Helen+&+Matthew


 * Affirmative: zhang.helen1110@gmail.com **


 * Methane Hydrates 1AC **

Text – the United States federal government should substantially increase funding for necessary offshore methane hydrate research and development using carbon injection.
 * 1AC – Plan Text **


 * 1AC – Energy Dependence **

Wescott, 2013 - President of Keybridge Research [Robert, Phillip L. Swagel, Jeffrey Werling, Douglas Meade, Brendan Fitzpatrick,, Oil and the Debt, Keybridge Public Policy Economics, Sept. 23 2013, [] , Acc. Jun 25 2014] LS For decades, the United States has been the largest consumer of petroleum in the AND flat, __falling by less than 1%__ from 2013 to 2040.15
 * US energy dependence is increasing because consumption is increasing despite prices **

Blair 14- Adm. Dennis C. Blair, a former director of National Intelligence(Dennis, Michael W. Hagee, Adm. Dennis C. Blair, a former director of National Intelligence and former commander in chief of the United States Pacific Command, and Gen. Michael W. Hagee, the 33rd commandant of the United States Marine Corps, serve as co-chairmen of the Commission on Energy and Geopolitics, a project of Securing America’s Future Energy, Tempering Oil Dependence, New York Times, FEB. 25, 2014 [] ) HL Today, the 1973 oil embargo is often remembered as a crisis caused by America’s AND a healthy balance of trade. We propose a three-pronged strategy.
 * Remaining dependent cripples the US economy – it leaves us vulnerable to oil shocks **

Mead 2009 - senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy at the Council on Foreign Relations. (Walter Russell Mead, The New Republic, “Only Makes You Stronger,” February 4 2009. [] AD 6/30/09) So far, such half-hearted experiments not only have failed to work; AND the world economy back on track, we may still have to fight.
 * Economic crises will result in global war **

Schlesinger 2006 -- Chair of the Defense Policy Board (James, He is also a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense, the nation’s first Secretary of Energy, October, 2006, council on foreign relations, [], 6/24/14) HL The Task Force has identified five major reasons why dependence on energy traded in world AND to particular suppliers rather than from the proper functioning of a global market.
 * Dependence kills US hegemony – it fuels opposition to the US, prevents alliances and causes agreements that constrain US influence **

Foster 2009 (March 16, 2009, John Bellamy Foster, A Failed System: The World Crisis of Capitalist Globalization and its Impact on China, International Debt Observatory, [] ) There is no doubt that the national security apparatus in the United States, in AND times less, that is to say, only 13 billion dollars.”55
 * Loss of hegemony causes nuclear conflicts. **

Sweeney, 2011 - Center for Naval Analyses [Kevin, Ralph Espach, Marcus King, William Komiss, Hilary Zarin, Leo Goff, Ensuring America’s Freedom of Movement, Center for Naval Analyses, October 2011, [], Acc. Jun 25 2014] LS The U.S. has always pushed for the advance of freedoms, __at__ AND , specifically, __the implications of reduced con- sumption__ of imported oil.
 * Energy shortages cause conflicts – they destabilize economies and regions **

Pellenbarg and Max ’14-, At Naval Research Laboratory and MDS Research The geopolitical implications of energy independence for Japan or India and for their relations AND a lot of methane as hydrate in the sediments of the world ocean.
 * Methane hydrates can solve energy dependence – massive quantities that are in more stable locations **

Plumer 13 – Washington Post Reporter (Brad Washington Post, March 12, 2013 “Are methane hydrates the next big energy source? Japan hope so.” []  How much energy are we talking about? Potentially, a staggering amount. The  AND  shale reserves are estimated to contain 827 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
 * Methane hydrates solve dependence – they provide massive amounts of energy **

Fitzpatrick, 2010 – Science reporter for the BBC[Michael, methane release looks stronger, [] ] A recent technological breakthrough in Japan might soon render economically viable the large-scale AND thought to be the repositories of the bulk of methane hydrates reserves worldwide.
 * Methane hydrates are key to energy wars – exploiting them solves all shortages **


 * 1AC – Methane Bursts **

Song 11 – Pulitzer prize winning reporter for Inside Climate News (Lisa Mar 3, 2011, Accessed June 25, 2014. “Up to 40% of Gulf Oil Spill Was Potent Methane Gas, Research Shows” Inside Climate News [] ) Another risk lies in the hydrates' contribution to climate change. __Hydrates keep methane out__ AND Leifer will return to the Arctic later in March to continue hydrate research.
 * Current warming is releasing Arctic methane from hydrates – this will trigger runaway warming and extinction **

Aym 2010[Terrence [] Doomsday Methane Bubble Rupture?: How the BP Gulf Disaster May Have Triggered a ‘World-Killing’ Event Ryskin’s methane extinction theory Northwestern University‘s Gregory Ryskin, a bio-chemical AND ] All three warning signs are documented to be occurring in the Gulf.
 * Explosive methane bursts cause human extinction – the signs are appearing now **

