Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Readiness Shell.....................................................................................................................................................46
Uniqueness............................................................................................................................................................47
Link Ext................................................................................................................................................................48
Link Ext................................................................................................................................................................49
Link Ext................................................................................................................................................................50
Readiness Brink...................................................................................................................................................51
Readiness Good....................................................................................................................................................52
Readiness Good....................................................................................................................................................53
Earthquake Module.............................................................................................................................................54
Wind -> Earthquakes..........................................................................................................................................55
Earthquake Detection Key..................................................................................................................................56
Readiness = Iraq Withdrawal.............................................................................................................................57
Terrorism Module................................................................................................................................................58
Inefficient disad?..................................................................................................................................................59
Marine Ecosystems Module................................................................................................................................60
Marine Ecosystems Module................................................................................................................................61
Climate Change Module......................................................................................................................................62
Climate Change Module......................................................................................................................................63
Climate Change Module......................................................................................................................................64
Wind = Climate Change......................................................................................................................................65
Wind -> Climate Change.....................................................................................................................................66
Climate Change = Extinction..............................................................................................................................67
Wind Power Hurts Environment........................................................................................................................68
Wind Power Hurts Environment........................................................................................................................69
Wind Power Hurts Environment........................................................................................................................70
Wind Power = FF Use..........................................................................................................................................71
AFF Answers........................................................................................................................................................72
AFF Answers........................................................................................................................................................73
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B. Link
A renewed interest in solar development leads to an ambitious new space
program
John C. Mankins, was with NASA for 25 years, including 10 years with JPL in Pasadena, and 15 years at NASA Headquarters in
Washington "Space-based Solar Power: Inexhaustible Energy From Orbit", Spring 2008. Ad Astra Magazine.
http://www.nss.org/adastra/AdAstra-SBSP-2008.pdf
Photographs of the sky over Beijing on a hot summer day—dark with particulates and unburned hydrocarbons dangerous to the young
and the elderly—illustrate that the air pollution crisis that once plagued Los Angeles is not gone, but has only relocated. Similarly,
making the energy to run civilization releases enormous volumes of greenhouse gasses—over two pounds (one kg) of carbon dioxide
for each kilowatthour (kwh) generated by coal. Global average temperatures and ocean
surface temperatures are rising, along with insurance premiums for coastal areas—when insurance can be found at all.
At the same time, current space missions are narrowly constrained by a lack of energy for launch and use in space. More ambitious
missions will never be realized without new, reliable, and less-expensive sources of energy. Even more, the potential emergence of
new space industries such as space tourism and manufacturing in space depend on advances in space power systems just as much as
they do on progress in space transportation. New energy options are needed: sustainable energy for society, clean energy for the
climate, and affordable and abundant energy for use in space. Space solar power is an option that can meet all of these needs.
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B. Link
New incentives boost solar developments, but kills R&D when they terminate
Solar Energies Industry Association, "Senate Fillibuster Once Again Prevents Vote on Solar Tax Credits", 6/17/08.
http://seia.org/solarnews.php?id=189
SEIA STATEMENT ON H.R. 6049, THE ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND AND TAX RELIEF ACT
Statement by SEIA president Rhone Resch following the Senate's failure to end the filibuster of H.R. 6049, the Energy Independence
and Tax Relief Act, which would extend the solar investment tax credit (ITC) for 8 years. The motion failed 52 - 44 (on a cloture
motion requiring support of 60 Senators). "I am deeply disappointed that the Senate has once again failed to reach a bipartisan
consensus that would allow this important legislation to move forward. Not extending the solar tax credits is an enormous tax increase
that will cost America tens of thousands of jobs. If the Senate is unable to act - and the solar tax credits are allowed to expire - it will
result in the loss of billions of dollars in new investments in solar. "Time is running out. I strongly urge the Senate to reach a bipartisan
consensus and pass this legislation, now."
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Further environmental damage will lead to widespread political discontent against the CCP, resulting in
its collapse
Nathan Nankivell, Senior Researcher, Office of the Special Advisor at Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters, Canada, 10/25/2005.
"China's Pollution and its Threat to Domestic and Regional Stability". http://www.jamestown.org/news_details.php?news_id=146.
There is little disagreement that China’s environment is a mounting problem for Beijing. The country produces as many sulphur
emissions as Tokyo and Los Angeles combined but with only a fraction of the vehicles; China is home to 16 of the
world’s 20 most polluted cities; water pollution affects as much as 70 percent of the country; air pollution is blamed for the premature
death of some 400,000 Chinese annually; crop returns are steadily decreasing in quantity and quality because of polluted land and
water; and solid waste production is expected to more than double over the next decade, pushing China far ahead of the U.S. as the
largest producer (The Economist, August 19, 2004). While the general accessibility of this information is creating greater awareness,
trends indicate that pollution and environmental degradation will worsen. Chinese consumers are expected to purchase hundreds of
millions of automobiles, adding to air pollution problems. Despite pledges to put the environment first, national planners still aim to
double per capita GDP by 2010 (China Daily, October 20, 2005). Urban populations are expected to continue expanding, leading to
the creation of slums and stressing urban sanitation and delivery systems. Steadily richer Chinese will be able to purchase more goods
and consume more resources. The nation lacks a powerful national body able to coordinate, monitor, and enforce environmental
legislation: the State Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) is under-staffed, has few resources, and must compete with other
bureaucracies for attention. The devolution of decision-making to local levels has placed environmental stewardship in the hands of
officials who are more concerned with economic growth than the environment. Finally, the deficiency of capital and the lack of will to
promote massive spending on environmental repair necessary to reverse more than two decades of destruction are perhaps most
indicative of the fact that environmental restoration will not occur: estimates on the final cost of environmental repair range into the
tens of billions of dollars (Canadian Security Intelligence Services Division; The Economist, October 20, 2005).
From the examples above, it is clear that China’s environmental crisis will only worsen before it gets better. SEPA’s impotence,
Beijing’s contradictory policy statements, expanding consumption, and a lack of funds to reverse already serious problems all suggest
that pollution and degradation will most likely worsen in the decades to come. Pollution, Unrest, and Social Mobilization As the
impact of pollution on human health becomes more obvious and widespread, it is leading to greater political mobilization and social
unrest from those citizens who suffer the most. The latest statement from the October 2005 Central Committee meeting in Shanghai
illustrates Beijing’s increasing concern regarding the correlation between unrest and pollution issues. There were more than 74,000
incidents of protest and unrest recorded in China in 2004, up from 58,000 the year before (Asia Times, November 16, 2004). While
there are no clear statistics linking this number of protests, riots, and unrest specifically to pollution issues, the fact that pollution was
one of four social problems linked to disharmony
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Heg Scenario
Even if a new balance of power was struck after space militarization, it would
be inevitably unstable and without US primacy
Theresa Hitchens, March 08, Scientific American, http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=10&hid=101&sid=4d503dfb-ade2-
4b86-867d-9bbbf133d4b7%40sessionmgr104
Yet any arms race in space would almost inevitably destabilize the balance of power and thereby multiply the risks of global conflict.
