Tournament:  | Round:  | Opponent:  | Judge: 

Contention One is Inherency—

The DOE is delaying decisions until 2013 on applications to export natural gas to non-FTA countries—this creates uncertainty which prevents investment, causing natural gas production to decrease and allows other countries to gain an advantage
Petroleum Economist, September 20, 2012
(“US delays decision on LNG exports”, p. http://www.petroleum-economist.com/Article/3091888/Natural-Gas-and-LNG/US-delays-decision-on-LNG-exports.html)
“A decision to withhold approvals” and “increase energy security.” 

Plan: The United States Department of Energy should approve pending applications for natural gas exports.

Advantage One is Trade—

The US has challenged China’s restrictions on rare earth elements at the WTO but restricting LNG exports will prevent the US from winning the case  
Levi, Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at CFR, 2012
(Michael, “A Strategy for U.S. Natural Gas Exports”, June, p. http://www.hamiltonproject.org/files/downloads_and_links/06_exports_levi.pdf)
“Conversely, if the United States” and “of rare earth metals.”

A loss or a draw in the WTO would severely hurt US access to heavy rare earth elements
Green, founder of the Strategic Material Advisory Council and an adjunct scholar with the National Center for Policy Analysis, 2012
(Jeffery A., “The Defense Implications of Rare Earth Shortages”, The National Center for Policy Analysis, August 2, p. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ib112)
“On the other hand, if China wins” and “unique heavy rare earths.”

Even though other production is inevitable and the WTO case takes a while, a win is crucial for access to heavy rare earths which China will dominate for years
Inside US-China Trade, 2012
(“Obama, Congress Urged To Go Beyond Trade Case To Secure Critical Inputs”, 12.3, January 18, p. http://www.cascadiacapital.com/PDF/Inside_US_China_trade.pdf)
“The highly imbalanced nature of the” and “taxes and quotas,” he said.”

The US is reliant on China for heavy rare earths which are critical to advanced military technologies
Green, founder of the Strategic Material Advisory Council and an adjunct scholar with the National Center for Policy Analysis, 2012
(Jeffery A., “The Defense Implications of Rare Earth Shortages”, The National Center for Policy Analysis, August 2, p. http://www.ncpa.org/pub/ib112)
“Furthermore, a range of highly advanced” and “but limited solution.”

And the quota allows China to stockpile REEs to build up their military and share those advances while the US is sitting on the sidelines
Bruno, Senior Editor at Pro-edge Consultants, 2012
(Alessandro, “Dependency on Foreign Rare Earths Leaves US Military Defenseless”, REE World Report, August 20, p. http://proedgewire.com/rare-earth-intel/dependency-on-foreign-rare-earths-leaves-us-military-defenseless/)
“The trade in rare earths has” and “reached the end of the line.”

US military superiority prevents great power war
Kagan, 2012, The World America Made, Brookings Institution, Robert, p. 90-91
“One of the main causes of war” and “great-power war more likely again.”

Decline of US hegemony risks great power wars
Zhang and Shi, 2011, East Asia Forum, America’s decline: A harbinger of conflict and rivalry, January 22, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,Yuhan;  Columbia University, Lin, p. http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2011/01/22/americas-decline-a-harbinger-of-conflict-and-rivalry/ (accessed: 9-6-2011)
“Over the past two decades,” and “unrivalled US primacy.”

Advantage Two is Japan—

Increasing global energy demand makes energy security the central question for the future state of the US-Japan alliance – a consensus is needed on bilateral energy strategy
Cronin et al., Senior Advisor @ CNAS, April 2012 Center for New American Security, Patrick, Paul Fiarra, and Zachary Hosford, “The China Challenge: Military, Economic and Energy Choices Facing the US-Japan Alliance,” accessed 9/17/12 SM
“Although energy security” and “to be a viable alternative.”

Allowing LNG exports to Japan is critical to revitalize the alliance through bilateral trade and relations
Armitage and Nye, president of Armitage International and dean emeritus of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, August 15, 2012
(Richard and Joseph Jr., “The U.S.-Japan Alliance anchoring stability in asia”, CSIS, p. http://csis.org/publication/us-japan-alliance-1)
“Recent positive developments in” and “customers for U.S. natural gas.”

