OSEA AFF

1AC

Contention 1 Inherency
Contention 1 is Inherency The National Ocean Policy is a
failure. Budget and coordination efforts hamstring holistic
strategy for exploration.
Lee, 12 (Jane, writer for Science Magazine, US National Ocean Policy: No Success
Without Science? Science, 5/7/12, http://news.sciencemag.org/2012/05/u.s.national-ocean-policy-no-success-without-science)
Coaxing

U.S. federal agencies to work together is no small feat . But an emerging

National Ocean Policy (NOP) is attempting to do just that. The Obama Administration's proposed NOP will help
federal agencies better organize marine research efforts and inject data into policy decisionsand potentially
prevent conflicts between ocean users and save money, U.S. officials argue. But recent public comments on the
Administration's plan for implementing the new policy suggest that researchers are concerned that budget
shortfalls and program eliminations could undermine efforts to realize these goals. U.S.

policymakers have

tried to come up with a coordinated ocean -use policy for years. The most recent effort started
in 2000 when Congress passed the Oceans Act, which called for the formation of a U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy. The commission issued recommendations for a national ocean policy in a report released in 2004. But it
wasn't until July 2010, when President Barack Obama signed Executive Order 13547, that the most recent iteration
of NOP was put into place. NOP is intended to enable "the integration of information through the ocean policy
agencies that has really not happened in the past," Sally Yozell, director of policy at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said last week during a science policy conference hosted by the American
Geophysical Union. And that coordination "is going to help us and industry save millions of dollars," she predicted.
In particular, the policy highlights nine goals that seek to address the most pressing issues regarding the oceans
and Great Lakes. They include shifting regulators to a more holistic ecosystem-based management perspective,
better integrating scientific information in policy decisions, and creating a planning process for determining what
kinds of activities should take place in different parts of U.S. waters (a concept officially known as coastal and
marine spatial planning). It also aims to encourage 26 federal agencies to work together on ocean management
and research efforts. In January, the Administration released a plan for implementing the policy, and the general
public had until the end of March to submit their thoughts and opinions to the National Ocean Council. The
thousands of pages of comments, including many from researchers and science organizations, reveal a range of
views praising and criticizing the plan. Coastal and marine spatial planning in particular has elicited worries that
local and regional interests will be excluded from decision-making processes. Some commercial fishers are also
concerned that decisions based solely on scientific information won't take into consideration the cultural and
historical traditions of their communities. Many of the research-focused commenters, however, said they
appreciated the NOP's intent to have the government manage resources using an ecosystem-based perspective.
That marks a shift from many traditional government management strategies, which often focus on sustaining one
type of marine organism or user group without considering the system as a whole. "I applaud the emphasis on
ecosystem-based management," wrote David Jay, a physical oceanographer at Portland State University in Oregon.
"Too often, federal agency initiatives are based on narrow analyses that fail to consider impacts of a project from a
broad ecosystem perspective." Other commenters, however, expressed concerns about how

proposed budget

cuts would affect the government's ability to implement NOP . For example, a joint statement
by Clean Ocean Action, Delaware Riverkeeper Network, and NY/NJ Baykeeper laments a recent White House
proposal to eliminate NOAA's James J. Howard Marine Science Lab at Sandy Hook, New Jersey, as
well as the agency's Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program , which helps researchers
rescue and study stranded whales and seals. The programs also generate data on ocean acidification,
marine mammal health, and water quality. Ocean observing equipment, such as buoys and ships, is also
facing budget problems, other commenters noted. "Flat budgets in times of escalating costs have
resulted in a near-halving of ship utilization, putting the ships at the brink of unsustainability ," wrote
Kathleen Ritzman, assistant director at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California. One solution,
she wrote, would be to better coordinate the use and funding of U.S.-based research vessels by federal agencies,
including NOAA, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the Department of Energy; these agencies often arrange ship time
independently for their vessel-based studies. In an interview with ScienceInsider, NOAA's Yozell agreed with the
need to be smarter about how agencies use their ocean observing platforms. "[We are] looking across the federal
family and assessing capabilities that our oceanographic fleet has," she said. The goal is to see how agencies can
share some of their missions and assets, such as buoys or unmanned vehicles, rather than operate piecemeal.

NOP's goal of better coordinating ocean research across the federal government won't necessarily
change the scientific questions being asked by agencies, Yozell said at last week's
symposium, but officials hope it will change how data are shared and used. "The hope is, more
information being brought together to manage resources are going to have a better end result," she said.

Contention 2 Science Diplomacy

Flight 370 proves that US ocean exploration is dismal.
Helvarg 4/1 (DAVID HELVARG, executive director of Blue Frontier, a marine
conservation and policy group. His latest book is "The Golden Shore: California's
Love Affair With the Sea, It's no surprise we can't find Flight 370, 4/1/2014,
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-0401-helvarg-flight-370-oceanexploration-20140401-story.html MB)
The weeks-long search for some physical sign of Malaysia
Airlines Flight 370 is not something we should wonder at, considering the frontier nature of our blue planet. The 29%
Jet aircraft are large, but not compared with the ocean.

of our planet that is land is inhabited by more than 7 billion of our species, at least a few of whom would have reported a crash or hijacked aircraft. By contrast, the ocean that covers

of the Earth's surface and 97% of its living habitat rarely has more than a few
million people on or about its surface. These include commercial mariners,
fishermen, cruise ship passengers, sailors aboard the world's military fleets,
offshore oil and gas workers, research scientists and the odd sea gypsy.One reason we've not
71%

colonized the ocean, as science-fiction writers (and at least one senator, the late Claiborne Pell, of Rhode Island) once imagined, is that the ocean is a far rougher and more difficult
wilderness than any encountered by terrestrial explorers, or even astronauts traveling in the consistent vacuum of space, with its occasional meteorites and space junk to avoid.The sea
pummels us with an unbreathable and corrosive liquid medium; altered visual and acoustic characteristics; changing temperatures, depths and pressures; upwellings; tides; currents;
gyres; obscuring marine layers; sudden storms and giant rouge waves; and life forms than can sting, poison or bite. Even accounting for more than 70 years of classified military