In such headlong competition--whether in space or elsewhere--equilibrium among the adversaries would be virtually impossible to
maintain. Even if the major powers did achieve stability, that reality would still provide no guarantee that both sides would perceive it
to be so. The moment one side saw itself to be slipping behind the other, the first side would be strongly tempted to launch a
preemptive strike, before things got even worse. Ironically, the same would hold for the side that perceived itself to have gained an
advantage. Again, there would be strong temptation to strike first, before the adversary could catch up. Finally, a space weapons race
would ratchet up the chances that a mere technological mistake could trigger a battle. After all, in the distant void, reliably
distinguishing an intentional act from an accidental one would be highly problematic.
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Russia Scenario
Any weapon put in space by the US will be immediately followed by war with
Russia
James Oberg, 22-year veteran of NASA Mission Control, 10/9/07, Weaponization of space: who’s to blame?,”
http://thespacereview.com/article/976/1
In Moscow, Colonel General Vladimir Popovkin, commander of the Russian “Space Troops”, has warned that US plans to base
weapons in space might lead to war. Western news media accounts report these statements straight, as if there really were such “plans”
to do what the Russians complain about (station weapons in space for space-to-space combat), instead of only studies and tests—the
kinds of activities that were they to occur in Russia or China, wouldn’t even be known to exist. “We don’t want to fight in space,”
Popovkin told his audience, “but on the other hand, we’ll not allow any other country to play the master in outer space. The
consequences of positioning strike forces in orbit will be too serious.” And he wrote himself a blank check for a future free hand: “If
any country will place a weapon in space, then our response will be the same,” he added, to the approving echo of press coverage
around the world.
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China Scenario
Space militarization would lead to dangerous precarious US-Sino relations,
assuring mutual destruction
William C. Martel and Toshi Yoshihara, Professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College in Rhode Island and
Doctoral candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, 03, Washington Quarterly,
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/washington_quarterly/v026/26.4martel.html
Strategists in the United States and in China are clearly monitoring the other's developments in space. How the United States judges
Chinese intentions and capabilities will determine Washington's response; of course, the reverse is equally true. As each side eyes the
other, the potential for mutual misperceptions can have serious and destabilizing consequences in the long term. In particular, both
countries' exaggerated views of each other could lead unnecessarily to competitive action-reaction cycles. [End Page 26] What exactly
does such an action-reaction cycle mean? What would a bilateral space race look like? Hypothetically, in the next 10 years, some
critical sectors of China's economy and military could become increasingly vulnerable to disruptions in space. During this same
period, Sino-U.S. relations may not improve appreciably, and the Taiwan question could remain unresolved. If Washington and
Beijing could increasingly hold each other's space infrastructure hostage by threatening to use military options in times of crisis, then
potentially risky paths to preemption could emerge in the policy planning processes in both capitals. In preparing for a major
contingency in the Taiwan Strait, both the United States and China might be compelled to plan for a disabling, blinding attack on the
other's space systems before the onset of hostilities. The most troubling dimension to this scenario is that some elements of preemption
(already evident in U.S. global doctrine) could become a permanent feature of U.S. and Chinese strategies in space. Indeed, Chinese
strategic writings today suggest that the leadership in Beijing believes that preemption is the rational way to prevent future U.S.
military intervention. If leaders in Beijing and Washington were to position themselves to preempt each other, then the two sides
would enter an era of mutual hostility, one that might include destabilizing, hair-trigger defense postures in space where both sides
stand ready to launch a first strike on a moment's notice. One scenario involves the use of weapons, such as lasers or jammers, which
seek to blind sensors on imaging satellites or disable satellites that provide warning of missile launches. Imagine, for example,
Washington's reaction if China disabled U.S. missile warning satellites or vice versa.In that case, Sino-U.S. relations would be highly
vulnerable to the misinterpretations and miscalculations that could lead to a conflict in space. Although attacks against space assets
would likely be a precursor or a complement to a broader crisis or conflict, and although conflicts in the space theater may not
generate many casualties or massive physical destruction, the economic costs of conflict in space alone for both sides, and for the
international community, would be extraordinary given that many states depend on satellites for their economic well-being.
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China Scenario
That leads to global nuclear war and the end of civilization
Ching Cheong, The Straits Times 2k, “No one gains in war over Taiwan,”
THE high-intensity scenario postulates a cross-strait war escalating into a full-scale war between the US and China. If Washington
were to conclude that splitting China would better serve its national interests, then a full-scale war becomes unavoidable. Conflict on
such a scale would embroil other countries far and near and -horror of horrors -raise the possibility of a nuclear war. Beijing has
already told the US and Japan privately that it considers any country providing bases and logistics support to any US forces attacking
China as belligerent parties open to its retaliation. In the region, this means South Korea, Japan, the Philippines and, to a lesser extent,
Singapore. If China were to retaliate, east Asia will be set on fire. And the conflagration may not end there as opportunistic powers
elsewhere may try to overturn the existing world order.With the US distracted, Russia may seek to redefine Europe's political
landscape. The balance of power in the Middle East may be similarly upset by the likes of Iraq. In south Asia, hostilities between
India and Pakistan, each armed with its own nuclear arsenal, could enter a new and dangerous phase. Will a full-scale Sino-US war
lead to a nuclear war? According to General Matthew Ridgeway, commander of the US Eighth Army which fought against the
Chinese in the Korean War, the US had at the time thought of using nuclear weapons against China to save the US from military
defeat. In his book The Korean War, a personal account of the military and political aspects of the conflict and its implications on
future US foreign policy, Gen Ridgeway said that US was confronted with two choices in Korea -truce or a broadened war, which
could have led to the use of nuclear weapons. If the US had to resort to nuclear weaponry to defeat China long before the latter
acquired a similar capability, there is little hope of winning a war against China 50 years later, short of using nuclear weapons. The US
estimates that China possesses about 20 nuclear warheads that can destroy major American cities. Beijing also seems prepared to go
for the nuclear option. A Chinese military officer disclosed recently that Beijing was considering a review of its "non first use"
principle regarding nuclear weapons. Major-General Pan Zhangqiang, president of the military-funded Institute for Strategic Studies,
told a gathering at the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars in Washington that although the government still abided by
that principle, there were strong pressures from the military to drop it. He said military leaders considered the use of nuclear weapons
mandatory if the country risked dismemberment as a result of foreign intervention. Gen Ridgeway said that should that come to pass,
we would see the destruction of civilisation.
