DW+Rebecca+and+Grace

=1AC - Cuba Oil= toc

Plan :
The United States Federal Government should provide services for the development of Cuban offshore oil resources.

Environment Advantage
Cuban attempts at offshore drilling are inevitable – only a rapid U.S. response can prevent spills Bert and Clayton 12 – Melissa, 2011-12 Military Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard, and Blake, Fellow for Energy and National Security (“Addressing the Risk of a Cuban Oil Spill,” March, [])//SEP// //An oil well blowout... this time from Cuba. //

//Status quo efforts are insufficient to stop an oil spill – general and pre-approved licenses are essential to solve// // CDA, 12 – Center for Democracy in the Americas, nonprofit devoted to changing American policy towards the countries of the Americas (“Not Like Oil and Water: Cuba and the U.S. Can Cooperate on Drilling,”http://cubacentral.wordpress.com/2012/09/07/not-like-oil-and-water-cuba-and-the-us-can-cooperate-on-drilling/)//SEP The Environmental Defense Fund ... __ significant oil spill. __

Alternative methods of spill containment fail in Cuban waters – only U.S. techniques solve Bert and Clayton, 12 – Melissa, 2011-12 Military Fellow, U.S. Coast Guard, and Blake, Fellow for Energy and National Security (“Addressing the Risk of a Cuban Oil Spill,” March, [])//SEP// //Washington cannot count ...__like containment booms__// __ineffective.__

//Oil spills inevitable without U.S. drilling technology – which is unusable under the embargo// // Davenport, 11 (Coral, National Journal, “Drill, Bebe, Drill,” 7/28, http://www.nationaljournal.com/magazine/will-sloppy-drilling-off-the-coast-of-cuba-threaten-florida-gulf-beaches--20110728)//SEP But the potential of a closer ... despite the embargo.

Cuban oil spill devastates Florida’s ecosystem without U.S. intervention Stephens and Colvin, 11 – Sarah, Executive Director of the Center for Democracy in the America, and Jake, VP for Global Trade Issues at the National Foreign Trade Council (“US-Cuba policy, and the race for oil drilling,” 9/29, [])//SEP To protect the national interest ... oil crisis involving Cuba.

Oil spill casts the final blow to Florida’s coral reefs– even a few days delay would be catastrophic Thompson, 11- Freelance writer focused on science, environmental, and outdoor stories (Kaylee, “ What if Cuba’s Offshore Oil Project, Only 100 Miles From Florida, Goes Wrong?”, Popular Mechanics, November 2, 2011, [|http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/what-if-cubas-offshore-oil-project-only-100-miles-from-florida-goes-wrong)//TWR] ¶ Cuba’s enormous offshore ... pollution in U.S. waters."

Ocean biodiversity key to survival Craig, 3 - Attorneys’ Title Professor of Law and Associate Dean for Environmental Programs at Florida State University (Robin Kundis, “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) Biodiversity and ecosystem ... in the world. Destruction of biodiversity hotspots leads to extinction Nautiyal & Nidamanuri, 10 – Sunil, Centre for Ecological Economics and Natural Resources at Institute for Social and Economic Change, and Rama Rao, Department of Earth and Space Sciences at Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology (“Conserving Biodiversity in Protected Area of Biodiversity Hotspot in India: A Case Study,” International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 36 (2-3): 195-200, 2010) The hotspots are the... supported by this¶ study.

Relations Advantage
Now is key – Cuba reforms are making room for the US Boston Globe, 2/9 (“Cuba’s reforms pave way for new US policy, too”, 2013, http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2013/02/09/cuba-reform-create-opportunity-drag-policy-into-century/xER2NTTXGsxdLej0miHwFM/story.html) Relations between the U nited S tates ... diplomatic agenda with Cuba.

Cooperative drilling is critical for relations – energy has strategic significance for both countries Grogg, 12 – IPS (Patricia, citing Luiz Rene Fernandez, Senior Research and Professor at University of Havana in International Economics, “Cuba: Oil Drilling Opens Up New Possibilities”, 2/16, [])//SEP// //The search for oil in Cuba’s ... outweigh them,” Fernández concluded. // // . // //Cooperative drilling boosts U.S. stature and influence in Latin America and prevents Chinese incursion// // Benjamin-Alvadaro, 6 – Professor of Political Science at University of Nebraska at Omaha// //(Jonathan, Report for the Cuban Research Institute, “The Current Status and Future Prospects for Oil Exploration in Cuba: A Special,” http://cri.fiu.edu/research/commissioned-reports/oil-cuba-alvarado.pdf)// // Given that there are no formal ... of all parties involved. //

//Chinese influence in Latin America causes Taiwan war// // Fergusson, 12 – Researcher at Royal Society for the Arts, Master of Science, China in the International Arena, University of Glasgow (Robert, “The Chinese Challenge to the Monroe Doctrine,” http://www.e-ir.info/2012/07/23/does-chinese-growth-in-latin-america-threaten-american-interests/)// // Taiwan – domestic, or foreign ... ,// perhaps by force//. //

//Taiwan is uniquely likely to escalate to nuclear war – risk of miscommunication and misunderstanding is high// // Lowther, 3/16 (William, Taipei Times, citing a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, “Taiwan could spark nuclear war: report,” [])// //Taiwan is the// most likely ...// quite possibly //devastating//.”

