Warrants in the 1AC 1AC- Warming Advantage Allison evidence we did in lab…. Fixing the regulatory framework to incentivize offshore wind would offset enough emissions to slow catastrophic warming - extinction, methane release, diseases, crop yields, conflict multiplier THALER 12 Visiting Professor of Energy Policy, Law & Ethics, University of Maine School of Law and School of Economics [Jeff Thaler, FIDDLING AS THE WORLD BURNS: HOW CLIMATE CHANGE URGENTLY REQUIRES A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE PERMITTING OF RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS, Jeff Thaler University of Maine School of Law September 17, 2012 Environmental Law, Volume 42, Issue 4, http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2148122] -By 2050 we’ve gotta reduce emissions by 80 percent in order to stabilize warming levels -CO2 emissions = human induced, IPCC is 90 percent sure -Climate change will cause hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of damage to farming, fishing, forestry -Climate Change/overreliance on fossil fuels causes disease spread -The 2 degree increase coming in 2043 – will destroy crops, the Amazon, ice cap melting, sea level rising -2 Degree increase = methane release/runaway warming -CO2 saturation = acidic oceans, calcification of organisms, destruction of coral, destruction of plankton = Extinction -Climate change = conflict multiplier, political instability, refugees, terrorism and conflict over resources -Fossil Fuel consumption is expensive- costs 300 billion each year -Laws and regulations prevent us from acting/chill investment – they’re complicated, slow, confusing -US needs to lead in emission cuts -Offshore wind better – winds are 90 percent stronger/more consistent, would replace fossil fuel use 1AC – Oceans Advantage Advantage Two is Earth’s Oceans Multiple recent studies confirm – offshore wind benefits marine ecology – trawling, reefs, shelter CASEY 12 – 4 – 12 EWEA Staff Writer, Citing International and Swedish funded studies [Zoë Casey, Offshore wind farms benefit sealife, says study, http://www.ewea.org/blog/2012/12/offshore-windfarms-benefit-sealife-says-study/] 1) Zoe Casey: European Wind Association (Senior Communication Officer) 2) Offshore wind farms give shelter for fish because trawling is forbidden in wind farms 3) Offshore wind farms create artificial reefs which gives marine species habitats 4) Offshore wind farms allow for regeneration of fish/other benthic species Creates areas that resurrect damage done to the ocean – artificial reefs, checks bad practices MUSIAL & BUTTERFIELD 06 National Renewable Energy Laboratory [W. Musial and S. Butterfield, Energy from Offshore Wind, May 1–4, 2006, http://www.nrel.gov/wind/pdfs/39450.pdf] warrants1. We should do the plan because of the negative affects that happen to sea creatures currently such as short term impacts. 2. We should advocate for turbine foundations placed onto or buried into the seabed because they create artificial reefs or breeding grounds that have a beneficial effect on the local fish populations and other communities 3.the environmental impact of a generating facility should be compared to the impact of an equivalent power plant because when this comparison is conducted, the potential impacts of offshore wind to the environment appear to very benign. Trawling independently destroys the oceans VINSON 06 JD Candidate, Georgetown University [Anna, “Deep Sea Bottom Trawling and the Eastern Tropical Pacific Seascape: A Test Case for Global Action,” Georgetown International Environmental Law Review, Winter, 18 Geo. Int'l Envtl. L. Rev. 355] trawling has become the greatest threat to deep sea ecology. the deep sea supports millions of terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Bottom trawling scrapes these seamounts and other deep sea structures clean, easily devastating entire ecosystems.: o Trawling is a big threat to the the ecology of the ocean because it destroys the habitat of the terrestrial and aquatic species and kills many animals while it scratches the surface for humans to selfishly eat lobsters and such. If we don’t stop this immediately, it will destroy the unique ocean ecology that supports only the marine species but also many humans as well. . The ecological impact of deep sea bottom trawling is so grave that the minimal economic benefit in no way justifies the practice. o Since trawling destroys so much on the ecology in the ocean, just throwing money at the problem to fix it would not work and resolve the problem. The ocean biodiversity cannot repair itself and last for a very long time. Offshore Wind helps solve overfishing & trawling EBERHARDT 06 B.A., 1998, Swarthmore (Biology); M.F.S., 2001, Harvard; J.D. Candidate, 2006, New York University School of Law. Senior Notes Editor, 2005-2006, New York University Environmental Law Journal [Robert W. Eberhardt, FEDERALISM AND THE SITING OF OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY FACILITIES, New York University Environmental Law Journal, 14 N.Y.U. Envtl. L.J. 374] Accreditation: Candidate for Judicial Doctorate from NYU. Senior Notes editor Source: NYU enviro. journal Warrants: - Development of offshore wind= avoidance of overexploitation regulations. (unhighlighted) - offshore wind would limit fishing and trawling, since you would