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India Scenario
India would use space technology to preemptively avert an attack from its
nuclear neighbors
Monotapash Mukherjee, Political Writer, 1/29/08, The Global Politician, http://www.globalpolitician.com/24048-india
Post nuclear situation, India is being visited by a pre-nuclear weaponization dilemma—to be or not to be a space-weapons state. The
territorial warfare is not a thing of the past yet, but once again the shadow of space weaponization is looming large.Post-Cold War the
US became the sole superpower of the globe. The threat of "star wars" subsided for the time being. But new geo-political urgencies
unnerved the US and it began to be concerned by the specter of "space Pearl Harbor".America was visibly unsettled by the emergence
of the "Axis of Evil" which constituted Iraq, Iran, North Korea with more states to join it. Iraq was bombed and its ruler hanged (of
course, illegally and unethically). But Iran and North Korea proved to be invincible. The USA became concerned about their nuclear
ICBMs hitting the US heartland and revived the "Star War" as National Missile Defence System. Again the rapid rise of China as an
economic and military superpower unnerved the US strategic community. A Chinese General once threatened the US with raining
nuclear bombs if it sided with Taiwan in any future confrontation with China. Furthermore the Russian rise as a Phoenix as the
challenger of the US complicated the US predicament. The USA's proposed deployment of the missile defense components in Poland
and Czech Republic angered the resurgent Russia so much that it declared its sophisticated system would jeopardize the missile
defense system. All this became more complicated when China conducted an A-Sat test by destroying one of its ageing weather
satellite by throwing a ballistic missile.All these factors pushed the US towards space weaponization and space utilisation to influence
warfare on earth. The domino effect of space weaponisation has not left India untouched. China's A-Sat test threatened Indian security
too, particularly its space assets.First of all, let us count upon us why India should use it for military means.· India is surrounded by
two declared and symbiotic nuclear powers and a nascent nuclear power. There is a visible co-ordination in the field of missiles
technology among these countries. So India must build an effective missile defence system to counter any threat from these countries.
A missile defence system without any military satellite network has no efficacy.· Secondly, for reconnaissance of the ground-based and
troop movement of the enemy, for tapping communication, jamming the enemy network and destroying enemy satellites, India must
prepare for space applications.· Thirdly, to monitor the launch of enemy ballistic missiles, thermal imaging satellites are a must.·
Fourthly, in modern network-centric system, all the three services—army, navy, air-force—should be integrated by linking all the
radars and sensors to the satellite system for early warning and control system.
INERT IMPACT
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NASA has already used sun power in space on previous missions, and intends
to do so on a larger scale before the end of the summer
Holly Jackson, Technician, 6-27-08, “Solar power to set sail in space,” CNetNews.com, http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-
9979259-7.html
On earth, people are beginning to use the sun's light to power their houses, office buildings, and even gadgets. Now, outside of our
planet, the sun's energy is going to be utilized for something else--space travel.If NASA can successfully implement solar sails, which
have been referenced in some sci-fi books of the past, using the sun's energy for space exploration may become a reality this
summer.According to a report by NASA Science, the Marshall Space Flight Center and the Ames Research Center have teamed up to
make history, by deploying its first solar sail, the NanoSail-D.The solar sail, made of aluminum and space-age plastic, has the ability
to harness the radiation of the sun for movement. Since outer space is frictionless, the sail could potentially accelerate forever,
traveling much faster and much farther than a rocket running on fuel. Travel back to Earth would require a turn of the sail.This
technology isn't the first of its kind. In 2005, The Planetary Society launched a solar sail spacecraft, hoping to be the first successful
launch. However, later that day, there was no confirmation that the craft, names Cosmos 1, had entered orbit, and the mission was
deemed unsuccessful.
Both India and China agree a military space contest is inevitable between the
two
Hannah Gardner, Foreign Correspondent in New Delhi, 6-26-08, The National, “China’s clout in space rattles India,”
http://www.thenational.ae/article/20080626/FOREIGN/286517292/1015/NEWS&Profile=1015
But China’s successful attempt to put a man into space in 2003, again only the third country after the United States and Russia to do
so, has made India re-evaluate such principles.“With time, we will get sucked into a military race to protect our space assets and
inevitably there will be a military contest in space,” said Lt Gen HS Lidder, chief of integrated defence staff. “In a life and death
situation, only space resources would provide an advantage to any military force.”The two countries are already engaged in a race to
the moon. This year the agency will launch Chandrayaan to the moon, the first Indian satellite to venture beyond the Earth’s orbit and
by 2013 it hopes to launch a probe to Mars. A few years later it could be sending up its first gaganaut – one suggestion for the Sanskrit
version of astronaut.The Chinese are hoping to put their first taikonaut – derived from the Chinese word taikong, meaning space, on
the moon by 2020.Right now, one of the Indian military’s main priorities is to develop similar technology to that which China used to
down its satellite, more than 800km above the Earth’s surface.Abdul Kalam, India’s former president, said in February that India had
the capacity to destroy an object located 200km above Earth.Such targets, however, come into direct conflict with India’s long-held
position, opposing the weaponisation of space. “Things are changing in India, we don’t get much reaction to our Gandhian principles,”
said Jabin Jacobs, a China expert at the Delhi-based Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies. China’s heavy military spending has
spurred India into action in other spheres too, with the county announcing plans to have aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines in the
next decade.
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No Impact
No impact—Russia recently proposed a Europe-US strategic partnership to
expand transparency in space missions
Chinaview.com, 7-18-08, “Will Russia's new policy paper renew Russia-West ties?” http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-
07/18/content_8567464.htm
It is necessary to switch over Russian-U.S. relations to the state of strategic partnership, to overstep barriers of strategic principles of
the past," says the document posted Tuesday on the Kremlin Web site. Russia and the United States should "concentrate on real
threats, and where differences persist, to work on their settlement in the spirit of mutual respect," says the paper ratified by President
Dmitry Medvedev. Moscow will work along with Washington in taking confidence-building measures, ensuring transparency in space
explorations, anti-missile defense and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, securing development of peaceful nuclear
power, enhancing cooperation in countering terrorism and other challenges, it says. However, the often soft-spoken Medvedev
Tuesday slammed a U.S. proposal to deploy missile shield components in Central Europe, which have soured bilateral ties since it was
raised in early 2007.
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Fatality Survey Bias Means More Birds Are Killed Than Reported
M. Morrison. White Mountain Research Station. 6/2/2002. “Searcher Bias and Scavenger Rates in Bird/Wind Energy Studies.”
National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
This survey indicates that estimates of animal fatalities in wind developments should incorporate correction factors based on observer
efficiency and scavenging rates. Because observer efficiency and scavenging are influenced by season and vegetation, these correction
factors should be calculated based on season- and vegetation-specific data for every study and should not rely on literature values
because of substantial variability between studies. Scavenging trials should be conducted for a period of time sufficient to detect when
an asymptote in loss occurs (if indeed an asymptote occurs). These data will thus help determine the optimal period of time between
carcasses searches. Estimates of total bird or bat fatalities should be determined after correcting for searcher bias and carcass removal
bias; Strickland et al. (2000) present methods and calculations. Additionally, before beginning any study, field methods typically used
to locate carcasses and conduct experimental trials of observer and carcass removal biases should be reviewed (e.g., Strickland et al.
2000).
