Explanation of advantages— Science Diplomacy

Solvency

Nuclear Power

Russia has already initiated commercial nuclear ice-breakers—that grants them the oil rich Arctic territory

Bellona 7

(Independent non-profit organization that aims to meet and fight the climate challenges “Russia to drill Arctic oil with nuclear icebreaker” pg online at http://bellona.org/news/fossil-fuels/oil/2007-08-russia-to-drill-arctic-oil-with-nuclear-icebreaker//sd)

In another grand Russian gesture toward securing oil deposits under the Arctic seabed, the Murmansk Shipping Company has announced it will outfit one of its nuclear powered icebreakers to become the world’s first atomic powered oil drilling vessel, company officials said this week.Officials say they plan to have the 19-year-old Sevmorput icebreaker ready for drilling operations within a year and a half. The project is expected by company officials to catapult the Russian civilian icebreaker fleet onto the cutting edge of oil drilling and speculation in the Arctic. But increased activity of nuclear vessels will put pressure on Russia’s already strained resources to store radioactive waste. This strain on the environment could be compounded by a higher potential for oil spills as the Arctic oil gold rush gains momentum. The announcement of the Sevmorput project comes quickly on the heels of last week’s deep-sea oil speculating journey below the polar icecap led by Russian parliamentarian and Arctic explorer Artur Chlingarov and the nuclear icebreaker Rossiya. The trip, which culminated in Chilingarov descending in a bathyscape to set an aluminum Russian flag on the sea bed below the North Pole, was part of Moscow’s push to lay claim to great swathes of disputed oil rich underwater territories. The United States and Canada oppose Arctic territorial claims Russia has made to the Lomonosov Ridge, which extends into Canadian waters, and both governments have scoffed at Moscow’s exploration of the new Arctic frontier.

Nuclear powered ice-breaking ships are civilian and solve efficient travel across the arctic

Boyle 10

(Rebecca, journalist for Popular Science and science writer, focusing on astronomy, medicine, genetic engineering, robotics, oceanography and physics, “Nuclear-Powered Ice-Breaking Merchant Ships Could Ply the Northwest Passage” pg online at http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2010-09/nuclear-power-could-be-future-merchant-ships//sd)

Nuclear-powered civilian ships could be powerful enough to smash through Arctic ice on their own, potentially using the Northeast Passage to travel from Asia to Europe and reducing time and carbon emissions for international shipping lines. Nuclear propulsion might therefore be a cheaper option for ships on long voyages, the Register reports. For ships traveling from the far east to Europe, it would be a lot faster to take the Northeast Passage than the usual route, through the Suez Canal. But until the Arctic melts permanently, the trip requires escort by ice-breaking ships, which are limited in number. While nuclear merchant ships would be costly, they'd have enough thrust to break their own ice, and they would also travel faster than gas-powered ships. As of now, Russia is the only country with nuclear-powered civilian ships, the Register says. A few were built in the 1960s and 1970s, but they were too expensive to compete with those powered by traditional fuel. But with oil prices expected to continue rising — and the possibility of carbon-emission restrictions — nuclear ships could become cost-effective. The British shipping firm Babcock Marine says shipping lines could save money by switching to nuclear propulsion, especially for tankers carrying liquefied natural gas, the Register says. The paper reports that COSCO, the huge Chinese shipping firm, is interested in the type of requirements the UK might impose on visiting nuclear ships. The U.S. has several nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, which travel quickly to help increase winds on deck, helping aircraft take off. Nuclear-powered commercial ships would be fast, too, but the real advantage is thrust, as the Register explains — it would help ships ram through sea ice. Combined with high fuel prices, this innate icebreaking ability could make nuclear-powered merchant ships a worthy investment, the Register says. Then all we would have to do is secure all our ports.

