West Coast Publishing Ocean 2014 affirmative page

Kritik Answers

A2: Managerialism

Ocean management is essential to planetary health

Norman Y. Mineta, Co-Chair, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative and Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Transportation, January 2014, “Review of: Time to Chart a New Course For the Health of Our Oceans,” Sea & Technology, http://www.sea-technology.com/ features/2014/0114/7_Mineta.php, Accessed 4/25/2014

From providing food for millions of Americans, to transporting goods, to being a source of clean energy, our oceans and coasts will always be integral to our country’s economic stability and growth, as well as to the ecological health of the planet. If we are to ensure the long-term sustainable use of our oceans, we must manage them carefully through strong science and sound policies. The continued health and productivity of our oceans is important to everyone. We encourage you to become engaged at the national, regional and state levels to be part of ensuring that our oceans continue to be productive and beneficial to all.

Management is essential to maintain ocean resiliency

Robin Kundis Craig, S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah, May 18, 2012, “Marine Biodiversity, Climate Change, and Governance of the Oceans,” Diversity 2012, 4(2), 224-238

As the world copes with the climate change era, improved marine governance will be of ever-increasing importance if we are to maintain anything approaching broad and resilient marine biodiversity in the face of pervasive ecological, chemical, and physical changes to the ocean’s environments. Notably, there is already evidence of the ocean’s resilience, because “in enough cases to encourage conservation, the Census of Marine Life documented the recovery of some species” (p. 4). Without improved governance, however, such recoveries are increasingly unlikely, particularly if climate change impacts continue to intensify. This Article first examines the existing and climate change threats to marine biodiversity, then recommends three improvements to ocean governance in areas of national jurisdiction—under international law, the 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) that individual nations can unilaterally regulate, as opposed to the high seas, where international treaties are required—that could help preserve marine biodiversity through the climate change era.

We have a responsibility to properly manage ocean resources to reform current policies

Norman Y. Mineta, Co-Chair, Joint Ocean Commission Initiative and Former U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Transportation, January 2014, “Review of: Time to Chart a New Course For the Health of Our Oceans,” Sea & Technology, http://www.sea-technology.com/ features/2014/0114/7_Mineta.php, Accessed 4/25/2014

We are an ocean nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure proper management of our ocean resources. The health of our oceans and coasts is inextricably linked to the health of our economy—whether through tourism, fishing, energy development, storm protection or transportation—as well as the quality of life for millions of coastal residents. However, expanding uses of our oceans and along our coasts, coupled with changing conditions of our climate, are putting more pressure on the oceans than ever before. Unfortunately, these pressures jeopardize the ability of our oceans and coasts to continue to provide the goods and services Americans need and enjoy. 

Topicality Answers

A2: Topicality (development)

Ocean energies develop multiple resources

Nasir Mehmood, College of Shipbuilding Engineering, Harbin Engineering University, Et al, September 15, 2012, “Harnessing Ocean Energy by Tidal Current Technologies,” Research Journal of Applied Sciences, Engineering and Technology 4(18): 3476-3487.

Ocean energy is a kind of hydro energy. Ocean energy, an embryonic energy solution, has enormous potential for energy production in future. Ocean energy technologies are relatively new and applications are developing at very fast pace. As a result, concrete boundaries for classification, applications and conversion concepts have yet to be defined. This section is devoted to presenting these issues keeping in view available literature and current industrial trends. Ocean energy can be tapped in multiple forms such as energy from waves, kinetic energy from tidal and marine currents, potential energy from tides and energy from salinity and thermal gradient. So we can classify the ocean energy on the basis of resources such as tides, currents, waves, salinity gradient and Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) systems as shown in Fig. 4.

Ocean energy systems develop ocean resources

Sean O’Neill, President of Ocean Renewable Energy Coalition, October 23, 2006, “Renewable Ocean Energy: Tides, Currents, and Waves,” Alternative Energy, http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/renewable-ocean-energy-tides-currents-and-waves/, Accessed 4/27/2014

Before we describe the benefits that ocean renewables offer, we take a step back and offer a description of the different technologies. Ocean energy refers to a range of technologies that utilize the oceans or ocean resources to generate electricity. Many ocean technologies are also adaptable to non-impoundment uses in other water bodies such as lakes or rivers. These technologies are can be separated into three main categories: Wave Energy Converters: These systems extract the power of ocean waves and convert it into electricity. Typically, these systems use either a water column or some type of surface or just-below-surface buoy to capture the wave power. In addition to oceans, some lakes may offer sufficient wave activity to support wave energy converter technology.

Ocean Global Health Disad

The environment will be a big deal on this year’s topic. This file is designed to give flexibility to your approach of debating environmental issues in relation to the ocean. Generating a link to exploration in the abstract sense is difficult as most exploration affs will not read energy exploration but scientific exploration plan texts. However, teams that read energy exploration link in several ways: through increased access to fossil fuel production (oil & natural gas), through the increased usage of fossil fuels, and through increased ship activity in the oceans to transport the extracted material as well as build the extraction facilities. Mostly all affs will link to the “noise pollution” arguments since they will use sonar to either map the ocean floor for science for to look for energy. Controlling the impact framing in relation to magnitude (“tipping point”) over time frame is important as it is difficult to generate an immediate impact to the disad. If the oceans control global climate and global climate controls agriculture and the economy it will also complicate our ability to prevent major conflicts over resources from arising. This means the disad can access climate change, food, economic, and hegemony based impacts.