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Ecosystems Key
Ecosystem Provides Key Benefits
The Secretariat of the Convention on Biological - 5/22/2008
("Ecosystem Services for Human Well-Being," CBD, http://www.cbd.int/doc/bioday/2008/ibd-2008-factsheet-01-en.pdf)
Healthy ecosystems provide services that are the foundation for human well-being including health. Ecosystem services are the
benefits people obtain from ecosystems: provisioning services (also known as goods) such as food and water; regulating services such
as flood, pest, and disease control; cultural services such as spiritual and recreational benefits; and supporting services, such as
nutrient cycling, that maintain the conditions for life on Earth. Biodiversity underpins ecosystem functioning. Figure 1 taken from
Global Biodiversity Outlook 2 demonstrates the link between ecosystem services and human well-being and drivers of change.1 The
different levels (genes, species, ecosystems) and aspects of biodiversity directly and indirectly contribute to ecosystem goods and
services, which not only deliver the basic materials needed for survival but also underlie other aspects of a good life: health, security,
good social relations, and freedom of choice. Humans, through social and economic activities and environmental management, create
indirect and direct drivers of change that can affect, positively and negatively, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, completed in 2005 by more than 1360 scientists working in 95 countries, examined the state of 24
services. The assessment concluded that 15 of the 24 services are in decline, including the provision of fresh water, marine fisheries
production, the number and quality of places of spiritual and religious value, the ability of the atmosphere to cleanse itself of pollution,
and the capacity of agro-ecosystems to provide pest control.
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Ecosystems Key
Retaining Ecosystem Is Top Priority
Environment News Service- 5/24/2005
("Humans Undermining the Very Biodiversity Needed for Survival," Environment News Service, http://www.ens-
newswire.com/ens/may2005/2005-05-24-01.asp)
In the last 50 years, humans have changed the diversity of life on the planet more than at any other time in history. Human activities
have lifted many people out of poverty, but at a price - the loss of biodiversity. A new assessment of biodiversity and human well
being by top scientists from throughout the world shows that if humanity continues down this road, biological diversity will be
depleted with life-threatening consequences for all, including human beings. "Biodiversity is where the human hunger for resources is
taking its heaviest toll, and the inclusion of 15,589 species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species is the clearest sign that we
need to change the way we produce and consume,” said Jeff McNeely, chief scientist of the IUCN-World Conservation Union and
contributor to the report. The assessment, launched as part of the celebrations for the International Day for Biological Diversity on
May 22, was conducted by a panel of the Millenium Assessment, a partnership involving some 1,360 scientists who are experts in
their fields. It is supported by 22 of the world’s scientific bodies, including The Royal Society of the United Kingdom and the Third
World Academy of Sciences. The panel defined biodiversity as "the variability among living organisms from all sources, including
terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part." “Loss of biodiversity is a major
barrier to achieving development goals, and poses increasing risks for future generations,” said Dr. Walter Reid, director of the
Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. The second Millennium Ecosystem Assessment report, "Biodiversity and Human Well-being: A
Synthesis Report for the Convention on Biological Diversity," finds that although biodiversity is the foundation for human well-being,
all of the likely future scenarios in the report lead to a further decline in biodiversity, contrary to the agreed global target to reduce the
rate of biodiversity loss by 2010. The diversity of life provides the materials humans need for food, clothing and shelter, and also
bestows security, health and freedom of choice. But, the assessment found, "the current pace and rhythm of human activities are
harming ecosystems, consuming biological resources and putting at risk the well-being of future generations." "If the wetlands,
forests, rivers and coral reefs were factories and other ecosystems providing these services were art galleries, universities and the like,
it would be considered gross vandalism or arson to damage them in the way we do," said UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer.
"Our recklessness goes further than this. It is also economic madness," said Toepfer. "The assessment points out that, for example, an
intact hectare of mangroves in a country like Thailand is worth more than $1,000. Converted into intensive farming, the value drops to
an estimated $200 a hectare."
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Ecosystems Key
Human Survival Depends On Stable Ecosystems
Millenium Assessment Board – 2003. “ Ecosystems and Human Well-Being.”
http://pdf.wri.org/ecosystems_human_wellbeing.pdf
Human well-being and progress toward sustainable development are vitally dependent upon Earth’s ecosystems. The ways in which
ecosystems are affected by human activities will have consequences for the supply of for the prevalence of diseases, the frequency and
magnitude of floods and droughts, and local as well as global climate. Ecosystems also provide spiritual, recreational, educational, and
other nonmaterial benefits to people. Changes in availability of all these ecosystem services can profoundly affect aspects of human
well-being—ranging from the rate of economic growth and health and livelihood security to the prevalence and persistence of poverty.
Human demands for ecosystem services are growing rapidly. At the same time, humans are altering the capability of ecosystems to
continue to provide many of these services. Management of this relationship is required to enhance the contribution of ecosystems to
human well-being without affecting their long-term capacity to provide services. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was
established in 2001 by a partnership of international institutions, and with support from governments, with the goal of enhancing the
scientific basis for such management.
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Ecosystems Key
Ecosystems Key To Preventing Climate Change And The Health Of The
Environment
Millenium Assessment Board – 2003. “ Ecosystems and Human Well-Being.”
http://pdf.wri.org/ecosystems_human_wellbeing.pdf
Yet many ecosystem services are largely unrecognized in their global importance or in the pivotal role they play in meeting needs in
particular countries and regions (Daily 1997a). For example, terrestrial and ocean ecosystems provide a tremendous service by
absorbing nearly 60 percent of the carbon that is now emitted to the atmosphere from human activities (IPCC 2000), thereby slowing
the rate of global climate change. A number of cities—including New York and Portland, Oregon, in the United States, Caracas in
Venezuela, and Curitiba in Brazil—reduce water treatment costs by investing in the protection of the natural water quality regulation
provided by well-managed ecosystems (Reid 2001). The contribution of pollination to the worldwide production of 30 major fruit,
vegetable, and tree crops is estimated to be approximately $54 billion a year (Kenmore and Krell 1998). Even in urban centers,
ecosystems contribute significantly to well-being, both aesthetically and economically: Chicago’s trees remove more than 5,000 tons
of pollutants a year from the atmosphere (Nowak 1994). A society’s “natural capital”—its living and nonliving resources—is a key
determinant of its well-being. The full wealth of a nation can be evaluated only with due consideration to all forms of capital:
manufactured, human, social, and natural. (See Figure 1.1.)
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Readiness Shell
A. UNIQUENESS – WIND FARMS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN BECAUSE OF
TURBINE SHORTAGES NOW
Charleston Post and Courier, 7/15/07, “Turbine shortage knocks wind out of project,”
http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/jul/15/turbine_shortage_knocks_wind_out_projects/
The race to build new sources of alternative energy from the wind is running into a formidable obstacle: not enough windmills.
In recent years, improved technology has made it possible to build bigger, more efficient windmills. That, combined with surging
political support for renewable energy, has driven up demand. Now, makers can't keep up, mostly because they can't get the parts they
need fast enough.