, our
ability to search for a missing aircraft at sea has come a long way since Amelia
Earhart disappeared while trying to cross the Pacific in 1937. But the patched-together satellite data and
electronic-signals processing that has so far pointed the Flight 370 search to an area
1,800 miles from Perth, Australia, is no more than a crisis-mode, jury-rigged, extraordinary effort. Consider
hydrographic surveys, we've still mapped less than 10% of the ocean with the resolution we've used to map all of the moon, Mars or even several moons of Jupiter. Obviously

this: If you're a drug smuggler and you enter U.S. coastal waters in a speedboat at night, and then go dead in the water during the day, with a blue tarp thrown over your vessel, odds
are that you'll successfully deliver your contraband. Our investment in ocean exploration, monitoring and law enforcement efforts is at a 20-year low in the United States and not much

Our chances of quickly finding the missing Malaysian flight would have been
improved if we had invested more money and effort on our planet's last great
commons, with observational tools such as in-situ labs and wired benthic observatories, remote and autonomous underwater vehicles and gliders, forward-looking infrared
better elsewhere.

cameras and multi-beam shipboard, airborne (and space-deployed) scanning systems, and other smart but woefully underfunded sea technologies. The fact remains that while
hundreds of people have gone into space, only three humans have ventured to the lowest point on our planet seven miles down in the Mariana Trench, and the latest of these

. Meanwhile, when it comes to exploring the

cosmos, NASA even in its diminished state outspends NOAA's ocean
exploration program roughly 1,000 to 1. Yet when we get to Mars, the first thing we
seek as proof of life is water. Meanwhile, we have a whole water planet that remains a challenge we've once again discovered to be far greater than
we thought. Whatever the final resolution of the Flight 370 tragedy, that challenge is bound to become greater as our
food and coastal security, marine transportation systems, even our basic ecosystem processes such as the oxygen
generated by ocean plankton, are increasingly stressed through overfishing,
pollution, loss of coastal habitat and ocean impacts from climate change. Investing in the
exploration and understanding of our planet's largest habitat should be a
given. Perhaps that will be a lesson learned from our latest human disaster. Unfortunately, while the sea is still vast, our ability to act wisely in our own interests is often
filmmaker explorer engineer James Cameron had to self-fund his 2012 mission

limited.

Centralized and coordinated ocean exploration boosts

international cooperation; serves as a global model for
synergy.
Pages & Kearney, 4 (Patrice, magazine editor @ American Chemical Society,
and Bill, editor @ Ocean Drive magazine, Exploration of the Deep Blue Sea:
Unveiling the Oceans Mysteries, In Focus Magazine, Winter/Spring, vol. 4, no. 1,
http://www.infocusmagazine.org/4.1/env_ocean.html)

The oceans cover nearly three-quarters of the Earth's surface, regulate our weather
and climate, and sustain a large portion of the planet's biodiversity, yet we know
very little about them. In fact, most of this underwater realm remains unexplored.
Three recent reports from the National Research Council propose a significantly
expanded international infrastructure for ocean exploration and research to close
this knowledge gap and unlock the many secrets of the sea. Already a world leader
in ocean research, the United States should lead a new exploration endeavor
by example. "Given the limited resources in many other countries, it would be
prudent to begin with a U.S. exploration program that would include foreign
representatives and serve as a model for other countries," said John Orcutt,
the committee chair for one of the reports and deputy director, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. "Once programs are established
elsewhere, groups of nations could then collaborate on research and pool their
resources under international agreements." Using new and existing facilities,
technologies, and vehicles, proposed efforts to understand the oceans would follow
two different approaches. One component dedicated to exploration would utilize
ships, submersibles, and satellites in new ways to uncover the ocean's biodiversity,
such as the ecosystems associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vents, coral reefs,
and volcanic, underwater mountains. A second component -- a network of ocean
"observatories" composed of moored buoys and a system of telecommunication
cables and nodes on the seafloor -- would complement the existing fleet of research
ships and satellites. The buoys would provide information on weather and climate as
well as ocean biology, and the cables would be used to transmit information from
sensors on fixed nodes about volcanic and tectonic activity of the seafloor,
earthquakes, and life on or below the seafloor. Also, a fleet of new manned and
unmanned deep-diving vehicles would round out this research infrastructure.
Education and outreach should be an integral part of new ocean science efforts by
bringing discoveries to the public, informing government officials, and fostering
collaborations between educators and the program's scientists, the reports say.
These activities will expand previous international programs. For example, the
observatory network will build on current attempts to understand the weather,
climate, and seafloor, such as the Hawaii-2 Observatory -- which consists of marine
telephone cables running between Oahu and Hawaii and the California coast -- and
the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Array, which contains about 70 moorings in the
Pacific and was key to predicting interannual climate events such as El Nio.

These partnerships boost US science diplomacy and build

coalitions to preserve global stability.
Carnahan, 12 (Russ Carnahan represents Missouris Third Congressional District
from 2005-2013 and serves on the House Committees on Foreign Affairs,
Transportation and Infrastructure, and Veterans Affairs. Science Diplomacy and
Congress, AAAS center for scientific diplomacy, 08.02.2012,
http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/perspective/2012/science-diplomacy-andcongress, A.G)
As a member of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and a former member of the House Committee on Science,

coordination of international science and technology (S&T) diplomacy is

paramount to U.S. interests. The United States has the potential to build more
I believe that the

positive relationships with other countries through science . Our country can
better advance U.S. national security and economic interests by helping build technological
capacities in other nations and working with international partners to solve global
challenges. This is why I have worked in a bipartisan manner to lead the introduction of four bills at the
intersection of science and diplomacy: the International Science and Technology Cooperation Act; the Global
Conservation Act; the Global Science Program for Security, Competitiveness, and Diplomacy Act; and the Startup

solutions.
Forging
networks with scientists and institutions abroad helps the United States and its partners find
technical solutions to key global challenges . In an era where international skepticism about
U.S. foreign policy abounds, civil societyincluding scientists and engineersplays a
critical role in reinforcing U.S. foreign policy priorities via engagement
with its counterparts
Act 2.0.

