Tournament: MAC | Round:  | Opponent:  | Judge: 

1AC

Contention 1: Solvency

Text: The United States federal government should offer power purchase agreements to companies that generate electricity from Small Modular Reactors.

DOE Cost sharing fails to create a market for SMRs – Government PPAs are necessary to make nuclear power cost competitive

DOE, 12 A Strategic Framework for SMR Deployment, 2-24-12, http://www.ne.doe.gov/smrsubcommittee/documents/SMR%20Strategic%20Framework.pdf

Four Phases to Commercial ... segment of the economy.

Federal purchase agreements are key to create a market for SMRs and spur private investment

Rosner and Goldberg, 2011 (Robert, senator of the Helmholtz Association for the Research Field Structure of Matter and is currently the William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago; Stephen, Senior Advisor to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; “Small Modular Reactors – Key to Future Nuclear Power Generation in the U.S.”, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), The University of Chicago, Contributor: Joseph S. Hezir, Pricipal, EOP Foundation, Inc., Technical Paper, Revision 1, November, https:~/~/epic.sites.uchicago.edu/sites/epic.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/pdf(%%))

6.2 GOVERNMENT SPONSORSHIP ... for SMR plants.

SMRs are critical to reduced risk premiums – key to investment in commercial nuclear power

Rosner and Goldberg, 2011 (Robert, senator of the Helmholtz Association for the Research Field Structure of Matter and is currently the William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago; Stephen, Senior Advisor to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; “Small Modular Reactors – Key to Future Nuclear Power Generation in the U.S.”, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), The University of Chicago, Contributor: Joseph S. Hezir, Pricipal, EOP Foundation, Inc., Technical Paper, Revision 1, November, https:~/~/epic.sites.uchicago.edu/sites/epic.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/pdf(%%))

In both the 2004 Chicago ... for nuclear power plants.

Risk Premiums are the key internal link to increased nuclear production

Deutch et. al, 2009 (John, Professor of Chemistry MIT; Dr. Charles Forsberg, Executive Director of the MIT Nuclear Fuel Cycle Study – Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering; Andrew Kadak, Professor of Dept of Nuclear Science and Engineering; Mujid Kazimi, TEPCO professor of nuclear engineering and mechanical engineering; Ernest Moniz, Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems; John E. Parsons, Executive Director of MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research; “Update of the MIT 2003 Future of Nuclear Power”, MIT Energy Initiative, http://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-update2009.pdf)

The 2003 report found that ... will be eliminated only by demonstrated performance.

SMR design solves any safety concerns

Rosner and Goldberg, 2011 (Robert, senator of the Helmholtz Association for the Research Field Structure of Matter and is currently the William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago; Stephen, Senior Advisor to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; “Small Modular Reactors – Key to Future Nuclear Power Generation in the U.S.”, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), The University of Chicago, Contributor: Joseph S. Hezir, Pricipal, EOP Foundation, Inc., Technical Paper, Revision 1, November, https:~/~/epic.sites.uchicago.edu/sites/epic.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/pdf(%%))

While the focus in this paper is ... beyond the scope of this paper.

Contention 2 is gas:

Unbalanced dependence on natural gas will compromise energy security and economic growth – increased development of nuclear energy is key

Whitman ’12 – former EPA administrator and New Jersey governor, co-chair of the Clean and Safe Energy Coalition which promotes the inclusion of nuclear power as part of a clean energy portfolio (Christine Todd, “It's dangerous to depend on natural gas”, May 9,  http:~/~/tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/05/09/christine-whitman-nuclear-energy/http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2012/05/09/christine-whitman-nuclear-energy/, CMR)

FORTUNE -- The United States ... of energy resources.

SMRs are key to a stable electric supply-~--power plants are shutting down and renewables aren’t reliable

McNelis 12—director of the Center for Sustainable Energy, Environment and Economic Development in the Institute for the Environment at UNC-Chapel Hill. (David, 6/24/12, Safe Power from Small Reactors http:~/~/www.newsobserver.com/2011/06/24/1295895/html

CHAPEL HILL -- Efforts to promote ... in the United States.

Unchecked natural gas development risks methane release 

Tollefson ’12 (Jeff, former Knight fellow in science journalism at MIT, “Air sampling reveals high emissions from gas field”, Feb 7, http:~/~/www.nature.com/news/9982, CMR)

Natural-gas operations in areas ... out as early as April would promote such changes by regulating emissions from the gas fields.

Nuclear war 

Robertston ‘9 J.E. Robertson 3/9/2009 (Department of Oceanography, Southampton Oceanography Centre, University of Southampton, Global Climate Destabilization is Major Security and Economic Threat, http:~/~/www.casavaria.com/hotspring/2009/03/227/global-climate-destabilization-is-major-security-economic-threat/http://www.casavaria.com/hotspring/2009/03/227/global-climate-destabilization-is-major-security-economic-threat/, CMR

The new administration in ... dependent on the monsoons.

AND, Reliance on natural gas is unsustainable – diverse energy portfolio key to prevent economic collapse

Rago 6/8/12 (Joseph, “Tom Fanning: The Natural Gas Skeptic”, Interview of Tom Fanning who is President of Southern Company, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial management from Georgia Institute of Technology, http:~/~/online.wsj.com/article/html, CMR)

For Mr. Fanning, this ... But it would most definitely thwart creative destruction as well.

Collapse of the US economy causes great power nuclear war

Khalilzad ’11 Zalmay was the United States ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations during the presidency of George W. Bush and the director of policy planning at the Defense Department from 1990 to 1992, “ The Economy and National Security”, 2-8-11, http:~/~/www.nationalreview.com/articles/print/259024url:http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/print/259024, CMR

Today, economic and fiscal ... in their regions.