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C. IMPACT – MILITARY READINESS IS KEY TO PREVENT LOSS OF LEADERSHIP
Jack Spencer [policy analyst – Heritage Foundation], 9/15/00, http://www.heritage.org/Research/MissileDefense/BG1394.cfm
Military readiness is vital because declines in America's military readiness signal to the rest of the world that the United States is not
prepared to defend its interests. Therefore, potentially hostile nations will be more likely to lash out against American allies and interests,
inevitably leading to U.S. involvement in combat. A high state of military readiness is more likely to deter potentially hostile nations
from acting aggressively in regions of vital national interest, thereby preserving peace. Readiness Defined. Readiness measures the ability of a
military unit, such as an Army division or a carrier battle group, to accomplish its assigned mission. Logistics, available spare parts, training,
equipment, and morale all contribute to readiness. The military recognizes four grades of readiness. 7 At the highest level, a unit is prepared to
move into position and accomplish its mission. At the lowest level, a unit requires further manpower, training, equipment, and/or logistics to
accomplish its mission. There is evidence of a widespread lack of readiness within the U.S. armed forces. Recently leaked Army documents report
that 12 of the 20 schools training soldiers in skills such as field artillery, infantry, and aviation have received the lowest readiness rating. They also
disclose that over half of the Army's combat and support training centers are rated at the lowest readiness grade. 8 As recently as last November,
two of the Army's 10 active divisions were rated at the lowest readiness level, and none were rated at the highest. 9 Every division required
additional manpower, equipment, or training before it would be prepared for combat, due largely to the units' commitments to operations in the
Balkans. 10 And 23 percent of the Army's Chinook cargo helicopters, 19 percent of its Blackhawk helicopters, and 16 percent of its Apaches are
not "mission-capable." 11 In other words, they are not ready. The Facts about Military Readiness The reduction in forces of the U.S. armed forces
began in the early 1990s. After the end of the Cold War, the Bush Administration began to reduce the size of the military so that it would be
consistent with post-Cold War threats. 12 Under the Clinton Administration, however, that reduction in forces escalated too rapidly at the same
time that U.S. forces were deployed too often with too little funding. The result was decreased readiness as personnel, equipment, training, and
location suffered. Since the Persian Gulf War in 1991, the U.S. military has been deployed on over 50 peacekeeping and peace-enforcement
operations. 13 Yet the resources available to fund these missions have steadily decreased: The number of total active personnel has decreased
nearly 30 percent, and funding for the armed services has decreased 16 percent. The strain on the armed forces shows clearly now as the reduced
forces deploy for too long with insufficient and antiquated equipment. The result is indisputable: Readiness is in decline. Because the security of
the United States is at stake, it is imperative to present the facts about military readiness: FACT #1. The size of the U.S. military has been cut
drastically in the past decade. Between 1992 and 2000, the Clinton Administration cut national defense by more than half a million personnel and
$50 billion in inflation-adjusted dollars. 14 (See Table 1.) The Army alone has lost four active divisions and two Reserve divisions. Because of
such cuts, the Army has lost more than 205,000 soldiers, or 30 percent of its staff, although its missions have increased significantly throughout
the 1990s. In 1992, the U.S. Air Force consisted of 57 tactical squadrons and 270 bombers. Today the Air Force has 52 squadrons and 178
bombers. The total number of active personnel has decreased by nearly 30 percent. In the Navy, the total number of ships has decreased
significantly as well. In 1992, there were around 393 ships in the fleet, while today there are only 316, a decrease of 20 percent. The number of
Navy personnel has fallen by over 30 percent. In 1992, the Marine Corps consisted of three divisions. The Corps still has three divisions, but since
1992, it has lost 22,000 active duty personnel, or 11 percent of its total. The Clinton Administration also cut the Marine Corps to 39,000 reserve
personnel from 42,300 in 1992. Effect on Readiness. In spite of these drastic force reductions, missions and operations tempo have increased,
resulting in decreased military readiness. Because every mission affects far greater numbers of servicemen than those directly involved, most
operations other than warfare, such as peacekeeping, have a significant negative impact on readiness. For each service[person]man who
participates in a military operation, two others are involved in the mission: one who is preparing to take the participant's place, and
another who is recovering from having participated and retraining. Therefore, if 10,000 troops are on peace operations in the Balkans,
30,000 troops are actually being taken away from preparing for combat. Ten thousand are actively participating, while 10,000 are
recovering, and 10,000 are preparing to go. Coupled with declining personnel, increased tempo has a devastating effect on readiness.
Morale problems stemming from prolonged deployments, equipment that wears out too quickly, and decreased combat training
levels heighten when troops are committed to non-combat operations. Further exacerbating the military's declining readiness is the
tendency to take troops with special skills from non-deployed units. Thus, a mission may affect non-deployed units as well because
they will not be able to train properly. The soldiers integral to the non-deployed mission are not present, and there is no one to take their
place. A mission's spillover effects are clearly illustrated by a July 2000 report by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) on the U.S.
commitments in the Balkans: In January 2000 ... four active divisions and one Guard division were affected by these operations [in the
Balkans]. Among the active divisions, the 1st Cavalry Division was recovering from a 1-year deployment in Bosnia, the 10th Mountain
Division was deployed there, and elements of the Guard's 49th Armored Division were preparing to deploy there. At the same time, the
European-based 1st Infantry Division was deployed to Kosovo, and the 1st Armored Division was preparing to deploy there. Although
none of these divisions deployed in its entirety, deployment of key components--especially headquarters--makes these divisions
unavailable for deployment elsewhere in case of a major war.
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D. THIS CAUSES GLOBAL NUKE WAR
Zalmay KHALILZAD [RAND Corporation], 1995, Losing the Moment?, Washington Quarterly, Vol 18, No 2, p. 84
Finally, U.S.
leadership would help preclude the rise of another hostile global rival, enabling the United States and the world to
avoid another global cold or hot war and all the attendant dangers, including a global nuclear exchange. U.S. leadership would
therefore be more conducive to global stability than a bipolar or a multipolar balance of power system.
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Uniqueness
WIND POWER WON’T EXPERIENCE GROWTH –TOO MUCH RED TAPE AND
OPPOSITION
Kristin Dispenza [freelance writer, architecture and design], 6/24/08, Cities Look Into Changing Zoning Laws to Accommodate
Wind Power Generators, http://greenbuildingelements.com/2008/06/24/cities-look-into-changing-zoning-laws-to-accommodate-wind-
power-generators/
Even though the residential wind power sector has seen tremendous growth over the last decade, an article in The Arizona Republic
estimates that there are still only 4,000 residential wind turbines nationwide. The primary reason that wind energy has been slow to
take hold is that wind turbines are fairly visible, and therefore highly controversial, installations. According to the American Wind
Energy Association, small wind systems (100 kilowatts or less) need to be at least 30 feet above barriers which might break the force
of the air currents reaching the turbine. Right now, the industry recommends wind turbines only for sites that are at least one 1 acre in
size. Consequently, wind turbines in urban areas are still quite rare. (In a September 2007 post, earth2tech featured a San Francisco
home which sports a turbine, and pointed out that this may be the first urban wind turbine in the country.)
Unfortunately, individual efforts to experiment with wind power, even in outlying areas, have encountered a lot of roadblocks.
Proposed turbine installations are usually evaluated by local governments on a case by case basis, since most city zoning laws have
height restrictions which would implicitly prohibit turbines. Oftentimes, even if permission is granted and a turbine is erected,
neighbors unite to fight the decision. (For individual turbine projects that have made news for seeking exceptions to local codes, see
these articles on Wayne, New Jersey and Atlanta, Georgia
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Link Ext.