International challenges are just that: global in their scope and

in their

The United States cannot solve multifaceted, multinational problems in scientific or diplomatic isolation.

Scientific diplomacy is necessary to solve multiple scenarios for

extinction transcends IR to solve war.
Sackett, 10 (Penny, former Chief Scientist for Australia, former Program Director at the
NSF, PhD in theoretical physics, the Director of the Australian National University (ANU)
Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 8/10, Science diplomacy: Collaboration
for solutions, Forum for Australian-European Science and Technology Cooperation,
http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1p10y/FEAST/resources/134.htm)
Imagine for a moment that the globe is inhabited by a single individual who roams free across outback plains,
through rainforests, across pure white beaches living off the resources available. Picture the immensity of the
world surrounding this one person and ask yourself, what possible impact could this single person have on the
planet? Now turn your attention to todays reality. Almost 7 billion people inhabit the planet and this
number increases at an average of a little over one per cent per year. Thats about 2 more mouths to feed every
second. Do these 7 billion people have an impact on the planet? Yes. An irreversible impact? Probably. Taken

this huge number of people has managed to change the face of the Earth and
threaten the very systems that support them. We are now embarked on a trajectory that, if
unchecked, will certainly have detrimental impacts on our way of life and to natural
ecosystems. Some of these are irreversible, including the extinction of many species. But returning to that
together

single individual, surely two things are true. A single person could not have caused all of this, nor can a single

the human-induced global problems

that confront us cannot be solved by any one individual, group, agency or nation. It will take a large
collective effort to change the course that we are on; nothing less will suffice. Our planet is facing several
mammoth challenges: to its atmosphere, to its resources, to its inhabitants. Wicked problems such as
climate change, over-population, disease, and food, water and energy security require
concerted efforts and worldwide collaboration to find and implement effective, ethical and sustainable
person solve all the associated problems. The message here is that

solutions. These are no longer solely scientific and technical matters. Solutions must be viable in the larger context

Common understandings and

commitment to action are required between individuals, within communities and across
international networks. Science can play a special role in international
relations. Its participants share a common language that transcends mother tongue and
borders. For centuries scientists have corresponded and collaborated on international scales in
order to arrive at a better and common understanding of the natural and human world. Values integral to
science such as transparency, vigorous inquiry and informed debate also support effective
international relation practices. Furthermore, given the long-established global trade of scientific
information and results, many important international links are already in place at a scientific level.
These links can lead to coalition-building, trust and cooperation on sensitive scientific issues
of the global economy, global unrest and global inequality.

which, when supported at a political level, can provide a soft politics route to other
policy dialogues. That is, if nations are already working together on global science
issues, they may be more likely to be open to collaboration on other global issues
such as trade and security.

Contention 3 Pharmaceuticals
Land based pharmaceutical development has plateaued new
drugs are needed in the face of emerging disease resistance.
Ocean exploration unlocks innovative drugs.
National Research Council 9 The National Academics Advisors to the Nation
on Science, Engineering, and Medicine, 2009, http://dels.nas.edu/resources/staticassets/osb/miscellaneous/Oceans-Human-Health.pdf) jml
In 1945, a young organic chemist named Werner Berg- mann set out to explore the waters off the coast of south-ern
Florida. Among the marine organisms he scooped from the sand that day was a Caribbean sponge that would later
be called Cryptotethya crypta . Back in his lab, Bergmann extracted a novel compound from this sponge that

The chemical Bergmann identified in this sponge, spongothymidine, eventually led

to the development of a whole class of drugs that treat cancer and viral diseases and are still
in use today. For example, Zid- ovudine (AZT) fights the AIDS virus, HIV, and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) is used
in the treatment of leukemias and lymphomas. Acyclovir speeds the healing of eczema and some herpes
aroused his curiosity.

viruses. These are just a few examples of how the study of marine organisms contributes to the health of thousands

New antibiotics, in addition to new drugs for fighting

cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases (which often cannot be
treated successfully today), are greatly needed. With drug resistance nibbling away at the oncefull toolbox of antibiotics, the limited effectiveness of current ly available drugs has dire
consequences for public health. Compounds with medical potential have been found in several
species of marine sponges, such as this bright orange sponge. (Image from Harbor Branch Oceanographic
of men, women, and children around the world.

Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida) _ OCEAN SCIENCE SERIES exploring the promises of ocean science OCEANS AND

many medicines have come from nature mostly from land-based

scientists have nearly exhausted the supply of terrestrial plants,
animals, and microorganisms that have interesting medical properties, new sources of drugs
are needed. Occupying more than 70 percent of the Earths surface, the ocean is a virtually
unexplored treasure chest of new and unidentified speciesone of the last frontiers for sources
of new natural products. These natural products are of special interest because of the dazzling diversity
and uniqueness of the creatures that make the sea their home. One reason marine organisms are so
interesting to scientists is because in adapting to the various ocean environments, they have
evolved fascinating repertoires of unique chemicals to help them survive. For example, anchored to
HUMAN HEALTH 3 Historically,
natural organisms. Because

the seafloor, a sponge that protects itself from an animal trying to take over its space by killing the invader has
been compared with the human immune system trying to kill foreign cancer cells. That same sponge, bathed in
seawater containing millions of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, some of which could be pathogens, has developed

antibiotics could be used to treat

infections in humans. Sponges, in fact, are among the most prolific sources of diverse
chemical compounds. An estimated 30 percent of all potential marine-de- rived medications currently in the
antibiotics to keep those pathogens under control. Those same

pipelineand about 75 per- cent of recently patented marine-de- rived anticancer compoundscome from marine

Marine-based microorganisms are another particularly rich source of new

medicines. More than 120 drugs available today derive from land-based microbes. Scientists see
marine-based microbes as the most promising source of novel medicines from the sea.
sponges.