AND, sustainable growth key to prevent extinction

Goklany ‘7 – PhD, science and tech policy analyst for the US Dept of the Interior

Indur M, M.S. and Ph.D are from Michigan State University, “the improving state of the world”, page number below in brackets, CMR

Thanks to the cycle ... limits to growth.

Natural gas fluctuations are the key internal link – empirically proven

Meyer ‘3 – Director of Government Relations, Union of Concerned Scientists (Alden, “RENEWABLE ENERGY AND ELECTRICITY: DIVERSITY, STABILITY, SECURITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP”, March 5, http:~/~/www.ucsusa.org/assets/documents/clean_energy/pdf, CMR)

Renewable energy technologies ... which¶ lasted from the mid-1980s until about 2000, may be gone.”

Balanced energy portfolio is key to the electric grid

Hart ’12 (Kathleen, “Duke CEO warns against 'all gas, all the time' for electric generation”, April 11, http:~/~/www.snl.com/Interactivex/article.aspx?CdId=aspx?CdId=A-14623524-13105, CMR)

Warning against the use of "... in the next presidential term."

Extinction

Rifkin, 2 (Alan, The founder and president of the Foundation on Economic Trends, Fellow at the Wharton School’s Executive Education Program (Jeremy, The Hydrogen Economy: The Creation of the World-Wide Energy Web and the Redistribution of Power on Earth, p.163-164) CMR

It is understandable that we would be ...  presence in our lives.

Energy security is key to prevent global war and extinction

Becker et al, ‘2008 (Ulrich, professor of physics at MIT, MIT Faculty Newsletter, Vol. XXI No. 2, http:~/~/web.mit.edu/fnl/volume/212/html(%%))

 The reliable and affordable availability of ... The Future of Nuclear Power.

Contention 3 is water:

Global water shortages coming – expert evidence confirms

Springer 8/10/12 (Richard, Staff Reporter, “Time Running Out in Global Water Crisis: Researchers”, http:~/~/indiawest.com/news/5983-html(%%), CMR)

 The global water crisis was examined... adequate supplies of fresh water,” he added.

SMRs uniquely key to desalinization process – years of study prove the feasibility

Sloan, 10 David, assistant professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration, Boise State, has been named the new director of the Energy Policy Institute and an associate director of the Center for Advanced Energy Studies Energy Policy Inst., ECONOMIC AND EMPLOYMENT IMPACTS OF SMALL MODULAR NUCLEAR REACTORS, June 2010, http:~/~/www.nuclearcompetitiveness.org/images/EPI_SMR_pdf(%%)

 Desalination. The IAEA has identified ... and other sources of generation (Arthur, 2010).

Nuclear desalination is key to prevent coming global water crisis - but more federal support is key

Witte ’11 – professor of mechanical engineering specializing in energy transport and thermodynamics at the University of Houston (Larry C, “Time has come to harness nuclear power for water desalination”, November 4, www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/php(%%), CMR)                                                                                 

The spread of arid ... warning of things to come.

Plan solves –allows for export markets globally

Rosner and Goldberg, 2011 (Robert, senator of the Helmholtz Association for the Research Field Structure of Matter and is currently the William E. Wrather Distinguished Service Professor at the University of Chicago; Stephen, Senior Advisor to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; “Small Modular Reactors – Key to Future Nuclear Power Generation in the U.S.”, Energy Policy Institute at Chicago (EPIC), The University of Chicago, Contributor: Joseph S. Hezir, Pricipal, EOP Foundation, Inc., Technical Paper, Revision 1, November, https:~/~/epic.sites.uchicago.edu/sites/epic.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/pdf(%%))

There are many opportunities ...now rapidly emerging, China.

Water shortages escalate to nuclear conflict and extinction

NASCA ‘6 – National Association for Scientific and Cultural Appreciation (“Water Shortages – Only A Matter Of Time.” http:~/~/www.nasca.org.uk/Strange_relics_/water/html(%%), CMR)

Water is one of the prime essentials for... for which there will be no obvious answer.

And it causes nuclear war between India and Pakistan

Bokhari, 2010 (assistant editor at Dawn, Ashfak, 01/18, “Water dispute and war risk,” http://archives.dawn.com/archives/24980)

 In March last year, a group of more than ... prepare for a nuclear war,” he said.

Conflict is likely - escalates quickly, and causes extinction

Robock, 2010 (Professor of Meteorology and Associate Director of the Center for Environmental Prediction in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Rutgers University (Alan, Owen Brian Toon, professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and a fellow at the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado, January, “Local Nuclear War, Global Suffering,”climate.envsci.rutgers.edu/pdf/RobockToonSciAmJan2010.pdf)

Some people maintain that nuclear... or eliminate agricultural production.

Water scarcity collapses civilization

Bell, ‘2009 (Research Associate at the David Livingstone Centre for Sustainability. He was a BBC presenter and correspondent who went on to head up policy for the Scottish Nationalist Party (SNP), set up allmediascotland.com and write columns for ­ e Herald. He has been investigating water for two years, Alexander, November, Peak Water: Civilization and the World’s Water Crisis, p. 208)

The idea of a water war has become ... currently know it.

Impacts occur within 10 years

CFR ’12 (“ODNI Report: Global Water Security”, February, http:~/~/www.cfr.org/natural-resources-management/odni-report-global-water-security/org/natural-resources-management/odni-report-global-water-security/p27882(%%), CMR)

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence ... within the next 10 years.