Tournament:  | Round:  | Opponent:  | Judge:
Plan Text
The United States Federal Government should substantially increase financial incentives for solar energy production in the United States by eliminating tariffs on crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells imported from the People’s Republic of China.

New tariffs are drastically increasing the price of Chinese solar panels in the US.

Bradsher and Cardwell 12

(Keith Bradsher and Diane Cardwell, writing for the New York Times, “US slaps high tariffs on Chinese solar panels” http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/18/business/energy-environment/us-slaps-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-panels.html?_r=1andpagewanted=allandpagewanted=print)

The United States on Thursday announced the imposition of antidumping tariffs of more than 31
AND
likely to mean a substantial increase in the price of solar panels here.

Nearly half of planned US installations were going to use Chinese solar panels.

Bullis 12

(Kevin Bullis, writing for Technology Review, published by MIT, “Could Tariffs on Chinese Solar Panels Do More Harm than Good?” 3.20.12 http://www.technologyreview.com/news/427283/could-tariffs-on-chinese-solar-panels-do-more/)

But the real story is more complicated. For one thing, cheap Chinese panels
AND
substantial impact," he says. "There's no way to avoid that."
 

These tariffs are crushing solar energy production – cost is the key factor keeping Americans from installing solar panels.

Bensinger 12
(Ken, April 23, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer, “U.S. tariffs on Chinese solar cells fuel debate about green jobs,” http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/23/business/la-fi-solar-jobs-20120423, d/a 8-2-12, ads)

But a close look at the U.S. solar industry suggests that the
AND
terms of going solar is whether they can save money,” Rive said.

Tariffs choke American solar industry – all the jobs are in sales, installation, and maintenance, not production.

Reuters 12

(Reuters wire story, “CASE Responds to Damaging Solar Tariff Decision” 17 May 2012 http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/05/17/idUS201557+17-May-2012+BW20120517)

Jigar Shah, the President of CASE, stated, “Today SolarWorld received one
AND
cells and panels will make it harder for American families to access solar.”
 

Solar development key to energy independence and preventing economic crisis

Jabusch 12

(Garvin Jabusch, “Tariffs on Chinese Solar Are Bad for Us All” on Green Alpha's Next Economy 18 May 12 http://sierraclub.typepad.com/gaa/2012/05/tariffs-on-chinese-solar-are-bad-for-us-all.html) sbb

Slowing down solar development is undesirable in general. Remember, solar at scale represents
AND
we just ceded the advantage in getting Saudi’s solar business to Chinese firms.
 

Economic crisis causes war – internal conflict spawns wars over resources

Royal 10 (Jedediah, director of Cooperative Threat Reduction at the U.S. Department of Defense, Economics of War and Peace: Economic, Legal, and Political Perspectives, pg 213-215)

Less intuitive is how periods of economic decline may increase the likelihood of external conflict
AND
As such the view presented here should be considered ancillary to those views.
 

Renewable energy is key to stop global warming.

Shahan, 02/12 (Clean Technica, Zachary Shahan, 02/29/12, “Former Microsoft Exec. Needs” http://cleantechnica.com/2012/02/29/former-microsoft-exec-nathan-myhrvold-climate-scientist-ken-caldeira-on-our-clean-energy-not-natural-gas-needs/) og

In summary, Myhrvold and Caldeira have shown in pretty stark terms that, if
AND
wind, solar, and nuclear, and possibly carbon capture and storage.
 

Warming causes extinction – melting polar ice caps and massive carbon release.

Ahmed 2010 (Nafeez Ahmed, Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Research and Development, professor of International Relations and globalization at Brunel University and the University of Sussex, Spring/Summer 2010, “Globalizing Insecurity: The Convergence of Interdependent Ecological, Energy, and Economic Crises,” Spotlight on Security, Volume 5, Issue 2, online)

Perhaps the most notorious indicator is anthropogenic global warming. The landmark 2007 Fourth Assessment
AND
– a situation endangering the survival of all life on earth.xi