Aym 2010[Terrence [] Doomsday Methane Bubble Rupture?: How the BP Gulf Disaster May Have Triggered a ‘World-Killing’ Event Most disturbing of all: __Methane levels in the water are now calculated as being__ AND nearby surging oil that’s estimated to be as hot as 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
 * Methane bubble bursts would cause extinction due to explosive clouds and super tsunamis **

Weiss, 10 -- Daniel J. Weiss is a Senior Fellow and Director Climate Strategy at the Center for American Progress**.** (Daniel, Senior Fellow and Director Climate Strategy at the Center for American Progress, Oil Dependence Is a Dangerous Habit, Center for American Progress, January 13, 2010, [], 6/24/14) HL Climate change is a major threat to U.S. and world security Meanwhile AND that climate change, energy dependence, and national security are interlinked challenges.
 * Rapid warming causes international conflicts – instability, terrorism and forced migration **

Anderson 14 – BBC News Business Reporter (Richard BBC News, Published April 16, 2014 “Methane Hydrate: Dirty Fuel or Energy Saviour” [] ) RF Methane hydrates are found mainly under ocean seabeds and Arctic permafrost However, __this may__ AND idea. Maybe this particular hydrocarbon addiction could prove beneficial for us all.
 * Methane release from hydrates is inevitable and will cause catastrophic warming – capturing methane is the only solution **


 * 1AC - Japan Cooperation **

McCann, 2012 - Senior Advisor at Department of Defense of Australia[Linda, Japan’s Energy Security Challenges: the world is watching, Australian Defense College, October 2012, [], Acc. Jun 26 2014] LS Japan was facing significant energy security challenges before the triple disaster of 2011. Scott AND Summer months, __with likely__ second order __effects on__ local __economies and unemployment__.
 * Japan’s energy dependence is unstable due to nuclear disaster **

U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2013 [ Japan Energy: Overview, October 29, 2013, [], Acc. Jun 26 2014] LS Japan's higher gas demand for power and a tighter LNG global supply market over the AND nuclear facilities are able to return to operation in the next few years.
 * Reliance on Foreign energy imports cripples Japan’s economy – it is vulnerable to skyrocketing prices **

Dodrill 2013[Tara Financial reporter for off the grid news Is japan the next economic domino to fall? [] ] Off The Grids News radio show guest Tres Knippa predicted the economic collapse in Japan AND debt and place a more powerful burden on an already struggling banking industry.
 * The Japanese economy is key to the global economy **

Platt’s Oilgram News 2013 [Takeo Kumagai - Platt’s writer Oct 31, [] Japan urges US to move forward methane hydrate cooperation agreement Accessed June 27] HL Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Toshimitsu Motegi, Thursday __asked visiting__ AND methane hydrate resources in place in the southern Sea of Kumano in 2007.
 * The US must increase its methane hydrate research to fulfill cooperative agreements with Japan **

Shimizu 2013 - The Sasakawa Peace Foundation at the CSIS [Aiko student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School March 2013, The future of US-Japan alliance collaboration, Energy Security and Methane Hydrate Exploration in US-Japan Relations [], 6/29/14) HL Cooperation in the area of energy security is not new in US-Japan relations  AND  and discussions on the impact of extraction on the environment and climate change.
 * US methane hydrate exploration would be done cooperatively with Japan – it speeds Japanese commercialization and promotes US development **

Edmonton Journal ‘13 [Japan finds 'ice gas' beneath seabed; Nation seeks replacement for shuttered nuclear energy, 3/15/13, [], accessed 6/25/14] KC "Methane __hydrate could give Japan its own energy source and more independence," said__ AND catalyst for revival much like the shale revolution in the U.S.
 * Methane hydrate research saves Japan’s economy – it prevents foreign dependence **

Armitage and Nye. 12. President of Armitage International and Dean emeritus of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard**.** [August 2012 [] ] SALH Natural Gas __Recent positive developments in natural gas could rekindle bilateral energy trade in ways__ AND States and Japan should commit to research and development of alternative energy technologies.
 * Methane hydrate development is key to the US Japan alliance – natural gas cooperation is key to bilateral relations **

Chanlett-Avery et al. 13. Specialist in Asian Affairs. [Emma, Mark E. Manyin Specialist in Asian Affairs, William H. Cooper Specialist in International Trade and Finance, Ian E. Rinehart Analyst in Asian Affairs. February 15, 2013 [] ] SALH Japan is a significant partner for the United States in a number of foreign policy AND and China over the Senkaku/Diaoyu islets in the East China Sea.
 * US Japan cooperation is key to Asian security and avoiding a Senkaku conflict **

Jade 2014 - JD Candidate at Cornell [Harry, Cornell International Law Journal, A Solution Acceptable to All? A Legal Analysis of the Senkaku-Diaoyu Island Dispute., Ebsco, Accessed Jun24 2014], LS B. Alternatives to Pursuing International Litigation or Arbitration Rather than risk losing potentially valuable AND be even less desirable than bringing a legal claim invoking current customary law.
 * Senkaku conflict would escalate to global war – it would engulf the Asian region **