Japan’s energy needs are forcing the country to increase ties with other countries which hamstrings Japan’s ability to be an effective ally   
Mazza and Schmidt, American Enterprise Institute, 2012
(Michael and Gary, “Turn Gas Into Geostrategy; Japan is eager to buy Alaskan LNG. The decision ought to be a no brainer.”, The Wall Street Journal, June 10, p. Factiva)
“After the Fukushima disaster,” and “this fortuitous development.”

Allowing US natural gas exports is a critical symbolic gesture to maintain US-Japanese relations and give Japan more leverage in Energy trade
Saunders, Executive Director of the Center for the National Interest, 2012
(Paul J., “Leaving Tokyo in the Dark”, The National Interest, August 7, p. http://nationalinterest.org/commentary/leaving-tokyo-the-dark-7299?page=show)
“Darting from one air-conditioned” and “one of its most pressing problems.”

US ambivalence towards Japan’s alliance needs decreases their participation in the East Asian security architecture – ensures Chinese aggression
Kapila, PhD., International Relations and Strategic Affairs analyst, 2010 Subhas, “Japan’s Political Instability and Its Strategic Impact,” pg online @ http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/papers39/paper3848.html SM
“More seriously, Japanese insecurities” and “discomfiture of the United States.”

US Japan alliance key to prevent war over Taiwan—it's the key deterrent
Xinbo, professor at the Center for American Studies and associate dean of the School of International Relations and Public Affairs at Fudan University in Shanghai, 2005 Project Muse – Wu, “The End of the Silver Lining: A Chinese View of the U.S.-Japanese Alliance,” Washington Quarterly, 29.1, 119-130, accessed 9/18/12 SM
“To Washington and Tokyo,” and “active and capable Japan.”

And, full scale U.S.-China war over Taiwan escalates and goes nuclear—core interests outweigh all other concerns
Bush, Director, Center for Northeast Asian Policy Studies, Senior Fellow, Brookings, and O’Hanlon, Senior Fellow, Foreign Policy, Brookings, 2007 Richard, and Michael E., A WAR LIKE NO OTHER: THE THRUTH ABOUT CHINA’S CHALLENGE TO AMERICA, John Wiley and Sons, pp.99-101 RG
“War between China and Taiwan” and “China-Taiwan war.”

Asia conflict goes nuclear – miscalc and US interests prove
Landy, National Security Expert @ Knight Ridder, 3/10/’2k
(Jonathan, Knight Ridder, lexis)
“Few if any experts think China” and “to the Commerce Department.”

The mere existence of the alliance isn’t enough – a structurally weak alliance encourages Chinese aggression and decimates the efficacy of the alliance
Finnegan, Senior Research Associate @ the National Bureau of East Asian Research, November 2009 National Bureau of East Asian Research – Michael, “Managing Unmet Expectations in the US-Japan Alliance,” NBR Special Report #17, accessed on 9/18/12 SM
“Although the two partners” and “new bargain on Japanese security.”

Contention Three is Solvency—

DOE should approve applications—this solves and does not involve money or Congress
Levi, Senior Fellow for Energy and the Environment at CFR, 2012
(Michael, “A Strategy for U.S. Natural Gas Exports”, June, p. http://www.hamiltonproject.org/files/downloads_and_links/06_exports_levi.pdf
“I thus propose that,” and “restrictions on LNG exports.”

Exporting natural gas will not drastically increase prices, cause volatility or destroy competitiveness of US industries – producers will increase production to limit price spikes
Ebinger et al., director of the Energy Security Initiative at Brookings, 2012
(Charles, “Liquid Markets: Assessing the Case for U.S. Exports of Liquefied Natural Gas”, Policy Brief 12-01, May, p. http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2012/05/02-lng-exports-ebinger)
“While LNG exports may be” and “domestic prices of —natural gas.”