WIND FARMS KILL BASE SECURITY AND JEOPARDIZE IMPORTANT MILITARY
ACTIVITIES
DoD, 2006, “REPORT TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES: The Effect of Windmill Farms On Military
Readiness,” http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/WindFarmReport.pdf
In some circumstances, wind farm developments near Department facilities and sites may pose temporary or long-term security risks
of various degrees. Similar to other large construction projects near Department installations, the increased level of personnel and
activity during construction requires increased monitoring for security purposes. Additionally, similar to other tall vertical
development, wind turbines can provide increased visual and sensor access to sensitive Department areas and activities.
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Link Ext.
WIND FARMS DISRUPT RADAR, KILLING MILITARY READINESS
US News & World Report, 7/30/06, “Ill winds blowing,” Bret Schulte, http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:-
HdjWip8RYoJ:www.usnews.com/usnews/news/articles/060730/7wind.htm+Wind+farms+disrupt+radar&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=19&gl=
us
As the year began, Michael Polsky was poised to plant wind farms in the fields of Wisconsin, Illinois, and South Dakota that would
power some 3,000 homes. But in March, the CEO of Invenergy received a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration saying the
projects could disrupt the radar signals of nearby military installations.
The letter recommended he delay the projects pending results of a Defense Department study. Polsky was stunned, but he's complying.
As many as 12 other proposed wind farms received similar warnings. "I can't imagine how turbines located 12 to 40 miles away can
interfere with radar," Polsky says.
Plenty of other wind-energy producers are baffled, too. With President Bush pushing for alternative energy and with generous tax
credits in place, 2006 was supposed to be a banner year for wind power. Instead, experts say, the industry is faltering while it awaits
the results of the study mandated in this year's defense authorization bill by Sen. John Warner, chairman of the Armed Services
Committee.
Wind turbines, which can reach 400 feet high, have cluttered radar signals in the United Kingdom, where wind power is more
prevalent. Experts say that while older American systems are susceptible to similar problems, they can be fixed by hardware and
software upgrades. Warner says an analysis of the problems is necessary to answer questions about radar interference. But critics decry
the study as a political maneuver aimed at derailing one project in particular: Cape Wind, a proposed farm of 130 turbines off the
shores of Cape Cod. "What we're seeing here," says Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank, "is the NIMBY
phenomenon playing out against green technology." The result is a Washington maelstrom that has jumbled party alliances and left the
future of wind power in limbo.
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Link Ext.
WIND POWER UNAVOIDABLY SUCKS – EVEN CHANGING MATERIALS STILL LEADS
TO RADAR JAMMING IN TOP-SECRET AREAS
Review-Journal, 7/13/02, “Air Force concerns thwart Nevada Test Site wind farm,” Keith Rogers,
http://www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2002/Jul-13-Sat-2002/news/19179321.html
Nellis Air Force Base spokesman Mike Estrada said the Shoshone Mountain wind farm "would severely degrade our abilities to train
crews and conduct testing and tactics development out there."
Nellis Air Force Range flanks the Nevada Test Site on three sides, and the top-secret Groom Lake installation, described by former
workers there as an area where U.S. military aircraft are tested against foreign radar systems, sits near the northeast corner of the test
site.
"Basically anytime an aircraft has its radar turned on and is pointed anywhere near the direction of the proposed wind farm, it would
jam his radar," Estrada said. "If DOE decides to look at other locations, we will assist them in determining if it would have impacts."
Estrada said the Air Force conducted studies to determine whether any other material besides metal could be used for the turbine
blades, but even fiberglass would have caused problems.
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Readiness Brink
READINESS IS ON THE BRINK NOW
Huffington Post, 2/8/08, “War Demands Strain US Military Readiness,” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/02/08/war-
demands-strain-us-mil_n_85797.html#
WASHINGTON — A classified Pentagon assessment concludes that long battlefield tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, along with
persistent terrorist activity and other threats, have prevented the U.S. military from improving its ability to respond to any new crisis,
The Associated Press has learned.
Despite security gains in Iraq, there is still a "significant" risk that the strained U.S. military cannot quickly and fully respond to
another outbreak elsewhere in the world, according to the report.
Last year the Pentagon raised that threat risk from "moderate" to "significant." This year, the report will maintain that "significant" risk
level _ pointing to the U.S. military's ongoing struggle against a stubborn insurgency in Iraq and its lead role in the NATO-led war in
Afghanistan.
The Pentagon, however, will say that efforts to increase the size of the military, replace equipment and bolster partnerships overseas
will help lower the risk over time, defense officials said Friday. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the classified report.
Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has completed the risk assessment, and it is expected to be delivered to
Capitol Hill this month. Because he has concluded the risk is significant, his report will include a letter from Defense Secretary Robert
Gates outlining steps the Pentagon is taking to reduce it.
The risk level was raised to significant last year by Mullen's predecessor, Marine Gen. Peter Pace.
On Capitol Hill this week, Mullen provided a glimpse into his thinking on the review. And Pentagon officials Friday confirmed that
the assessment is finished and acknowledged some of the factors Gates will cite in his letter.
"The risk has basically stayed consistent, stayed steady," Mullen told the House Armed Services Committee. "It is significant."
He said the 15-month tours in Iraq and Afghanistan are too long and must be reduced to 12 months, with longer rest periods at home.
"We continue to build risk with respect to that," he said.
Other key national security challenges include threats from countries that possess weapons of mass destruction, as well as the need to
replace equipment worn out and destroyed during more than six years of war.
On a positive note, Mullen pointed to security gains in Iraq, brought on in part by the increase in U.S. forces ordered there by
President Bush last year. There, "the threat has receded and al-Qaida ... is on the run," he said. "We've reduced risk there. We've got
more stability there as an example."
The annual review grades the military's ability to meet the demands of the nation's military strategy _ which would include fighting
the wars as well as being able to respond to any potential outbreaks in places such as North Korea, Iran, Lebanon or China.
The latest review by Mullen covers the military's status during 2007, but the readiness level has seesawed during the Iraq war. For
example, the risk for 2004 was assessed as significant, but it improved to moderate in 2005 and 2006.
Last year, when Pace increased the risk level, a report from Gates accompanying the assessment warned that while the military is
working to improve its warfighting capabilities, it "may take several years to reduce risk to acceptable levels."