Nuclear Reactors are necessary for advanced ice-breakers—endurance and cost effectiveness

Giz Mag 11

(“How nuclear icebreakers work - and the reversible ships that will replace them” pg online at http://www.gizmag.com/nuclear-icebreakers-double-acting-ships-azipods/20903///sd)

Why nuclear? Well, to put it simply, the fuel demands of the task at hand would be outrageous using any other power source. Burning diesel, the Victory would use more than 100 tons (90.7 metric tons) of fuel a day, and have a severely restricted range as a result. But running on nuclear power, she burns less than half a kilo (1 pound) of uranium even on the toughest day, at constant full power across 2.8-meter (9.2-foot) thick ice. With nuclear reactors on board, fuel stops become almost a thing of the past - a handy feature considering they work in extremely remote areas and have no other compelling reason to come in to port. In fact, the world record for endurance is held by one of Victory's older cousins, the Arktika, which stayed in service on the ice for 357 days without entering a port once. In fact, the specific needs of icebreaking vessels make them one of the only cases where nuclear propulsion is economically practical - barring nuclear submarines, which take advantage of the fact that the reactors don't require oxygen to run. Nuclear reactors are more expensive to build than combustion engines, and enriched uranium doesn't come cheap - but at the end of the day, by virtue of sheer volume, the fuel costs end up being much, much lower than an equivalent diesel engine.

Solvency (other mech)

Commercial ice-breakers can be leased and solve Coast Guard independence from Russia in the Arctic

Slattery et al 14

(Brian, Research Assistant, Defense Studies, Bryan Riley: Jay Van Andel Senior Policy Analyst in Trade Policy, Nicolas Loris: Herbert and Joyce Morgan at the Heritage Institute, “Sink the Jones Act: Restoring America’s Competitive Advantage in Maritime-Related Industries” pg online at http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/05/sink-the-jones-act-restoring-americas-competitive-advantage-in-maritime-related-industries//sd)

Instead of allocating precious funding that could be used elsewhere, the Coast Guard should pursue leasing foreign-owned commercial polar heavy icebreakers. (The U.S. lacks a commercial heavy icebreaker fleet.) However, the Jones Act inhibits this. The U.S. military already relies on Russian icebreakers to facilitate resupply missions to McMurdo Station in Antarctica.[11] In 2011, when an ice storm prevented the last winter fuel delivery to Nome, Alaska, the U.S. Coast Guard solicited the services of a Russian vessel to reach the community.[12] This response effort required the Healy to serve where a heavy icebreaker would have been much more effective. Ultimately, a Jones Act waiver allowed the Russian tanker to operate in U.S. waters, but repealing this law would allow the Coast Guard and other government services to lease foreign-built icebreakers more easily, while diminishing U.S. reliance on Russia.

Government loans for nuclear-powered civilian ships incentivize demand

Dailey et al 74

(Murray professor of Biology and Director of the Ocean Studies Institute at California State University, Southern California Ocean Studies Consortium “A Summary of Knowledge of the Southern California Coastal Zone and Offshore Areas” pg online at http://books.google.com/books?id=Ux8aAAAAIAAJ&dq=Nuclear-Powered+Ice-Breaking+Merchant+Ships&source=gbs_navlinks_s//sd)

The most significant development in the next few years will undoubtedly be the development of nuclear powered merchant-ships. Considerable study is being given to this subject by both the Japanese and Germans as well as the Americans. Recently identical bills were introduced in the House of Representatives and in the Senate that would make easy-term government loans available to owners who would order nuclear powered vessels for the American flag merchant fleet. Recently, the Port of Los Angeles received inquiries from a responsible government agency as to the possibility of installing nuclear refueling facilities in the port. This is a subject which, of course, will require much study and probably a combining of facilities at the various ports for this type of operation. It appears obvious that the emphasis in the next decade for the merchant fleet will be speed. At the present time, the use of conventional power has apparently reached its upper limits of about 120,000 horsepower. The nuclear powered merchantmen, with their nuclear power plants, could develop in excess of 200,000 horsepower, and would be able to achieve speeds in excess of 40 knots. There are now three nuclear powered merchant vessels of an experimental nature which are, or have already been developed. In addition, the Russians have two nuclear powered ice breakers, the ARCTICA and the LENIN. The three nuclear powered merchant vessels are the U.S. vessel, SAVANNAH, the Japanese vessel, MUTSU. and the German nuclear Dowered ship, the OTTO.