. Without
such clearly defined, enforceable, and transferable property rights, the consumers of an environmental
resource (such as scuba divers on a reef) will not take into account the full cost of their consumption, and
the producers or stewards of the resource (such as the Coral Restoration Foundation) will not be rewarded
for investing in restoration.
Defining property rights and establishing resource tenure in the marine environment poses new, but not
insurmountable, challenges. While terrestrial property laws address such issues as boundary disputes
and trespass, the definition and enforcement of similar rights in the marine environment is less robust.
Technologies such as marine GIS and underwater cameras reduce the costs of creating and monitoring a virtual
fence around underwater resources. However, the legal institutions that govern these marine resources pose
significant challenges to market-based reef restoration.
Property rights and markets have promoted the conservation of such resources as commercial fisheries,
stream flows, and endangered species, to name a few. However, this application of property rights to the
coral reefs off Florida’s coast raises unique questions regarding the initial allocation of rights, the logistics and
legality of excluding non-paying users, and the potential for transaction costs to frustrate conservation
agreements. The next section examines these and other issues specific to Florida’s deteriorating reefs.
26
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Answers to: Privatization fails
[___]
[___] Sanctuaries and government protections fail to protect coral reefs from external threats.
Watson and Howell, Research Fellow and Applied Programs Director, Property and Environment
Research Center (PERC) and Entrepreneur at PERC, 2013
(Reed and Brett, “Closing the Coral Commons to Support Reef Restoration in Florida”,
http://perc.org/articles/closing-coral-commons-support-reef-restoration-florida)
While the rate of coral decline is slower in the marine protected areas of the Florida Keys National Marine
Sanctuary than in unprotected areas,16 the 2011 FKNMS Condition Report found an overall decline in the
status of habitats and organisms in protected waters.17 This persistent decline is not surprising given the
inability of Sanctuary managers to influence forces outside the Sanctuary, such as effluent discharge from
coastal development, that hinder the ability of these habitats to maintain a healthy status.18
27
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Answers to: Privatization causes inequality
[___]
[___] In the case of coral reefs, property rights allow local communities to protect themselves from the
rich exploiting their resources.
Cinner, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, 2011
(J.E., “Social-ecological traps in reef fisheries”, Global Environmental Change, Vol 21 Issue 3, August, p. 8359, 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.04.012)
Another part of the solution to escaping (or avoiding) social-ecological traps in marine fisheries may be
the development (or maintenance) of property rights. Under the right conditions, property rights can
provide incentive for sustainable use and reduce the prevalence of ‘roving bandits’ that can sequentially
exploit species, particularly in open-access situations (Berkes et al., 2006 and Gelcich et al., 2010). Perhaps
the most vivid example of successful property rights establishment comes from Chile. In the mid-1990s the
Chilean government developed delineated property rights for artisanal fisher organizations, resulting in 547
areas covering ∼1000 km2 (Gelcich et al., 2008 and Gelcich et al., 2010). Designed primarily for the
management of export-based benthic resources (e.g. Concholepas concholepas), these systems have
significantly increased the abundance of nearshore fishes ( Gelcich et al., 2008) and resulted in a phase shift
back from an undesirable mussel dominated state, to a more desirable state dominated by gastropods, urchins,
and algae ( Gelcich et al., 2010). Promisingly, we are starting to see the emergence of property rights
systems for coral reef fisheries in the Indian Ocean, particularly with Kenya's recent Beach Management
Unit legislation that allows local communities to create by-laws regarding the use of local marine
resources, and charge levies to, or exclude, fishers who are not local members ( Cinner et al., 2009d).
28
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Answers to: Privatization hurts the environment
[___]
[___] Non-profits could control reef and use the money to fund other reef protections.