In all, more than 20,000 biochemical compounds have been isolated from sea creatures since the 1980s. Because

drug discovery in the marine frontier is a relatively young field , only a few marine-derived
drugs are in use today. Many others are in the pipeline. One ex- ample is Prialt, a drug developed from the venom of
a fish-killing cone snail. The cone snails produce neurotoxins to paralyze and kill prey; those neurotoxins are being
developed as neuromuscular blocks for individuals with chronic pain, stroke, or epilepsy. Other marine- derived
drugs are being tested against herpes, asthma, and breast cancer. The National Research Council report Marine
Biotechnology in the Twenty-First Century (2002) concluded that the

exploration of

unique habitats, such as

deep-sea environments, and the isolation and culture of marine microorganisms offer two
underexplored opportunities for discovery of novel chemicals with therapeutic potential. The
successes to date, which are based upon a very limited investigation of both deep-sea organisms and marine
microorganisms, suggest a high potential for continued discovery of new drugs.

Specifically, coral reefs are home to life-saving medicines

Bruckner 13 (Andrew W., Andrew W. Bruckner (andy.bruckner@noaa.gov) is a
coral reef ecologist in the National Marine Fisheries Services Office of Protected
Resources, Silver Spring, Maryland, Life-Saving Products from Coral Reefs,
Issues in Science and Technology, November 27, 2013, http://issues.org/183/p_bruckner/) KD

Coral reefs are storehouses of genetic resources with vast medicinal potential, but
they must be properly managed. During the past decade, marine biotechnology has been applied to the
areas of public health and human disease, seafood safety, development of new
materials and processes, and marine ecosystem restoration and remediation . Dozens of
promising products from marine organisms are being advanced, including a cancer therapy made from algae
and a painkiller taken from the venom in cone snails . The antiviral drugs Ara-A and AZT and the
anticancer agent Ara-C, developed from extracts of sponges found on a Caribbean reef, were among the earliest modern medicines

a sea hare found in the Indian

Ocean, are under clinical trials for use in the treatment of breast and liver cancers,
tumors, and leukemia. Indeed, coral reefs represent an important and as yet largely untapped
source of natural products with enormous potential as pharmaceuticals, nutritional
supplements, enzymes, pesticides, cosmetics, and other novel commercial
products. The potential importance of coral reefs as a source of life-saving and life-enhancing products, however, is still not
well understood by the public or policymakers. But it is a powerful reason for bolstering efforts to protect
reefs from degradation and overexploitation and for managing them in sustainable
ways. Between 40 and 50 percent of all drugs currently in use, including many
of the anti-tumor and anti-infective agents introduced during the 1980s and 1990s,
have their origins in natural products. Most of these were derived from terrestrial plants, animals, and
microorganisms, but marine biotechnology is rapidly expanding . After all, 80 percent of all life
forms on Earth are present only in the oceans. Unique medicinal properties of coral
reef organisms were recognized by Eastern cultures as early as the 14th century,
and some species continue to be in high demand for traditional medicines. In China,
Japan, and Taiwan, tonics and medicines derived from seahorse extracts are used to treat a
wide range of ailments, including sexual disorders, respiratory and circulatory
problems, kidney and liver diseases, throat infections, skin ailments, and pain. In recent
decades, scientists using new methods and techniques have intensified the search for valuable
chemical compounds and genetic material found in wild marine organisms for the
development of new commercial products. Until recently, however, the technology needed to
reach remote and deepwater reefs and to commercially develop marine biotechnology products from organisms
occurring in these environments was largely inadequate. The prospect of finding a new drug in
the sea, especially among coral reef species, may be 300 to 400 times more likely than isolating
one from a terrestrial ecosystem. Although terrestrial organisms exhibit great species diversity, marine
organisms have greater phylogenetic diversity, including several phyla and
thousands of species found nowhere else. Coral reefs are home to sessile plants and fungi similar to those
found on land, but coral reefs also contain a diverse assemblage of invertebrates such as
corals, tunicates, molluscs, bryozoans, sponges, and echinoderms that are absent
obtained from coral reefs. Other products, such as Dolostatin 10, isolated from

from terrestrial ecosystems. These animals spend most of their time firmly attached to the reef and cannot escape
environmental perturbations, predators, or other stressors. Many engage in a form of chemical warfare,
using bioactive compounds to deter predation, fight disease, and prevent
overgrowth by fouling and competing organisms. In some animals, toxins are also
used to catch their prey. These compounds may be synthesized by the organism or by the endosymbiotic
microorganisms that inhabit its tissues, or they are sequestered from food that they eat. Because of their unique
structures or properties, these compounds may yield life-saving medicines or other
important industrial and agricultural products.

And, ocean floor bacteria can provide new chemicals for medical
research.
QUEST 09 (QUEST is a subset organization of KQED Education Network, whos goals are to explore a diverse
array of topics that touch our lives, to spotlight innovations that connect different fields of study, and to offer
accurate and insightful reporting that inspires people to engage in informed conversations about our changing
world; Medicine from the Ocean Floor p. 1, 2009;
http://d43fweuh3sg51.cloudfront.net/media/alfresco/u/pr/KQED/QUEST%20Radio%20Medicine%20from%20the
%20Ocean%20Floor_b63e3342-7d12-4b3c-b454-76c089a6d256/Radio3_24_MedicinefromOceanFloor.pdf, RJ)