1NC Shell-UQ

Uniqueness: Global ocean health is down but not on the brink of collapse—haven’t reached tipping points yet

The World Bank, report released by the world bank on ocean health, April 25, 2014, “Summit Commits to Concrete Actions to Turn Around Ocean Health and Secure Food Security for Millions of People”, Accessed April 3, 2014, http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2014/04/25/summit-commits-to-concrete-actions-to-turn-around-ocean-health-and-secure-food-security-for-millions-of-people
A Summit that brought together more than 600 ocean stakeholders, including 80 ministers from across the world, ocean science experts, business leaders, philanthropy and heads of international organizations – committed to a set of concrete actions responding to the urgency for restoring productive, resilient oceans that drive broad-based blue growth and deliver food security. The Global Oceans Action Summit for Blue Growth and Food Security – a joint initiative of the Government of the Netherlands, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank – found unprecedented convergence around the urgent steps needed to tackle the key threats to the world’s oceans: climate change, overfishing, habitat loss and pollution. Actions focused specifically on improving governance, enhancing sustainable financing, building partnerships for action and sharing knowledge on successful solution implementation. The Summit called for: - A stand-alone Sustainable Development Goal on oceans as part of the post-2015 Development Framework - Much stronger recognition of the escalating impacts from climate change on oceans and ensuring ocean health is incorporated into the international processes and events heading towards the 2015 UNFCCC conference of parties in Paris - Eliminating harmful fisheries subsidies that contribute to overfishing and overcapacity and instead incentivizing approaches that improve conservation, build sustainable fisheries and end illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing - Strengthening the mandate of Regional Fisheries Management Organisations and their financing and accelerating ratification of agreed mechanisms for improved fisheries practices, better conservation and less pollution, including the Port State Measures Agreement - Investing in small and medium scale fisheries and local communities as vital stewards for blue growth and support to sustainable supply chains - Building on existing partnerships like the Global Partnership for Oceans, the Global Island Partnership and 50in10 to build global momentum and scale up successes - Sharing of knowledge, experiences and solutions through information and communications technology that can enforce and monitor in real time and connect communities globally The Chair of the Summit, H.E. Sharon Dijksma, Minister for Agriculture of the Netherlands said: “This week the world community has shown courage and boldness in The Hague to move ahead and take action on ocean health and food security. What’s needed now is decisive action from the international community to put solutions into practice.” Árni M. Mathiesen – Assistant Director-General of the FAO said: “This Summit has put an accent on action and the route to navigate on oceans, fisheries management and aquaculture is much clearer than before.” World Bank representative Valerie Hickey said: “This Summit has presented the way forward for a new type of growth – blue growth which is sustainable, equitable and takes the value of the ocean’s ecosystem services into account. Together, we can restore ocean health at the speed and scale necessary to drive broad-based blue growth, secure food security and turn down the heat on climate change. We have the set of actions needed – let’s move on them now.”

1NC Shell- Development Link

Link: Development of Earth’s oceans causes a laundry list of environmental crisis

Genevieve Anderson, Marine Scientist out of Santa Barbara City College, 2003, “Human's Impact on the Oceans,” http://www.marinebio.net/marinescience/06future/olhum.htm, Accessed April 17, 2014
Oil spills in the ocean usually happen when an ocean oil rig springs a leak or when an ocean going tanker (carrying oil) wrecks. Several large oil spills have resulted from these two means (the Santa Barbara spill in 1969, and the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989. Oil dumped down storm drains that lead to the ocean also may be a source but most areas now have signs to help prevent this. War can also create oil spills as it did in 1991 when the Gulf War resulted in millions of gallons of oil being released into the Persian Gulf. Oil spills initially may kill large numbers of marine life however, most of the benthic invertebrates are capable of rather speedy recoveries (6 months to 5 years depending on the area and spill) because they have tremendous numbers of planktonic larvae that are drifting in the ocean water and relatively fast growth rates to adult size. The hardest hit during most oil spills are the marine birds - few recover even if they are cleaned, fed until they molt (getting a new set of feathers) and released. Chemicals released into the ocean cause a myriad of problems. Pesticides, coming from runoff of agricultural land into the ocean damages marine organisms. When DDT was being used (as an insect spray on crops), this chemical ended up in the food chain and caused sea birds, like the brown pelican, to lay eggs with soft shells. This resulted in the brown pelican eggs almost all breaking before the baby could develop and the near extinction of this species. In this case DDT was eliminated in most countries and the brown pelican population eventually recovered in most areas. Another sad example happened in the 1950s when mercury was released into the ocean in Minamata, Japan. The mercury got in the food chain and over a hundred Japanese living in the area became poisoned by eating the shellfish - resulting in birth defects, insanity, and death. These are just a few examples of the problems with chemicals released into the ocean.< Thermal pollution is a byproduct of the ocean's use as a cooling agent - the cool ocean water taken in is released at a higher temperature. Although the temperature of release is usually controlled by laws, and is not such a threat as the other forms of pollution mentioned here, one could imagine what it would be like if more and more plants began using ocean water as a coolant. This change in temperature, due to humans in this case, would change the makeup of the species in these areas. Noise pollution is one of the more recent threats to marine life. Several studies have shown that the noise produced by boats interferes with many species of marine life. The number of large tankers now cruising the oceans creates a significant level of noise that may make it difficult for whales to communicate. The other source of noise pollution comes from the testing of loud noises in the oceans (mostly by the military) which have been linked to the deaths of dolphins (a type of small whale) due to massive internal hemorrhaging. Habitat destruction occurs directly when man 'develops' marine areas by filling them in with sediment to create more usable acreage. Most of the natural estuaries in California have been 'developed.' In Ecuador many mangrove (a tree that lives by the ocean and is the base for a mangrove community) communities have been converted into ponds for shrimp mariculture. The list goes on and on - leaving the marine creatures without a suitable habitat in which to live. Pollution can also create habitat destruction by making the area unfit.