SHELLENBERGER, Chief of Licensing at Massachusetts Securities Division, Boston University School
of Law, 2010
(David E,5/28/10, “Gulf of Mexico Oil Disaster: Privatizing the Gulf for Better Stewardship,”
http://www.daveshellenberger.com/gulf-oil-disaster-privatizing-better-stewardship) patel
Non-Profit Ownership An alternative to pure commercial control would be granting ownership of the
Gulf, or all resources in the Gulf, to a non-profit organization. The organization would have to be one
that would implicitly respect environmental concerns, while also having an incentive to create and
maintain revenue to fund its mission. The goal would be for the organization to intelligently balance the
various interests, such as oil and gas development and fishing, while acting as a private regulator (or
facilitator of self-regulatory organizations) of activities such as drilling. Non-profit organizations, such as
the Nature Conservancy and the Audubon Society, successfully manage land, balancing economic and
environmental objectives. (See, e.g., David J. Theroux, President of The Independent Institute, “The Tragedy
of the Commons,” Commentary, Independent Institute, published in Las Vegas Review-Journal, June 12,
1994.) The same dynamic would apply in managing ocean resources such as the Gulf. In order to enhance
the likelihood that the organization would be responsive to all the economic and environmental interests,
a stakeholder board might be appropriate. This is the structure recommended by Robert Poole, Director of
Transportation Policy and Searle Freedom Trust Transportation Fellow at the Reason Foundation, for the
proposed non-profit entity to privatize air traffic control in the U.S. (“How to Commercialize Air Traffic
Control,” Policy Study, Reason Foundation, Feb. 1, 2001.) The board would include representatives from
the public, environmental organizations, the federal government, the states on the Gulf, the commercial
and recreational fisheries industry, the shellfish industry, the oil and gas industry, and other interests.
The owner would compensate taxpayers through paying the U.S. government a percentage of its revenue
from the sale or lease of rights to resources, as well as user fees. A benefit of stakeholder representation is
that this would limit the risk that the organization’s own interests could evolve to become inconsistent
with those of the stakeholders. Just as foundations established by ideological capitalists often have become
champions of statism or socialism, so an organization without stakeholder representation could, over time,
unacceptably favor certain interests.
29
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Answers to: Privatization hurts the environment
[___]
[___] Coral reefs are deteriorating due to a number of human caused factors. Current government
policies fail to truly protect reefs from the various sources of their decline. Only a property rights based
solution can solve this “tragedy of the commons”.
Watson and Howell, Research Fellow and Applied Programs Director, Property and Environment
Research Center (PERC) and Entrepreneur at PERC, 2013
(Reed and Brett, “Closing the Coral Commons to Support Reef Restoration in Florida”,
http://perc.org/articles/closing-coral-commons-support-reef-restoration-florida)
Despite their ecological and economic importance, Florida’s coral reefs are teetering on the verge of
collapse. Scientific studies point to the impact of effluent discharges from municipal storm and
wastewater treatment facilities along the coast. Other reports document the physical destruction caused
by boat groundings, fishing equipment, and recreational divers. Policy makers seeking to reverse the coral
decline are contemplating additional regulations on coastal point sources, increased fines for boat collisions, and
extended Endangered Species Act protections. All regulatory in nature, these policies are aimed at equating
the private and social costs of reef deterioration.
This report explores the viability of an alternative framework for managing Florida’s coral reefs, one based on
clearly defined, secure, and transferable property rights. Rather than relying on the political process to
determine the optimal level of reef protection, such property rights would allow voluntary trades to occur
between competing reef users, namely divers, anglers, boat captains, conservation organizations, and
coastal communities. Already, conservation entrepreneurs have developed methods for growing
imperiled coral species in nurseries and replanting them on reefs. A market-based management approach
that rewards this kind of innovative stewardship—and creates accountability for reef deterioration—has
greater potential to enhance Florida’s coral resources than the command-and-control policies currently
under consideration.