The ocean, which covers approximately 74 percent of Earths surface, is a natural

resource that continues to give human society resources that affect our economy,
health and happiness. Ocean travel and exploration, dating back to prehistoric
times, has mainly been conducted on its surface, leaving much of the bottom of the
world's oceans unexplored and unmapped. Today scientists are mining ocean floor
sediments for potential medicines for disease like cholera, tuberculosis and malaria.
By collecting samples from the ocean floor, scientists find hundreds of bacteria they
can test in the lab. Bacteria are single-celled microorganisms found in every habitat
on Earth. They are found in abundance in the ocean floor and are vital in recycling
nutrients, producing chemicals, and contributing to the overall health of the ocean.
Bacteria cause many diseases; however, certain bacteria produce distinct chemicals
that have the potential help fight diseases. Most bacteria from the ocean floor
havent yet been identified. Now scientists are using robotics to help accelerate this
process. Robotics is the science and technology of how robots are designed,
manufactured and used in our society. A robot gets information from its
surroundings and does something physical, such as moving or manipulating objects.
Scientist use robots in the laboratory for specific tasks on a larger scale and at a
faster pace than a person could do. Because of this, robots allow scientists to
identify more chemicals that are created from bacteria and they can use these
chemicals to create medicines for human diseases.

These diseases risk extinction.

Casadevall 12. (Arturo, MD and Ph.D from New York University. The Future of
Biological Warfare Microbial Biotechnology. March 21 2012 Wiley.)
In considering the importance of biological warfare as a subject for concern it is worthwhile to review the known

three major existential threats to

humanity: (i) large-scale thermonuclear war followed by a nuclear winter, (ii) a planet killing
asteroid impact and (iii) infectious disease. To this trio might be added climate change making the
existential threats. At this time this writer can identify at

planet uninhabitable. Of the three existential threats the first is deduced from the inferred cataclysmic effects of
nuclear war. For the second there is geological evidence for the association of asteroid impacts with massive

As to an existential threat from microbes recent decades have

provided unequivocal evidence for the ability of certain pathogens to cause the
extinction (Alvarez, 1987).

extinction of entire species. Although infectious disease has traditionally not been
associated with extinction this view has changed by the finding that a single chytrid
fungus was responsible for the extinction of numerous amphibian species (Daszak et al.,
1999; Mendelson et al., 2006). Previously, the view that infectious diseases were not a cause of
extinction was predicated on the notion that many pathogens required their hosts
and that some proportion of the host population was naturally resistant. However, that
calculation does not apply to microbes that are acquired directly from the
environment and have no need for a host, such as the majority of fungal pathogens.
For those types of hostmicrobe interactions it is possible for the pathogen to kill off
every last member of a species without harm to itself, since it would return to its
natural habitat upon killing its last host. Hence, from the viewpoint of existential
threats environmental microbes could potentially pose a much greater threat to
humanity than the known pathogenic microbes, which number somewhere near 1500 species
(Cleaveland et al., 2001; Taylor et al., 2001), especially if some of these species acquired the
capacity for pathogenicity as a consequence of natural evolution or bioengineering.

Contention 4 STEM
US is falling behind in STEM
Department of Education 14

(United States Department of Education,

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math: Education for Global Leadership, U.S.
Department of Education, 2014. http://www.ed.gov/stem, nyy)

The United States has become a global leader, in large part, through the genius and
hard work of its scientists, engineers and innovators. Yet today, that position is
threatened as comparatively few American students pursue expertise in the fields
of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)and by an
inadequate pipeline of teachers skilled in those subjects. President Obama has set a
priority of increasing the number of students and teachers who are proficient in
these vital fields. Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in
mathematics and interested in a STEM career. Even among those who do go on to
pursue a college major in the STEM fields, only about half choose to work in a
related career. The United States is falling behind internationally, ranking 25th
in mathematics and 17th in science among industrialized nations. In our
competitive global economy, this situation is unacceptable.

The plan is key to increasing STEM education spurs programs

and interest.
Beattie and Schubel, 13 (Ted A., President and C.E.O. of Shedd Aquarium, a
nonprofit organization that works in conservation and research of the worlds ecosystems,
Jerry R., President of C.E.O. of Aquarium of the Pacific, A non-profit organization whos
mission is to instill a sense of wonder, respect , and stewardship for the Pacfic Ocean , its
inhabitants, and ecosystems, On the Importance of a National Program of Ocean
Exploration to Education. NOAA. July 19-21, 2013.
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/oceanexploration2020/oe2020_report.pdf nyy)

In the current competitive global economy, the United States faces a distinct
disadvantage. Only 16 percent of American high school seniors are proficient in
mathematics and interested in STEM careers. And among those who do pursue
college degrees in STEM fields, only half choose to work in a STEM-related career.
The benefits of STEM education are clear. By 2018, the U.S. anticipates more than
1.2 million job openings in STEM-related occupations, including fields as diverse as
science, medicine, software development, and engineering. STEM workers, on
average, earn 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts, and experience
lower unemployment rates than those in other fields. In addition, healthy STEM
industries are critical to maintaining a quality of life in the United States. A national
program of ocean and Great lakes exploration provides myriad ways to capture
public imagination and curiosity to support sustained involvement and
more intense exposure not only to STEM topics, but also the humanities and
arts. New less expensive tools, such as small ROVs, remote sensing station, and
underwater cameras, enable everyone to participate in ocean and freshwater
exploration, such as through the NOAA kiosks stationed in Coastal Ecosystem
Learning Centers, provide a glimpse into the true nature of science: not merely as a
bundle of textbook facts, but a dynamic enterprise of investigation that is constantly
changing as our understanding evolves. The effectiveness of STEM-focused

programs are evident; studies have shown not only that young people enjoy inquirybased STEM activities in and out of school settings, but also that sustained
involvement and more intense exposure to STEM topics increase youth interest and
confidence in their scientific abilities. By engaging the public with ocean and Great
Lakes observation, we provide people of all ages with opportunities to explore their
natural aquatic environments, and to fall in love with the magic and mystery of
scientific exploration.