 * 1AC – Inherency Solvency **

Congressional Research Service, January 24, 2011 [Peter Folger, staff writer specializing in energy and natural resources policy, Gas Hydrates: Resource and Hazard, [], June 30, 2014] KF For FY2011, __the Obama Administration requested no funding for the Natural Gas Technologies program__ AND P.L. 111-322 extend through March 4, 2011.
 * Funding for the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act were cut – replacement is uncertain **

India Times 2013 **[**A news publication, CHINA DISCOVERS MAJOR METHANE HYDRATE RESERVE IN SOUTH CHINA SEA [] ] To that end, last week a 499-ton survey vessel nosed out of AND hydrates at the U.S. Energy Department's National Energy Technology Laboratory.
 * US is not strongly pursuing methane hydrate research because we are focusing on shale oil **

Arango May 7 2013[writer for CBC news, [] ] Other countries are still pursuing hydrate research. Last year, __U.S.__ AND them mixed in ocean sand, like "sugar mixed with the sediments."
 * Government research is necessary for methane hydrate development – empirical examples proves **

Pellenbarg and Max ’14-, At Naval Research Laboratory and MDS Research Less clear is the exact nature of such deposits, and __details of the technology__ AND level can lead to such independence based on the promise of methane hydrate.
 * A national effort is necessary to overcome tech challenges – petroleum proves **

Pellenbarg and Max ’14-, At Naval Research Laboratory and MDS Research The geopolitical implications of energy independence for Japan or India and for their relations AND a lot of methane as hydrate in the sediments of the world ocean.
 * Additional research promotes methane hydrates with carbon sequestration **


 * Negative: emerson.matthew12@gmail.com **


 * Helen's Negative Strategies**


 * AUVs **
 * Round 1 **
 * 1NC **
 * China SOI DA
 * Military CP
 * Midterms DA
 * T - Its
 * 2NR **
 * China SOI DA
 * Case turns
 * Round 2 **
 * 1NC **
 * Fem IR K
 * Midterms DA
 * T - Its
 * Oil DA
 * 2NR **
 * Fem IR K


 * Icebreakers **
 * Round 1 **
 * 1NC **
 * T - Non-military
 * Military CP
 * Coast Guard Tradeoff DA
 * Russia SOI DA
 * Midterms DA - GOP Good
 * 2NR **
 * T - Non-military


 * Natural Gas **
 * Round 1 **
 * 1NC **
 * Environment DA
 * T - Its
 * Manufacturing CP
 * China DA (on case)
 * 2NR **
 * Case turns
 * Round 2 **
 * 1NC **
 * Courts CP
 * Midterms DA - GOP Good
 * Russia Gas DA
 * Fem IR K
 * China Coal DA (on case)
 * 2NR **
 * Midterms DA - GOP Good


 * Offshore Wind **
 * Round 1 **
 * 1NC **
 * Consumption K
 * HTF DA
 * China CP
 * Oil DA
 * T - Its
 * 2NR **
 * HTF DA
 * Case turns


 * Matthew's Negative Strategies **


 * OSW **
 * Round 1 **
 * 1NC **
 * T- it's
 * State CP
 * HTF
 * Consumption
 * Wind increases CO2
 * Wind hurts Jobs
 * 2NR **
 * State CP
 * HTF

**AUV's** **Round 1**
 * 1NC**
 * HTF
 * Military CP
 * Security
 * T- its
 * BioD turn
 * China REMs DA
 * 2NR **
 * Military CP
 * HTF
 * Round 2**
 * 1NC**
 * HTF
 * Military CP
 * Security
 * BioD turn
 * Tech theft turn
 * China REMS turn
 * 2NR **
 * Military CP
 * Tech theft turn
 * Round 3**
 * 1NC **
 * HTF
 * Military CP
 * Security
 * BioD turn
 * Tech theft turn
 * China REMS turn
 * 2NR **
 * HTF
 * Tech theft
 * Round 4**
 * 1NC **
 * Military CP
 * Anthro
 * Midterms (Republicans)
 * T- its
 * Bio D bad turn
 * 2NR **
 * Anthro


 * Aquaculture**
 * Round 1**
 * 1NC **
 * Military CP
 * Midterms (GOP good)
 * Anthro
 * Aquaculture bad
 * 2NR **
 * Military CP (FON NB)


 * Natural Gas**
 * Round 1**
 * 1NC **
 * Security
 * Politics (GOP Good)
 * MMPA CP
 * China Coal
 * 2NR **
 * Politics


 * Methane Hydrates**
 * Round 1**
 * 1NC**
 * Commissions CP
 * Horrorism K
 * Ex-IM
 * China Coal DA (On Case)
 * Mining hurts the environment
 * 2NR**
 * China Coal


 * LOST**
 * Round 1**
 * 1NC**
 * Commissions CP
 * Ex-Im
 * Horrorism K
 * LOST hurts heg
 * REM's turn
 * 2NR**
 * Commissions CP
 * Ex-Im