John+&+Diego

=LOST=

Solvency

 * Signing onto LOST lets the US maximize legal certainty and best secure international recognition**
 * NOAA**** 6/26/ ****14**** “LAW OF THE SEA CONVENTION” **[|**http://www.gc.noaa.gov/gcil_los.html**]** (MG) **

U.S. accession to the Law of the Sea Convention has received support from current and past Administrations, AND The widespread benefits are not limited to the continental shelf and its resources, however.


 * Ratification now is key to check abusive interpretations of the treaty**
 * Patrick 12** - Stewart M. Patrick is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (where he writes the blog The Internationalist) and Director of the Program on International Institutions and Global Governance. (6/10/2012, Stewart, The Atlantic, “(Almost) Everyone Agrees: The U.S. Should Ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty”, [] // SM)

Somehave arguedthat UNCLOS has already become "customary international law, AND bilateral and multilateral cooperation withscores ofinternational partners.


 * LOST key to US rights to the ECS and certainty for deep sea-bed mining investors**
 * Patrick 12** - Stewart M. Patrick is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (where he writes the blog The Internationalist) and Director of the Program on International Institutions and Global Governance. (6/10/2012, Stewart, The Atlantic, “(Almost) Everyone Agrees: The U.S. Should Ratify the Law of the Sea Treaty”, [] // SM)

If these security benefits were not enough, the U.S. business community is unified in its support for the treaty for two reasons. AND but could not assume investment risks until it was clear that it would have a clear legal title to its findings.

LOST is key to resolve tensions and prevent environmental destruction
King 7 – Andrew King is currently an associate at Archer Norris, a law corporation. Education: University of California, Hastings College of the Law, San Francisco, J.D., 2007 “Thawing a Frozen Treaty: Protecting United States Interests in the Arctic with a Congressional-Executive Agreement on the Law of the Sea”, http://www.hastingsconlawquarterly.org/archives/V34/I2/king.pdf - II. Renewed Interest in the Arctic Region and a Snapshot of Recent Territorial Claims // SM)

Climate change is reshaping the Arctic and the issues are energy AND a mechanism already exists in a provision of the Law of the Sea treaty.


 * US ratification of LOST adds credibility to the convention and helps with enforcement- checks Chinese manipulation of treaty**
 * May 12** [Cmdr Bradley May, commander May served more than 14 years as a submarine officer on active duty and in a Reserve capacity. He currently works at Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center Atlantic, June 2012, “Now Hear This: The U.S. Senate Should Ratify UNCLOS,” [], MM]

The first draft of UNCLOS was completed in 1982. AND The time has come for the United States to fully assert its role as a global leader and accede to this important treaty.”


 * Certainty is key – no investment without it**
 * Snow 12** – Nick Snow has covered oil and gas in Washington for more than 30 years. He worked in several capacities for The Oil Daily and was founding editor of Petroleum Finance Week before joining OGJ as its Washington correspondent in September 2005 and becoming its full-time Washington editor in October 2007. (7/9/2012, Nick, Oil & Gas Journal, “US should ratify Law of the Sea treaty, Senate panel told”, [|http://www.ogj.com/articles/print/vol-110/issue-7a/general-interest/us-should-ratify-law-of-the-sea.html //] SM)

Gerard said the US would benefit since the treaty would extend the nation's control of the continental shelf from 200 to 600 miles. AND Companies are global and don't want to make major investments without the certainty about risks that this treaty provides."

No US production of rare earth minerals now

 * Timmons 12** [Jay, President and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers, UNCLOS Critical for US Manufacturing Competitiveness, ProQuest, 7/1/12, 7/17/14]

Until a decade ago, AND but these efforts could take a number of years to fully come on line.

US Manufacturing on decline now—recent rapid loss
Baily et. al 14  (Martin Neil Baily, Barry Bosworth, Bernard Schwartz, economist at Brookings Institute and former Cabinet member, CEO of Loral Space and Communications, economist at Brookings Institute, respectively, “ US Manufacturing: Understanding Its Past and Its Potential Future[|The Journal of Economic Perspectives] , Volume 28, Number 1, Winter 2014, pp. 3-25(23)

On the other hand, there are some potential causes for concern. AND then China has greatly increased its share, rising to 72 percent by 2012.

Current US supply of rare earth minerals is unsustainable—risks economic and security collapse

 * Timmons 12** [Jay, President and CEO of National Association of Manufacturers, UNCLOS Critical for US Manufacturing Competitiveness, ProQuest, 7/1/12, 7/17/14]

Our nation's ability to access rare earth minerals may be the most pressing economic security issue we face. AND deep seabed mining is an opportunity for the U.S. to quickly diversify its rare earth sources.

LOST solves US dependence on China— access to rare earth materials
AFP 12 -- an international news agency [Agence France-Presse, The international news agency headquartered in Paris and It is the oldest news agency in the world and one of the largest, “Businesses push U.S. to ratify Law of the Sea treaty”, Raw Story (a progressive news site that focuses on stories often ignored in the mainstream media), June 28 2012, Accessed: 7/16/12, []] AW

American businesses are urging the United States to ratify the UN Law of the Sea Treaty AND citing the importance of global communications links and also the melting ice in the Arctic that was opening up shipping.