30
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Tourism Case Turn (1NC Shell)
1. Artificial reefs bring divers, tourism, and the industries surrounding them
MANLY ’14 (Don, Florida Weekly Correspondent, Fort Myers Florida Weekly, Sep 3, “Reefs will boost diving, fishing,
ecotourism industries and more, accessed Sep 4, ’14,
http://fortmyers.floridaweekly.com/news/2014-09-03/Top_News/Reefs_will_boost_diving_fishing_ecotourism_industr.html)
A vision of Gulf Coast waters teeming with diverse
marine life that entices anglers, snorkelers, SCUBA divers and
ecotourists is taking shape in Collier County.
Dubbed the Artificial Reef Project at the Community Foundation of Collier County, the $3 million effort is one that when completed
could provide a major economic boost to the area. The reefs are expected to inject about $30 million annually into the county’s tourism industry by
creating a diving industry here and expanding ecotourism, hotel stays, dining, shopping, boating, fishing,
bait shop revenues and more.
“There really is, for all age groups and all economic groups, a real benefit to this,” says Craig Jones, marketing director for the Community
Foundation. “This benefits everyone.”
Sunken 12-30 miles offshore and reputed to be one of the world’s largest artificial reef projects, the system will consist of six 500-ton reefs the
size of football fields, each containing six 8-to- 12-foot-high pyramid-shaped modules composed of tons of clean, recycled and donated concrete
sunken.
2. Tourism destroys coral reefs and surrounding areas
ICRI, No Date (Ministry of the Environment, “Status of and Threat to Coral Reefs”, http://www.icriforum.org/about-coralreefs/status-and-threat-coral-reefs, 6/27/14, ML)
Tourism generates vast amounts of income for host countries. Where unregulated however, tourism
pressures can cause damage to
the very environment upon which the industry depends. Physical damage to the coral reefs can occur
through contact from careless swimmers, divers, and poorly placed boat anchors. Hotels and resorts may also
discharge untreated sewage and wastewater into the ocean, polluting the water and encouraging the
growth of algae, which competes with corals for space on the reef.
3. This undermines the solvency claims of the 1AC related to the environment and turns the case…
indicating they make the problem worse in areas surrounding the new reef projects
31
Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Tourism Turn - Impact Extensions
[
]
[
] Tourism destroys reefs- Caribbean proves increase in demands, infrastructure, snorkeling, etc.
UNEP no date
(United Nations Environmental Programme, “Tourism’s Impact on Reefs”,
http://www.unep.org/resourceefficiency/Business/SectoralActivities/Tourism/Activities/WorkThematicAreas/EcosystemManagement/CoralReefs/TourismsImpactonRe
efs/tabid/78799/Default.aspx, accessed 6/29/14 SH)
The tourism-related
impacts on coral reefs in the Caribbean are typical of those occurring worldwide. The
tourism sector is of major economic importance in the Caribbean region, both for foreign exchange earnings and for employment. Since Caribbean
tourism is primarily associated with beaches and the sea, there have been - and continue to be - impacts from
tourism on the coastal environment, including the coral reefs. Tourism has both direct and indirect impacts on coral reefs.
Snorkeling, diving and boating can cause direct physical damage to reefs, and fishing and collecting can
contribute to over-exploitation of reef species and threaten local survival of endangered species. Indirect
impacts relate to the development, construction and operation of tourism infrastructure as a whole (resorts,
marinas, ports, airports, etc.). Direct physical damage from snorkeling and diving has been the subject of
extensive study and is well documented. The damage inflicted by divers and snorkelers consists mostly of
breaking fragile, branched corals or causing lesions to massive corals. Most divers and snorkelers cause little damage; only a
few cause severe or widespread damage. Research indicates that reef degradation and change of reef community structure occurs once a certain level of use by divers
and snorkelers is exceeded. As a rule of thumb it is recommended that the level of 5,000 to 6,000 dives per sites per year should not be exceeded. Training and briefing
of divers and snorkelers will greatly help to reduce negative impacts. Physical
damage from anchors and especially boat groundings
can be severe. Anchor damage is proportional to the size of the boat (i.e. weight of the anchor and length of anchor chain) and is further
dependent on the type of coral community. Recovery of coral damage from boat groundings is slow. Anchor damage can be
avoided to a large extent by installing permanent moorings, designating anchorages and providing adequate information on anchoring and mooring. Although fishing
has caused declines in reef fish stocks throughout the Caribbean, the direct role of tourism in fishing-related decline is most likely not significant. Indirectly, however,
tourism increases the demand for seafood and does have an impact of on reef fish resources. Collecting of
marine souvenirs by tourists is probably insignificant but there still is a market for marine curiosities in response to a certain tourist demand. This
demand can definitely be decreased by increased awareness. Tourism-related sources of sewage pollution include resorts and, to
a much lesser extent, recreational vessels. There is evidence that a very large percentage of the sewage generated by hotels is discharged in coastal waters
without adequate treatment. The main impact of sewage pollution is nutrient enrichment, which favours certain species (algae in particular) at the expense of corals.