U.S. embargo makes drilling slow and ineffective now Krauss & Cave, 12 (Clifford and Damien, New York Times, “Cuba’s Prospects for an Oil-Fueled Economic Jolt Falter With Departure of Rig,” 11/9, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/10/world/americas/rigs-departure-to-hamper-cubas-oil-prospects.html) Cuba’s hopes of ... a crucial ally for the island.

Cuba has more than 20 billion barrels of offshore oil—reserves in the top 20 Carroll, 08— Latin American correspondent for The Guardian (Rory Carroll, “20bn Barrel Oil Discovery Puts Cuba in the Big League”, The Guardian, October 17, 2008, [])//IK// // Friends and foes ... we need and want." //

//Offshore oil development leads to Cuban political and economic stability// // Pinon, 11 – Visiting Research Fellow at the Latin American and Caribbean Center’s Cuban Research Institute at FIU// //(Jorge, Spring, "Why the United States and Cuba Collaborate (and What Could Happen If They Don't)," casgroup.fiu.edu/pages/docs/2157/1306356964_Hemisphere_Vol._20.pdf)//SEP If Cuba’s suspected ..., including the United States.

Cuba welcomes U.S. investment in oil development CDA, 11 – Center for Democracy in the Americas, nonprofit devoted to changing U.S. policy towards the countries of the Americas, (“As Cuba plans to drill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. policy poses needless risks to our national interest,” http://democracyinamericas.org/pdfs/Cuba_Drilling_and_US_Policy.pdf)//AK// //Cuba would welcome ... for partners elsewhere. //

//Venezuelan cutoff is inevitable and devastates Cuba’s economy overnight – offshore drilling solves// // CDA, 11 – Center for Democracy in Americas, nonprofit devoted to changing U.S. policy towards the countries of the Americas, (CAs Cuba plans to drill in the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. policy poses needless risks to our national interest,” http://democracyinamericas.org/pdfs/Cuba_Drilling_and_US_Policy.pdf)//MM Cuba’s arrangement with Venezuela ... own domestic requirements.

Developing just a few wells solves Cuban dependence on Venezuela – majority of the discovered oil will go to Cuba Katusa, 11 (Marin, 11/1, 321Energy, “Will Offshore Oil Lubricate U.S.-Cuban Relations?” ttp://www.321energy.com/editorials/casey/casey110111.html)//SEP And yes, __finding ...__ __for the__ Caribbean __nation.__

Luring investors now is key to Cuba securing new financing from creditors in exchange for future oil riches – failure will cause them to look elsewhere for oil Haven, 12 (Paul, Huffington Post, “Cuba Oil Production: Cuba Waits Anxiously for Oil Dreams to Materialize, 5/27, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/cuba-oil-production_n_1549081.html)//SEP// //"__If oil is not ...__ will get their investment back //

//Cuban instability results in Latin American instability, terrorism, and democratic backsliding// // Gorrell, 5 – Lieutenant Colonel (Tim, “CUBA: THE NEXT UNANTICIPATED ANTICIPATED STRATEGIC CRISIS?” 3/18, http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA433074)// // Regardless of the succession,... to post-Castro Cuba? //

//Caribbean instability causes bioterrorism and LNG explosions// // . Bryan, 1 – Director of the Caribbean Program, North/South Center & Stephen, Senior Fellow Council of Foreign Relations (Anthony T., “Terrorism, Porous Borders, and Homeland Security: The Case for U.S.-Caribbean Cooperation,” 10-21, http://www.cfr.org/publication/4844/terrorism_porous_borders_and _homeland_ security.html)// // Terrorist acts can...within national borders //

//Single LNG tanker explosion is equal to fifty-five Hiroshima bombs – outweighs nuclear war// // Lovin,1 (Amory B., Chief Scientist of the [|Rocky Mountain Institute], and L. Hunter Lovin, President – National Capitalism and Co-Founder – Rocky Mountain Institute, “Brittle Power: Energy Strategy for National Security”, http://verdilivorno.it/doc_gnl/198204_Brittle_Power_intro_GNL_note.pdf)// // About nine percent ...about //fifty-five Hiroshima bombs

=2NRs=