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Readiness Good
GROUND FORCE READINESS IS CRITICAL TO EXTERNAL PERCEPTIONS OF THE
STRENGTH OF THE US MILITARY. OVEREXTENSION RISKS ENCOURAGING
ADVERSARIAL AGGRESSION
Perry 06 - Senior Fellow @ Hoover Institution [William, The US Military: Under Strain and at Risk, The National Security Advisory
Group, January 2006, pg. National_Security_Report_01252006.pdf]
• In the meantime, the United States has only limited ground force capability ready to respond to other contingencies. The absence
of a credible strategic reserve in our ground forces increases the risk that potential adversaries will be tempted to challenge the
United States. Since the end of World War II, a core element of U.S. strategy has been maintaining a military capable of deterring
and, if necessary, defeating aggression in more than one theater at a time. As a global power with global interests, the United States
must be able to deal with challenges to its interests in multiple regions of the world simultaneously. Today, however, the United
States has only limited ground force capability ready to respond outside the Afghan and Iraqi theaters of operations. If the Army were
ordered to send significant forces to another crisis today, its only option would be to deploy units at readiness levels far below what operational plans would require –
increasing the risk to the men and women being sent into harm's way and to the success of the mission. As stated rather blandly in one DoD presentation, the Army
"continues to accept risk" in its ability to respond to crises on the Korean Peninsula and elsewhere. Although the United States can still deploy air, naval,
and other more specialized assets to deter or respond to aggression, the visible overextension of our ground forces has the potential to
significantly weaken our ability to deter and respond to some contingencies. pg. 1
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STRONG MILITARY READINESS IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN U.S. HEGEMONY
Owens – associate dean of academics and professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College – 2006 (Mackubin Thomas,
in Newport, R.I., as well as a senior fellow of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, E-Notes, "A Balanced Force Structure to Achieve a Liberal
World Order," January 20, www.fpri.org/enotes/20060120.military.owens.balancedforcestructure.html)
Primacy and the Logic of Force Planning A strategy of primacy requires a balanced force that can be employed across the spectrum of
conflict and prevail under diverse circumstances against adversaries employing a variety of strategies, including conventional,
irregular, catastrophic, and disruptive approaches. These forces must be able not only to prevail in war, but also reassure friends and
allies and generally influence actors in those parts of the world of the greatest importance to the US, especially Eurasia.
These forces must be capable of operating jointly in all operational environments: land, sea, air, space, and across the electromagnetic spectrum, both now and in the
future. Accordingly, while remaining of sufficient size and composition both to fight and win major theater wars and carry out
constabulary operations in the present, this force structure must also be flexible enough to exploit new technologies, doctrine,
organization, and operational concepts in order to maintain military preeminence in the future.
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Earthquake Module
WIND FARMS GENERATE SEISMIC ACTIVITY THAT INTERFERES WITH EQUIPMENT
THAT DETECTS EARTHQUAKES AND NUCLEAR BLASTS
Canadian Wind Energy Association, April 2007, “Technical Information On The Assessment of the Potential Impact Of
Wind Turbines On Radio Communication, Radar And Seismoacoustic Systems,” http://www.rabc-
cccr.ca/Files/RABC%20CANWEA%20Wind%20Turbine%20Guidelines%20Final_ok-
RABC%20CANWEA%20Wind%20Turbine%20Guidelines%20Final_ok1.pdf
An extensive study of micro seismic and infrasonic effects of low frequency noise and vibrations from wind farms has shown that
wind turbines have a negative impact on seismo acoustic (seismological and infrasound) recording equipment that can reduce their
sensitivity and hence effectiveness for monitoring earthquakes and nuclear explosions. Wind turbines generate detectable seismic
vibrations in the earth, and low-frequency acoustic signals in the atmosphere, which increase with wind speed. The greater the number
of wind turbines, the higher the level of seismic and acoustic noise.
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B. IRAQ PULLOUT WOULD CAUSE MASSIVE CIVIL WAR, TERRORISM, IRAN RISE
TO POWER, AND COLLAPSE OF HEG
James Jay Carafano [Senior Research Fellow, Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, Heritage Foundation],
10/5/06, “The dangerous consequences of cutting and running in Iraq,” http://www.heritage.org/Research/Iraq/em1012.cfm
Consequence #1: An Army Up for Grabs. A sudden U.S. withdrawal would raise the risks of full-fledged civil war and disintegration
of the army into hostile factions. The defection of soldiers to various militias, taking with them their heavy equipment, would bolster
the militias’ firepower and capacity to seize and hold terrain. The result would be a bloody and protracted civil war such as the conflict
in Bosnia following the breakup of Yugoslavia in the 1990s.
Consequence #2: Energy Uncertainty. Growing anarchy in Iraq and the possible breakup of the country into autonomous regions
would severely affect Iraq’s oil exports. In 2005, Iraq produced about 1.9 million barrels per day (MBD) of oil and exported about 1.4
MBD. By June 2006, Iraqi oil production had risen to 2.5 MBD, and the govern–ment hopes to increase produc–tion to 2.7 MBD by
the end of the year. A U.S. withdrawal would undermine the security of oil pipelines and other facilities and increase the vulnerability
of Iraqi oil production to sabotage. The resulting drop in Iraqi oil exports would increase the upward pressure on world oil prices in an
already tight oil market. Energy uncer–tainty would be increased further if Iraq splintered and Iran gained domination over a Shia-
dominated rump state in the oil-rich south.
Consequence #3: Allies in Jeopardy. The chief bene–ficiary of a rapid U.S. pullout would be Iran, which has considerable influence
over the dominant Shiite political parties, which represent most Iraqi Shiites: about 60–65 percent of the population. If Iraq imploded,
Iran quickly could gain dominance over an emerging “Shiastan” rump state endowed with the bulk of Iraq’s oil reserves. This would
give Iran additional resources and a staging area to escalate subversive efforts targeted at the Shiite majority in Bahrain and Shiite
minorities in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. These and other countries look to the United States to serve as a guarantor against an
aggressive Iran. If the United States fails to follow through on its commitment to establish a stable government in Iraq, it will severely
undermine its credibility. Abandon–ing Iraqi allies would erode the confidence of other allies in U.S. leadership and further fuel
conspiracy theories about American plots to carve up Iraq to keep Arabs weak and divided.
Consequence #4: Al-Qaeda Triumphant. Osama bin Laden would trumpet an abrupt U.S. withdrawal as a victory for al-Qaeda and
proof that America is a “paper tiger,” just as he claimed after the U.S. with–drawal from Somalia in 1994. An unstable, failed state in
Iraq would also provide al-Qaeda and other radical groups with a sanctuary for recruiting a new generation of suicide bombers and a
strategically located staging area for deploying terrorists for attacks on Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and elsewhere around
the world. The recently declassi–fied “key judgments” of the April 2006 National Intelligence Estimate, “Trends in Global Terrorism:
Implications for the United States,” pointed out that a perceived victory for jihadists in Iraq would boost their strength and ability to
threaten Americans.
Insert Impact
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WIND FARMS LEAD TO SECURITY BREACHES AT MILITARY INSTALLATIONS
DoD, 2006, “REPORT TO THE CONGRESSIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEES: The Effect of Windmill Farms On Military
Readiness 2006,” http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/WindFarmReport.pdf
In some circumstances, wind farm developments near Department facilities and sites may pose temporary or long-term security risks
of various degrees. Similar to other large construction projects near Department installations, the increased level of personnel and
activity during construction requires increased monitoring for security purposes. Additionally, similar to other tall vertical
development, wind turbines can provide increased visual and sensor access to sensitive Department areas and activities.
Insert Impact
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Inefficient disad?
WIND BAD – SO SPACE-INEFFICIENT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO TURN ALL OF
TEXAS INTO A WIND FARM TO POWER THE COUNTRY
ScienceDaily, 7/25/07, “Renewable Energy Wrecks Environment, According to Researcher,”
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/07/070724160209.htm
On this basis, he argues that technologies succeed when economies of scale form part of their evolution. No economies of scale
benefit renewables. More renewable kilowatts require more land in a constant or even worsening ratio, because land good for wind,
hydropower, biomass, or solar power may get used first.
