1AC

Plan: The United States federal government should offer direct subsidies for the

production of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle coal plants.

Advantage 1 is Warming

1) Anthropogenic Warming is Real, Happening NOW and CO2 Emissions are the

main cause – TOP Scientists Agree

Anderegg et al 10 – PhD Candidate @ Stanford in Biology

William, “Expert credibility in climate change,” National Academy of Sciences, p. 12107-12109

“Preliminary reviews of scientific literature and surveys of cli- mate scientists indicate striking agreement with the primary

conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change” ………. “future discussions in media, policy, and public forums

regarding anthropogenic climate change.”

2) Warming real and anthropogenic

Muller 12—Richard A., professor of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and

a former MacArthur Foundation fellow, The Conversion of a Climate-Change Skeptic, 7/28/

12, http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/30/opinion/the-conversion-of-a-climate-change-

skeptic.html?_r=1andpagewanted=all, Shree and Brandi

“CALL me a converted skeptic. Three years ago I identified problems in previous climate studies

that, in my mind, threw doubt on the very existence of global warming. Last year” ……… “Our

result is based simply on the close agreement between the shape of the observed temperature

rise and the known greenhouse gas increase.”

3) Coal Combustion is still best – An increase in Natural Gas

Mark Z. Jacobson: “Myths and Realities about Wind, Water, and Sun (WWS) Versus Current

Fuels” – August 2, 2012: Mark is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering; the

Director, Atmosphere/Energy Program; Senior Fellow, Woods Institute for the Environment;

Senior Fellow, Precourt Institute for Energy - B.S. Civil Engineering, B.A. Economics, and M.S.

Environmental Engineering (1988) Stanford University M.S. (1991) and Ph.D. (1994) Atmospheric

Science, University of California at Los Angeles [AM]

Myth: Natural gas reduces global warming relative to coal so should be used as a

“bridgefuel” between coal and renewable energy sources.

“Reality:and Although natural gas generally causes less traditional air pollution” ………. “global

warming impacts of natural gas. Thus, both fuels are problematic.”

4) Warming Causes COMPLETE Bio-Extinction

Brandenburg and Paxon 99 – Rocket Scientist and NASA tech advisor

John E. Brandenburg and Monica Rix Paxon, physicist rocket scientist, Mars expert, investigator

on MET project, NASA technical advisor, former member of space transport subcommittee ;

writer and scientific editor, Dead Mars, Dying Earth, 1999, p.232 - 233

“The world goes on its merry way and fossil fuel use continues to power it” ………. “with perhaps a few hardy microbes surviving”

Speth 8 – Dean of Yale school of Forestry

James, dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies at Yale University, New

Haven, Connecticut. Currently he serves the school as the Carl W. Knobloch, Jr. Dean and Sara

Shallenberger Brown Professor in the Practice of Environmental Policy, The Bridge @ the Edge

of the World, pg. 26

“The possibility of abrupt climate change is linked to what may be the most” ………. “and the trip will exterminate a large fraction of

species on the planet.”

DOE 11 [DOE, Gasification Technology RandD, Page Updated 10/3/11, http://www.fossil.energy.gov/programs/powersystems/

“Environmental Benefits The environmental benefits of gasification” ………. “the resulting carbon

dioxide is diluted and more costly to separate”

7) Cost is the Key Factor in Energy Choice – the Plan lowers Coal Cost which

Transitions the US away from Natural Gas: Affordability is Key

Freed 12 [Josh Freed, Vice President for Clean Energy, Third Way, Did regs kill the horse-drawn carriage? National Journal, 4/9/

12, http://energy.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/whats-really-causing-coals-dec.php]

“Blaming regulation for the decline of coal is like blaming cars” ………. “to build a

natural gas plant than a new coal plant.”

8) US-driven IGCC is key to global modeling

Roberts, 04 – Contributor to Harper's Magazine, frequent speaker on National Public Radio

and member of The New York Review, (Paul, “The End of Oil: on the Edge of a Perilous New

World”, pg. 232-4, USC Libraries)//JK

“Even as U.S. policies were undermining the existing energy order” ………. “United States needs

to build up a real manufacturing strength."”