Increasing STEM cements the foundations for Americas

economic growth and global competitiveness.
Engler 12 (John, President of Buisness Roundtable and former governor of Michigan,
STEM Education Is the Key to the U.S.'s Economic Future, US News & World Report. June
15, 2012, http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2012/06/15/stem-education-is-the-key-to-the-usseconomic-future, nyy)

A close look at American unemployment statistics reveals a contradiction: Even with

unemployment at historically high levels, large numbers of jobs are going unfilled.
Many of these jobs have one thing in commonthe need for an educational
background in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Increasingly,
one of our richest sources of employment and economic growth will be jobs that
require skills in these areas, collectively known as STEM. The question is: Will we be able
to educate enough young Americans to fill them? Yes, the unemployment numbers have been full of

While the overall

unemployment rate has slowly come down to May's still-high 8.2 percent, for those
in STEM occupations the story is very different. According to a recently released
study from Change the Equation, an organization that supports STEM education,
there are 3.6 unemployed workers for every job in the U nited States. That compares
with only one unemployed STEM worker for two unfilled STEM jobs throughout the
country. Many jobs are going unfilled simply for lack of people with the right skill
sets. Even with more than 13 million Americans unemployed, the manufacturing sector cannot find
bad news for the past few years. But there has been good news too.

people with the skills to take nearly 600,000 unfilled jobs, according to a study last fall by the
Manufacturing Institute and Deloitte.

The hardest jobs to fill were skilled positions,

including well-compensated blue collar jobs like machinists, operators, and
technicians, as well as engineering technologists and sciences . As Raytheon Chairman
and CEO William Swanson said at a Massachusetts' STEM Summit last fall, " Too many students
and adults are training for jobs in which labor surpluses exist and demand is low,
while high-demand jobs, particularly those in STEM fields, go unfilled ." STEM-related
skills are not just a source of jobs, they are a source of jobs that pay very well. A
report last October from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce found that
65 percent of those with Bachelors' degrees in STEM fields earn more than Master's degrees in nonSTEM occupations. In fact, 47 percent of Bachelor's degrees in STEM occupations earn more than PhDs
in non-STEM occupations. But despite the lucrative potential, many young people are reluctant to
enter into fields that require a background in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. In a
recent study by the Lemselson-MIT Invention Index, which gauges innovation aptitude among young
adults, 60 percent of young adults (ages 16 to 25) named at least one factor that prevented them from
pursuing further education or work in the STEM fields. Thirty-four percent said they don't know much
about the fields, a third said they were too challenging, and 28 percent said they were not well-

This is a problemfor young

people and for our country. We need STEM-related talent to compete globally,
and we will need even more in the future. It is not a matter of choice: For the United
States to remain the global innovation leader, we must make the most of all of the
prepared at school to seek further education in these areas.

potential STEM talent this country has to offer. Government can play a critical part.
President Barack Obama's goal of 100,000 additional science, technology, engineering, and math
teachers is laudable. The president's STEM campaign leverages mostly private-sector funding. Called
Educate to Innovate, it has spawned Change the Equation, whose study was cited above. A
nongovernmental organization, Change the Equation was set up by more than 100 CEOs, with the
cooperation of state governments and educational organizations and foundations to align corporate
efforts in STEM education. Meanwhile, from June 27 to 29, U.S. News will draw together, for the first
time, hundreds of business executives, educators, policymakers, government officials, technology
experts, philanthropists, community leaders, and association chiefs to develop solutions to the jobs
crisis in the STEM fields. This public-private cooperation is an example of business's recognition of the
importance of STEM to our economic future. Business needs a talent pipeline providing the skilled
employees who can routinely use scientific and technological skills in their jobs. Fortunately, more and
more companies and their senior executives recognize this and are putting their money where their

For America, improving achievement in s cience, technology,

engineering, and math will go a long way to ensuring that our country can compete
globally, create jobs, and achieve the levels of economic growth that will buttress
Americans' standard of living and social safety net. High-quality STEM education
represents an opportunity that students, workers, educators, and business must
seize if we are to keep the country strong.
long-term interests are.

US growth and competitiveness preserves leadership and

stops world war.
Khalilzad, 11 (Zalmay, Counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, served as the United States
ambassador to Afghanistan, Iraq, and the United Nations during the presidency of George W. Bush, served as the director of
policy planning at the Defense Department during the Presidency of George H.W. Bush, holds a Ph.D. from the University of
Chicago, The Economy and National Security, National Review, February 8 th,
http://www.nationalreview.com/node/259024/print)

economic and fiscal trends pose the most severe long-term threat to the U nited
States position as global leader. While the United States suffers from fiscal imbalances and low economic
growth, the economies of rival powers are developing rapidly. The continuation of these two
trends could lead to a shift from American primacy toward a multi-polar global system, leading in turn to
increased geopolitical rivalry and even war among the great powers . The current recession is the
Today,

result of a deep financial crisis, not a mere fluctuation in the business cycle. Recovery is likely to be protracted. The
crisis was preceded by the buildup over two decades of enormous amounts of debt throughout the U.S. economy
ultimately totaling almost 350 percent of GDP and the development of credit-fueled asset bubbles, particularly in
the housing sector. When the bubbles burst, huge amounts of wealth were destroyed, and unemployment rose to
over 10 percent. The decline of tax revenues and massive countercyclical spending put the U.S. government on an
unsustainable fiscal path. Publicly held national debt rose from 38 to over 60 percent of GDP in three years.