The impacts of nutrient enrichment from sewage pollution on corals in general have been well studied, but
those specifically from sewage pollution from hotels and recreational vessels have not been quantified. The studies indicate that the impact of sewage pollution depends
on the level of treatment before discharge and the degree of natural flushing by tides and currents at the point of discharge. Tourism is not generally a source of
petroleum hydrocarbon pollution, other than on a small scale when oil or fuel spills from recreational vessels and marinas occur. The effects of petroleum hydrocarbons
on corals has been studied for quite some time, producing evidence that chronic oil pollution is more harmful than a single exposure, and that dispersants
and
emulsifiers used to combat spills are more toxic to corals than oil alone. Coastal development and the construction
and operation of related tourism infrastructure cause increased runoff and sedimentation. Sedimentation is one
of the main reasons for reef degradation. Increased sediment loading of coastal waters increases turbidity, reduces light levels and leads to stress
on corals, usually expressed by "bleaching" of corals. Heavy sediment loading may also cause corals to suffocate and
die. Other documented impacts of sedimentation on corals include lower growth rates, reduced productivity and reduced recruitment. Tourism is
obviously a source of large amounts of solid waste, the impacts of which depend very much on the method of disposal. If disposed of
inappropriately, leaching of toxic substances may harm corals. Of particular concern is the "accidental" waste - plastics in
particular - that is blown into the ocean from beaches or vessels and has a detrimental effect on corals and
other marine life. Tourism-related impacts on coral reefs are significant, but they are also compounded by other impacts that
are not easily distinguished from those of tourism. This does not mean that we must disregard the impacts of tourism activities.
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Coral Reefs Negative
Property Rights Counterplan
SLUDL & NAUDL 2014-15
Tourism Turn - AT Coral Regeneration
[
]
[
] Loss of biodiversity prevents coral reefs from regrowing
DUJS 12
(4/11/12, Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science, “The Decline of Reefs: Effects of Increased Carbon Emissions on Coral
Ecosystems,” http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/winter-2012/the-decline-of-reefs-effects-of-increased-carbon-emissions-on-coral-ecosystems#.U6GVY2wKrY, 6/28/14, SM)
Previous findings highlight the incredible toll that coral loss from ocean acidification and global warming take on marine species. For example, Jones
et al. recently conducted an eight-year study in Papua New Guinea. Their discoveries reinforced the idea that declines in coral cover and
fish biodiversity are positively associated. They observed that approximately 75% of the reef fish species fell in
population, and that 50% of the species exhibited counts that were less than half of their originals. In
particular, they found that species for which juveniles have a more significant coral reef dependence declined on a greater scale. Furthermore, they
predicted that species with more limited geographic ranges, like some coral-dwelling gobies, may become extinct (12).¶ The loss of fish
biodiversity, among other marine species, plays a consequent role in the coral-algal phase shift in coral
reefs. When corals die and deplete from ocean acidification and global warming, algae and other benthos – organisms that dwell
at the bottom of the ocean – typically occupy the resulting space. Under normal conditions, their spread is limited and
controlled by herbivore grazing. However, in the absence of sufficient herbivores, algal communities may establish
permanent forms and prevent coral reefs from recovering to their previous forms (13).
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