not be able to fish around the cables. - Offshore wind would help to develop reef communities which could be habitats for many species of fish, which would help the fish industry. - Would also benefit the fishing industries, as protected fish would be able spread. - Theres a possibility for a vertical spillover (when the type of technology that a given organization/person/thing is using gets more advanced as opposed to having a more diverse group of technologies that serve basically the same function) of fishing technologies. There’s also a possibility for horizontal spillover of fishing technology (when the technology available to perform a certain task is available with more variety as opposed to more technological advancement) - The local economies affected by V spillover and H. spillover would enjoy more economic tech. because of the relatively new technology created by offshore drilling. Extinction CRAIG 03 - Associate Dean for Environmental Programs @ Florida State University [Robin Kundis Craig, “ARTICLE: Taking Steps Toward Marine Wilderness Protection? Fishing and Coral Reef Marine Reserves in Florida and Hawaii,” McGeorge Law Review, Winter 2003, 34 McGeorge L. Rev. 155 Craig 03 Card Warrants: Coral reef ecosystems are important to the geochemical cycle by representing the building blocks of living organisms because the degradation of these ecosystems impairs the planet’s ability to support life. Without biodiversity in marine/coral reef ecosystems, these ecosystems will not be able to be maintained and we should be preserving marine wilderness because the US has within its territory relatively pristine marine ecosystems that may be unique in the world. Author Qualifications: Robin Kundis Craig J.D., Lewis & Clark School of Law, 1996 Ph.D., University of California, 1993 M.A., The Johns Hopkins University, 1986 B.A., Pomona College, 1985 Associate Dean for Environmental Programs at Florida State University 1AC – Solvency Current framework dooms offshore wind – even while onshore wind blows up. SCHROEDER 10 J.D., University of California, Berkeley, School of Law, 2010. M.E.M., Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 2004; B.A., Yale University, 2003 [Erica Schroeder, COMMENT: Turning Offshore Wind On, October, 2010, California Law Review, 98 Calif. L. Rev. 1631] Incoherent regulations doom wind now Local backlash keeps wind on the back burner and controls the “wind agenda” Solving regulatory confusion is necessary and sufficient POWELL 12 J.D. Candidate, Boston University School of Law, 2013; B.A. Environmental Economics, Colgate University, 2007 [Timothy H. Powell, REVISITING FEDERALISM CONCERNS IN THE OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY IN LIGHT OF CONTINUED LOCAL OPPOSITION TO THE CAPE WIND PROJECT, Boston University Law Review, December, 2012, 92 B.U.L. Rev. 2023] 1) Timothy Powell: Boston University school of law graduate degree 2) Study by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (government agency) says that off shore wind can be a significant domestic renewable energy source 3) All coastal states have large areas of ocean with wind speed/depth/distance perfect for offshore wind 4) Article published by Katherine Roak (member litigation company—legal analyst) interest from states in offshore wind: There have been specific proposals from over 5 states to start offshore wind facilities 5) centralization of permitting process to national level leads to less uncertainty and lower costs DOI can do it – congress said so. Removing state and local restrictions for offshore wind solves. EBERHARDT 06 B.A., 1998, Swarthmore (Biology); M.F.S., 2001, Harvard; J.D. Candidate, 2006, New York University School of Law. Senior Notes Editor, 2005-2006, New York University Environmental Law Journal [Robert W. Eberhardt, FEDERALISM AND THE SITING OF OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY FACILITIES, New York University Environmental Law Journal, 14 N.Y.U. Envtl. L.J. 374] 1) Eberhardt: NYU law 2) Federal government should take control of regulatory process because it will allow for coordination and because of the international aspects of climate change 3) Federal regulatory regimes allow for less variation in environmental preferences 4) Federal government should take control of regulatory process because of important environmental impacts which offshore wind causes AND offshore wind investment is there – just need to insure regulatory space. POWELL 12 J.D. Candidate, Boston University School of Law, 2013; B.A. Environmental Economics, Colgate University, 2007 [Timothy H. Powell, REVISITING FEDERALISM CONCERNS IN THE OFFSHORE WIND ENERGY INDUSTRY IN LIGHT OF CONTINUED LOCAL OPPOSITION TO THE CAPE WIND PROJECT, Boston University Law Review, December, 2012, 92 B.U.L. Rev. 2023] 1) Timothy Powell: Boston University school of law graduate degree 2) The Federal Government should take control of the regulation process because currently there are complex and changing regulatory schemes which make it harder for offshore wind to get approved 3) The Federal Government should take control of the regulation process because currently there is litigation from citizens which makes it harder for offshore wind to get approved 4) The process has dragged on for over a decade which is proof that the current system isn’t very good