Without faster economic growth and actions to reduce deficits, publicly held national debt is projected
to reach dangerous proportions. If interest rates were to rise significantly, annual interest payments which
already are larger than the defense budget would crowd out other spending or require substantial tax increases
that would undercut economic growth. Even worse, if unanticipated events trigger what economists call a sudden

the United States would be unable to roll over its outstanding obligations,
retrenchment of the United
States internationally. Such scenarios would reshape the international order. It was the economic
stop in credit markets for U.S. debt,

precipitating a sovereign-debt crisis that would almost certainly compel a radical

devastation of Britain and France during World War II, as well as the rise of other powers, that led both countries to
relinquish their empires. In the late 1960s, British leaders concluded that they lacked the economic capacity to
maintain a presence east of Suez. Soviet economic weakness, which crystallized under Gorbachev, contributed to
their decisions to withdraw from Afghanistan, abandon Communist regimes in Eastern Europe, and allow the Soviet
Union to fragment. If the U.S. debt problem goes critical, the United States would be compelled to retrench,
reducing its military spending and shedding international commitments. We face this domestic challenge while
other major powers are experiencing rapid economic growth. Even though countries such as China, India, and Brazil
have profound political, social, demographic, and economic problems, their economies are growing faster than ours,
and this could alter the global distribution of power. These trends could in the long term produce a multi-polar
world. If U.S. policymakers fail to act and other powers continue to grow, it is not a question of whether but when a
new international order will emerge. The closing of the gap between the United States and its rivals could intensify

geopolitical competition among major powers, increase incentives for local powers to play major powers against
one another, and undercut our will to preclude or respond to international crises because of the higher risk of

The stakes are high. In modern history, the longest period of peace among the great
powers has been the era of U.S. leadership . By contrast, multi-polar systems have been
unstable, with their competitive dynamics resulting in frequent crises and major wars
among the great powers. Failures of multi-polar international systems produced both world wars.
American retrenchment could have devastating consequences. Without an American security blanket, regional
powers could rearm in an attempt to balance against emerging threats. Under this scenario, there
would be a heightened possibility of arms races, miscalculation, or other crises spiraling into
all-out conflict. Alternatively, in seeking to accommodate the stronger powers, weaker powers may shift
their geopolitical posture away from the United States. Either way, hostile states would be
emboldened to make aggressive moves in their regions. As rival powers rise, Asia in particular is
escalation.

likely to emerge as a zone of great-power competition. Beijings economic rise has enabled a dramatic military
buildup focused on acquisitions of naval, cruise, and ballistic missiles, long-range stealth aircraft, and anti-satellite
capabilities. Chinas strategic modernization is aimed, ultimately, at denying the United States access to the seas
around China. Even as cooperative economic ties in the region have grown, Chinas expansive territorial claims
and provocative statements and actions following crises in Korea and incidents at sea have roiled its relations
with South Korea, Japan, India, and Southeast Asian states. Still, the United States is the most significant barrier
facing Chinese hegemony and aggression. Given the risks, the United States must focus on restoring its economic
and fiscal condition while checking and managing the rise of potential adversarial regional powers such as China.
While we face significant challenges, the U.S. economy still accounts for over 20 percent of the worlds GDP.
American institutions particularly those providing enforceable rule of law set it apart from all the rising powers.
Social cohesion underwrites political stability. U.S. demographic trends are healthier than those of any other
developed country. A culture of

innovation, excellent institutions of higher education, and

a vital

sector of small and medium-sized enterprises propel the U.S. economy in ways difficult to quantify.
Historically, Americans have responded pragmatically, and sometimes through trial and error, to work our way

The policy question is how to enhance economic

growth and employment while cutting discretionary spending in the near term and curbing the growth of
through the kind of crisis that we face today.

entitlement spending in the out years. Republican members of Congress have outlined a plan. Several think tanks
and commissions, including President Obamas debt commission, have done so as well. Some consensus exists on
measures to pare back the recent increases in domestic spending, restrain future growth in defense spending, and
reform the tax code (by reducing tax expenditures while lowering individual and corporate rates). These are
promising options. The key remaining question is whether the president and leaders of both parties on Capitol Hill
have the will to act and the skill to fashion bipartisan solutions. Whether we take the needed actions is a choice,
however difficult it might be. It is clearly within our capacity to put our economy on a better trajectory. In garnering
political support for cutbacks, the president and members of Congress should point not only to the domestic
consequences of inaction but also to the geopolitical implications. As the United States gets its economic and
fiscal house in order, it should take steps to prevent a flare-up in Asia. The United States can do so by signaling that
its domestic challenges will not impede its intentions to check Chinese expansionism. This can be done in costefficient ways. While Chinas economic rise enables its military modernization and international assertiveness, it
also frightens rival powers. The Obama administration has wisely moved to strengthen relations with allies and
potential partners in the region but more can be done. Some Chinese policies encourage other parties to join with
the United States, and the U.S. should not let these opportunities pass. Chinas military assertiveness should enable
security cooperation with countries on Chinas periphery particularly Japan, India, and Vietnam in ways that
complicate Beijings strategic calculus. Chinas mercantilist policies and currency manipulation which harm
developing states both in East Asia and elsewhere should be used to fashion a coalition in favor of a more
balanced trade system. Since Beijings over-the-top reaction to the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese
democracy activist alienated European leaders, highlighting human-rights questions would not only draw

a
stable economic and financial condition at home has enabled America to have an
expansive role in the world. Today we can no longer take this for granted. Unless we
get our economic house in order , there is a risk that domestic stagnation in combination with the rise of
rival powers will undermine our ability to deal with growing international problems. Regional hegemons in
Asia could seize the moment, leading the world toward a new, dangerous era of multipolarity.
supporters from nearby countries but also embolden reformers within China. Since the end of the Cold War,

Plan
Thus the plan: The United States federal government should
establish the Ocean Science and Exploration Agency.