Ratifying LOST can uniquely solve the economy

 * Langer ’12 – President of //Institute for liberty//** [Andrew Langer, Andrew Langer is the president of the //Institute for Liberty//. The Institute for Liberty is an organization dedicated to promoting American exceptionalism around the world, The Case for Ratification of the Law of the Sea, Oceanlaw.org, Wednesday, November 18th, 2012, []]

The IFL has come to the conclusion that ratifying the Law of the Sea Treaty is the most important property rights and wealth-building step AND Ratifying the Law of the Sea Treaty will grow the U.S. economy while protecting our military and strategic interests around the world.


 * US economic primacy is key to sustaining Heg **
 * Danzman and Winecoff 13 ** (Sarah, a Ph.D. Candidate in Political in Political Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, W. Kindred, Assistant Professor of Political Science, Indiana University Bloomington, 9/7/13, “Why U.S. Financial Hegemony Will Endure,” Symposium Magazine, [], JHR)

The great financial crisis of 2008 convinced many in the markets __ AND __ the U.S. is strongly central, with over 70 percent of all countries placing a substantial amount of their overseas portfolio assets in the U.S., according to the Bank for International Settlements.

U.S Hegemony is declining now; Syria proves

 * Huihou 14**(An, The author is formerly Chinese Ambassador to Algeria, Tunisia and Palestine,Lebanon and Egypt and is now a distinguished research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, US frustration as its hegemony declines, English people, June 5, 2014 [], June 15, 2014)

The Syrian authorities opted to hold a presidential election on June 3. AND His continuance in power is a frustrating reminder to the U.S. of its declining hegemony.

The global order is collapsing without US Heg- try or die for hegemony
New Republic, [], JHR) Meanwhile, the signs of the global order breaking down are all around us.  AND  Americans will be among the last to suffer grievously from a breakdown of world order. And by the time they do feel the effects, it may be very late in the day.
 * Kagan 14 ** (Robert, senior fellow in foreign policy at the Brookings Institution, 5/26/14, “What America Still Owes the World,”

Russia is expanding into the Arctic now—leads to military conflict—empirics prove
O’Sullivan 14 —student at the NYU-SCPS Center for Global Affairs [Conor, 2015 M.S. Candidate at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs International Relations Concentration, “Arctic Development Could Ignite Next Great-Game Competition”, Breaking Energy (Breaking Energy provides access to news, analysis, thought leadership, reference materials and discussions about the day’s most important energy market trends), April 28 2014, [], Accessed: 7/18/14] AW

The development of Arctic energy resources poses the potential for an energy security competition between the Great Powers and Arctic stakeholders. And Domestic and multi-national energy companies must continue their innovation in technology to finance exploration in competition with foreign NOCs.

Increased expansion leads to new cold wars
Bender and Kelley 14 [Jeremy, writer for Business Insider, Michael, reporter for Business Insider specializing in Military and Defense, “Militaries Know That The Arctic Is Melting -- Here's How They're Taking Advantage”, Business Insider, Jun 4 2014, Accessed: 6/6/14, http://www.businessinsider.com.au/the-competition-for-arctic-resources-2014-6]

Because of the Arctic’s potential resources and trade impact, countries are stepping up military development in the region. AND some defence analysts and academics assert that territorial disputes and a competition for resources have primed the Arctic for a new Cold War.”

Potential for conflict is high—no current forum for peace talks

 * Berkman 13** [Paul, biological oceanographer at the University of California, Santa Barbara and author of “Environmental Security in the Arctic Ocean: Promoting Co-operation and Preventing Conflict.”, “Preventing an Arctic Cold War”, The New York Times, Mar 12 2013, Accessed: 5/7/14 []]

In 1996, eight countries — the United States, Russia, Canada, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark-- established the Arctic Council AND We need “rules of the road” to take us safely into the Arctic’s future.

Global Nuclear War

 * Germanos 13** [Andrea, senior editor and staff writer for Common Dreams, “Nuclear War Could Mean 'Extinction of the Human Race'”, Common Dreams (non-profit independent newscenter), Dec 10 2013, Accessed: 4/15/14, https://www.commondreams.org/headline/2013/12/10-2]

"A nuclear war using only a fraction of existing arsenals would produce massive casualties on a global scale AND Helfand told the news agency.

Ratifying LOST solves new US-Russia cold wars—resource distribution
Langer 12 -- president of the Institute for Liberty [Andrew, president of the Institute for Liberty (an organization dedicated to promoting American exceptionalism around the world through projects focused on promoting free trade and global prosperity, as well as using conservative principles, like private property rights, to address the world’s most challenging problems), “The Case for Ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty: Andrew Langer”, Rule of Law Committee for the Oceans (a committee designed to bring insight and understanding to the debate within the United States over joining the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea), November 28 2012, http://www.oceanlaw.org/content/case-ratification-law-sea-treaty-andrew-langer Accessed: 7/15/14] AW

The Institute for Liberty (IFL) has come to the conclusion that ratifying the Law of the Sea Treaty is the most important property rights AND That body is called the International Seabed Authority (ISA). Admittance into that body is accomplished via ratification of the Law of the Sea Treaty.

Plan leads to more engagement—improves US-Russia relationships
More engagement could even improve U.S.-Russian relations. AND In the Bering Sea, Russia and the United States possess common objectives, and there is ample room for cooperation on policing foreign fishing fleets, responding to oil spills, and aiding navigation.
 * Borgerson 13** (Scott, Writer for Foreign Affairs, Co-Founder of non-profit Arctic Circle, “The Coming Arctic Boom: As the Ice Melts, the Region Heats Up “ 92 Foreign Aff. 85 (2013))