Advantage 2 is Economy

1) Coal Use Declining – Natural Gas

Kennedy and Bradbury, 12 [Kevin Kennedy, Director of the U.S. Climate Initiative at the World Resources

Institute, and James Bradbury, Senior Associate, WRI, Markets Favor Alternatives to Coal, National Journal, 4/11/12, http://

energy.nationaljournal.com/2012/04/whats-really-causing-coals-dec.php]

“A Closer Look at Key Drivers¶ Following are some of” ………. “that new regulations are to blame for the retirement of America’s

aging coal fleet.”

2) Coal is Key to the Economy – 5 Empirical Reason

Lisa Camooso Miller (January 25, 2011) “Five Ways Coal Can Help Our Economy” - Lisa Camooso Miller is ACCCE’s

vice president for media relations. She oversees ACCCE’s earned media implementation and strategic planning and appears regularly in print, radio and on

national television including CNN, MSNBC and Fox. For more than 15 years, Lisa has been a notable communications leader in public affairs, holding key

positions in local, state and federal government, political campaigns and committees, as well as advocacy organizations. She has served as the communications

director for a national political committee and for two New Jersey governors. Her federal government experience includes serving as deputy communications

director for the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and also for the U.S. Department of Commerce.

“The State of the Union address is tonight, and President Obama has made it clear that”

………. “deploy new technologies to meet air quality standards.”

Mathew, PhD European History @ Cambridge, counselor in the National Intelligence Council (NIC) and Jennifer is a member of the

NIC’s Long Range Analysis Unit “Revisiting the Future: Geopolitical Effects of the Financial Crisis” http://www.ciaonet.org/journals/

twq/v32i2/f_0016178_13952.pdf

Increased Potential for Global Conflict

“Of course, the report encompasses more than economics and indeed believes the future” ………. “within and between states in a

more dog-eat-dog world.”

4) NW Guarantees Extinction.

Robock and Slanina 9 – Prof Climatology @ Rutgers, Alan, Head of Environmental Research

@ Netherlands Energy Research Foundation, Sjaak, "Nuclear winter." In: Encyclopedia of Earth.

Eds. Cutler J. Cleveland http://www.eoearth.org/article/Nuclear_winter

“Nuclear winter is a term that describes the climatic effects of nuclear war” ………. “Only nuclear disarmament will prevent the

possibility of a nuclear environmental catastrophe.”

Solvency

1) Government support for IGCC key to its long-term commercial viability – Subsidies

and other financial incentives are comparatively better than alternatives

Tarr 11 [Julie-Anne Tarr , Professor of Law, Queensland University of Technology, “Development and deployment challenges

for low emissions coal technology: the IGCC with CCS case,” Journal of World Energy Law and Business, 2011, Vol. 4, No. 4, p.

322-4]

“Government support The relationship between the cost to deploy or develop the next iteration or plant in the development cycle”

………. “as not involving increased direct costs to consumers.”

2) Government support of IGCC key to overcoming the key barriers to mass use

Tarr 11 [Julie-Anne Tarr , Professor of Law, Queensland University of Technology, “Development and deployment challenges

for low emissions coal technology: the IGCC with CCS case,” Journal of World Energy Law and Business, 2011, Vol. 4, No. 4, p.

329-31]

“The potential for a global roll-out of IGCC with CCS is significant” ………. “widespread

opposition while deferring or reducing particular project funding.49”

3) IGCC tech viable – incentives ensures large scale implementation

Hoffman and Szklo 11 [Bettina Susanne Hoffmann, Alexandre Szklo, Energy Planning Program, Graduate School

of Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Integrated gasification combined cycle and carbon capture: A risky option to

mitigate CO2 emissions of coal-fired power plants, Applied Energy 88 (2011) 3917–3929]

“The main objective of this article was to analyze whether the IGCC technology with CC is mature” ………. “Finally, we should

mention that all analyses here are based on 2008–2009 costs.”

4) Incentives key to IGCC viability

Kundi, 11 [Manish Kundi, Engineering Management Field Project Is Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle with Carbon

Capture-Storage the Solution for Conventional Coal Power Plants, MS Thesis, Fall 2011, http://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/dspace/

bitstream/1808/8745/1/Kundi%2c%20Manish%20EMGT%20Field%20Project.pdf]

“Any new revolutionary change to the established industry requires a lot of time” ………. “appears to be a viable solution over

conventional pulverized coal plants”