A consideration of each so-called renewable in turn, paints a grim picture of the environmental impact of renewables. Hypothetically
flooding the entire province of Ontario, Canada, about 900,000 square km, with its entire 680,000 billion liters of rainfall, and storing
it behind a 60 meter dam would only generate 80% of the total power output of Canada's 25 nuclear power stations, he explains. Put
another way, each square kilometer of dammed land would provide the electricity for just 12 Canadians.
Biomass energy is also horribly inefficient and destructive of nature. To power a large proportion of the USA, vast areas would need to
be shaved or harvested annually. To obtain the same electricity from biomass as from a single nuclear power plant would require 2500
square kilometers of prime Iowa land. "Increased use of biomass fuel in any form is criminal," remarks Ausubel. "Humans must spare
land for nature. Every automobile would require a pasture of 1-2 hectares."
Turning to wind Ausubel points out that while wind farms are between three to ten times more compact than a biomass farm, a 770
square kilometer area is needed to produce as much energy as one 1000 Megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear plant. To meet 2005 US
electricity demand and assuming round-the-clock wind at the right speed, an area the size of Texas, approximately 780,000 square
kilometers, would need to be covered with structures to extract, store, and transport the energy.
One hundred windy square meters, a good size for a Manhattan apartment, could power an electric lamp or two, but not the laundry
equipment, microwave oven, plasma TV, and computer. New York City would require every square meter of Connecticut to become a
wind farm to fully power all its electrical equipment and gadgets.
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Human well-being and progress toward sustainable development are vitally dependent upon Earth’s ecosystems. The ways in which
ecosystems are affected by human activities will have consequences for the supply of for the prevalence of diseases, the frequency and
magnitude of floods and droughts, and local as well as global climate. Ecosystems also provide spiritual, recreational, educational, and
other nonmaterial benefits to people. Changes in availability of all these ecosystem services can profoundly affect aspects of human
well-being—ranging from the rate of economic growth and health and livelihood security to the prevalence and persistence of poverty.
Human demands for ecosystem services are growing rapidly. At the same time, humans are altering the capability of ecosystems to
continue to provide many of these services. Management of this relationship is required to enhance the contribution of ecosystems to
human well-being without affecting their long-term capacity to provide services. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was
established in 2001 by a partnership of international institutions, and with support from governments, with the goal of enhancing the
scientific basis for such management.
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Culpepper Generic et al.
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WEAK GAS BACK-UP GENERATORS MAKE WIND MORE EXPENSIVE AND EMIT
MORE CARBON
The Register, 7/3/08, Research: Wind power pricier, emits more CO2 than thought,
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/03/wind_power_needs_dirty_pricey_gas_backup_report/page3.html
Oswald is an expert on gas turbines, having worked for many years at Rolls Royce*. He says that most people, in allowing for gas
backup to wind farms, assume that the current situation of gas-turbine usage applies. Not so, he says. Gas turbines used to compensate
for wind will need to be cheap (as they won't be on and earning money as often as today's) and resilient (to cope with being throttled
up and down so much). Even though the hardware will be cheap and tough, it will break often under such treatment; meaning
increased maintenance costs and a need for even more backup plants to cover busted backup plants. Thus, the scheme overall will be
more expensive than the current gas sector. And since people won't want to thrash expensive, efficient combined-cycle kit like this,
less fuel-efficient gear will be used - emitting more carbon than people now assume.
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AFF Answers
Fatal Bird Collisions With Turbines Caused By Poor Planning, Out-Moded
Technology, and Poor Siting. Fatalities Caused By Wind Turbines Are
Insignificant When Placed In Context
EWEA (European Wind Energy Association) 2004. “Wind Energy and the Environment.”
Wind-related avian collision Collisions with turbines have been an issue at some older wind farm sites form the 1980s, especially the
Altamont Pass in California – a result of poor siting, out-moded turbines and tower technology. Subsequent experiences in Germany
and Denmark show that such effects can be avoided by responsible planning practice. Proper siting of turbines is important if adverse
impacts are to be avoided. In the United States, a study in 2001 estimated an average of 2.2 fatalities for each turbine. By comparison,
between 100 and 1,000 million birds are estimated to die each year in the US from colliding with vehicles, buildings, power lines and
other structures. That is wind-related avian collision fatalities represent 0.01 - 0.02% of annual avian fatalities in the US. In Spain, a
study in the province of Navarre showed that 0.13 birds had died per year per turbine. The impact of birds must be placed in context.
99% of threats to birds are human related, from habitat loss to industrialization, over exploitation of natural resources, hunting, the pet
trade, pollution, etc. Habitat loss is the single greatest threat to birds, and 12% of the world’s 9,800 bird species face extinction.
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Alternative Energy DAs
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AFF Answers
Even If Windplants Were Numerous, Bird Fatalities From Collisions Would Still
Be Insignificant
National Wind Coordinating Committee. August 2001. “Avian Collisions With Wind Turbines: A Summary of Existing
Studies And Comparisons To Other Sources of Avian Collision Mortality in the United States”
Our review indicates that avian collision mortality associated with windplants is much lower than other sources of collision mortality
in the United States. We believe there are reasons for the relatively low mortality rates at most windplants. The primary reason is that
there are far fewer windplants and that many of the windplants are located in areas with relatively low bird and raptor use. However,
even if windplants were quite numerous (e.g., 1 million turbines), they would likely cause no more than a few percent of all collision
deaths related to human structures. It appears from the available data that siting windplants in areas with low bird and raptor use is
currently the best way to minimize collision mortality. The apparently high raptor mortality levels at Altamont can mostly be attributed
to high prey base for raptors, large populations of raptors, topography and the large size of the windplant. Other factors such as older
turbine designs may also contribute to the raptor mortality levels, but such factors are less understood. Windplants sited in areas of
high bird use can expect to have higher fatality rates than many of those reported in this document although other factors such as
topography, prey abundance, and species composition also likely influence mortality. For example, in the Netherlands, where turbines
are often sited near coastal areas, estimates of collision rates have been as high as 37 birds per turbine per year (Winkelman 1994).
The results of our review and updated estimates indicate that avian collision mortality attributable to windpower at the current level of
production in the U.S. is minor in comparison to other sources of collision mortality. The current levels of mortality caused by
windplants do not appear to be causing any significant population impacts (except possibly for golden eagles at Altamont (Hunt et al.
1999), although several possible contributors to this decline have been proposed). Due to recent declines in many species of birds,
especially some raptors and many neotropical migrants, however, any additional mortality may be a cause for concern. Monitoring
programs in place at many of the newer generation windplants will continue to provide information to better understand avian
mortality levels and to continue to determine factors important for siting windplants. Because the cumulative impacts of all mortality
factors on birds continue to increase as the human population climbs and resource demands grow, efforts by every industry are
important to reverse avian mortality trends and to minimize bird deaths.
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