1NC Shell- Exploration Link

Link: Exploration of Earth’s oceans requires major amounts of ships and water vehicles

NOAA-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Non-government environmental research organization, July 19-21, 2013, “Ocean Exploration 2020 A National Forum,” http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/oceanexploration2020/oe2020_report.pdf, Accessed April 17, 2014
In 2020, a greater number of ships, submersibles, and other platforms are dedicated to ocean exploration. Ocean exploration priorities will frequently dictate the types of platforms needed for a national program of ocean exploration. Since mission priorities change, the mix of platforms needs to include a wide variety of capabilities as well as provide flexibility and nimbleness. The great majority of Ocean Exploration 2020 participants felt that the current suite of available platforms is not sufficient to sustain an evolving national program. There was a strong consensus that a more diverse and dynamic mix of platforms is needed that includes: • Dedicated ships of exploration • Ships of opportunity • A variety of submersibles—AUVs, ROVs, and HOVs—with a range of depth capabilities that include full ocean depth • Small, inexpensive ROVs that put ocean exploration in the hands of citizen scientists • Instrumented marine animals • Stationary observing networks and sensors The value of having one or more dedicated federal ships of ocean exploration was endorsed. In addition to platforms that move through the water in three dimensions, there was strong support for seafloor observatories that document changes in the fourth dimension—time. A fully mature national program of ocean exploration must have both components. In addition to greater investments in ships, better coordination among ships of exploration and other exploration assets is essential to ensure a maximum science payoff per dollar invested.

1NC Shell- Impact

Impact: The oceans control earth’s climate- destroying the ocean’s delicate balance shuts down the conveyer belt ensuring environmental collapse and extinction

Mel Goodwin, PhD, The Harmony Project for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2009, “LEADER’S GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM EXPLORERS”, Accessed April 25, 2014, http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/edu/leadersguide/media/09whydoweexplore.pdf
Global climate is strongly influenced by interactions between Earth’s atmosphere and ocean, but these interactions are complex and poorly understood. While the deep-ocean might seem far removed from the atmosphere, one of the most significant climatic influences results from the “deep-ocean thermohaline circulation” (See the Diving Deeper section on page 18 for more information about the THC). The causes and effects of the THC are not fully known, but we do know that it affects almost all of the world’s ocean and plays an important role in transporting dissolved oxygen and nutrients. For these reasons, the deep-ocean THC is often called the “global conveyor belt.” We also know that the part of the THC that is the Gulf Stream is at least partially responsible for the fact that countries in northwestern Europe (Britain and Scandinavia) are about 9°C warmer than other locations at similar latitudes. Recent changes in the Arctic climate have led to growing concerns about the possible effects of these changes on the deep-ocean THC. Dense water sinking in the North Atlantic Ocean is one of the principal forces that drives the circulation of the global conveyor belt. Since warmer temperatures and increased freshwater inflow from melting ice cause seawater density to decrease, these changes could also weaken the global conveyor belt. Trends toward a warmer climate are having impacts in the tropics as well. A major concern is the impact of higher temperatures on coral reefs. In the Caribbean, surveys of 302 sites between 1998 and 2000 show widespread recent mortality among shallow- (≤ 5m depth) and deep-water (> 5m depth) corals (Kramer, 2003). Many scientists believe that the widespread decline of coral reefs is the result of accumulating stresses, one of which is increased water temperature. There are many other potential impacts of changing climate, ranging from the possible extinction of species such as the polar bear to year-round access to sea routes through the Arctic. Ocean exploration can provide some of the essential knowledge about ocean-atmosphere interactions that is needed to understand, predict, and respond to these impacts.