Contention 5 Solvency
OSEA creation is essential to innovative ocean exploration it
solves the advantages. Current government and private sector
models will fail.
McClain, 12 (Craig, Assistant Director of Science for the National Evolutionary
Synthesis Center and editor @ Deep Sea News, We Need an Ocean NASA Now Pt.
3, 10/16/12, http://deepseanews.com/2012/10/we-need-an-ocean-nasa-now-pt-3/)
We are at a time for renewed commitment to ocean exploration and science. As stated by
the Joint Ocean Commission, Ocean programs continue to be chronically underfunded, highlighting the need for a
dedicated ocean investment fund. Captain Don Walsh, one of three men to visit the deepest part of the ocean,
recently stated it best: What we need is an Ocean NASA . We borrow and modify John F. Kennedys
famous speech at Rice University on the decision to go to the moon: In short, our leadership in science and in
industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this
effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the worlds leading oceanfaring nationWe set sail because there is new knowledge to be gained, and new rights to be won, and they must

There is much to be gained from creating NASA-style

Ocean Science and Exploration Agency (OSEA). Every dollar we commit to science
returns $2.21 in goods and services. Meeting the scientific, technological, logistical, and administrative
demands of scientific exploration creates jobs and requires substantial personnel beyond just
scientists and engineers. The materials purchased for this cause support even further employment.
As with NASA, meeting these scientific and engineering challenges will disseminate ideas,
knowledge, applications, and technology to rest of society. This knowledge gained from basic
research will form the backbone for applied research and economic gain later. And much like
be won and used for the progress of all people.

NASA has, OSEA will inspire the next generation of scientist and engineers, instilling in the young a renewed
appreciation for the oceans of which we are all stewards: our oceans. It will provide a positive focus for society in a
time where hope is often lacking and faith in science is low. OSEA will be the positive message that renews interest

OSEA would need a

mission dedicated to basic research and exploration of the >;90% of the worlds oceans that
in our oceans and their conservation.What Does an OSEA look like? At the core

remain unexplored. High risk with the potential for high impact would be the norm. Pioneering knows no other way

OSEA would need substantial

infrastructure and fleet including international and regional class research vessels, a submersible, remotely
to achieve those truly novel and impactful gains. To achieve these goals,

operated vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles. Funding would need to be secure on decadal cycles to
insure both the longevity and permanence of this mission but allow for oversight to ensure OSEA was meeting its
mission and financial responsibilities.

An ocean exploration center would be staffed with a

vibrant community of researchers, engineers, and administrators , postdoctoral fellows, graduate

students, and visiting experts with a strong interacting and supportive community working toward uncovering the
mysteries of the oceans. Research would be funded internally from a broad OSEA budget ,
not externally, freeing scientists and engineers to actually do science and engineering as opposed to the only

OSEA would
be a resource both for the research community and the public by being dedicated to open science, i.e.
making scientific research, data and dissemination accessible to all levels of an inquiring society,
current option, which is writing grants to other agencies with a less than 10% chance of funding.
also

amateur or professional. Publications, data, software, and engineering would be freely available and open to all. All
internal processes would be transparent. The mission of OSEA in the spirit of open science would be equally
dedicated to public outreach. For too long have science and society been disconnected. OSEA would involve
the public as the ultimate funders of our work. A novel and cutting edge education and outreach group would

develop a strategic plan to involve children and adults in the mission. There would be multiple
opportunities for anyone to be involved including the public. Citizen scientists would be
essential components, allowing adults to take a residence and contribute to OSEA and become life long
ambassadors long after their residence. Although parts of OSEA are realized in other government and
private organizations, they do not meet the full mission nor can such a distributed

structure be expected to meet the challenges of this pivotal moment. For example, NOAA fills a muchneeded role but its mission is largely applied. NOAAs mission statement is Science, Service, and Stewardship. To
understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, To share that knowledge and information
with others, and To conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resource. Contrast that to NASAs
simple mission, to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research. In an
agency with a chiefly applied mission, those programs that are purely exploratory must eventually invent an
applied focus or face the axe. For example, even under NURP, exploration often focused on corals and fish of
considerable economic and conservation importance rather than those species of greatest novelty or knowledge
deficit. The current situation at NOAA also highlights how less applied scientific programs are likely to be lost.
Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute also provides another model that comes close to OSEA but is heavily

private funding that can often be significantly reduced during recessions as

endowments shrink. Moreover, a private foundation is unlikely to meet the full
financial burden to support the full mission of an OSEA or provide a resource to the ocean
reliant on

science community as whole. This is not meant to criticize either NOAA or MBARI, indeed both supported our own

neither do they fully

realize our vision for OSEA. As John F. Kennedy stated, We must be bold. It is time for a great national
research and have made immense contributions to ocean science and exploration, but

effort of the United States of America, time for us to renew our commitment to uncovering the mysteries of the blue

We need a NASA-style Ocean Science and Exploration Agency (OSEA). to explore and
research the greatest depths of oceans with a community of scientists, engineers,
and citizens.
planet we live on.

The agency needs to be independent to avoid bureaucratic

tradeoffs.
CES, 3 (Committee on Exploration of the Seas, National Research Council,
Exploration of the Seas: Interim Report, National Academies Press, p. 14-15)
for international ocean exploration, it is prudent to start with a model
a U.S. national program that may encourage the development of similar national
programs elsewhere. Once a number of national programs are established, nations can then
collaborate in specific areas or along themes of mutual interest. The Committee recommends the creation of a
national program for ocean exploration, which will be the principal implementing entity
for carrying out the ocean exploration initiative in the United States. The Committee believes that an
organization charged with implementing an effective international ocean exploration program
should not be part of a government agency where it may be subject to
internal budgetary and mission pressures, lack of transparency in budgeting and
expenditures, as well as influences on program review not based on merit. The government would provide
funding to the national program, offer assistance with respect to public affairs, platforms, and data
management, engage in budgetary oversight, and administer a competitive process for the selection of
In proposing a strategy
for

an external national program for ocean exploration project office. The oceanographic community has had successful
experiences contracting with not-for-profit corporations to perform similar functions (e.g., the Joint Oceanographic

for-profit company could also

arrangements are less likely to achieve broad

Institutions, Inc. which manages ODP). Although an existing institution or

operate the national program office, these

community support.

Ocean exploration is only a matter of political will the plan

solves the harms.
Cousteau, 12 (Philippe, co-founder of EarthEcho International, Why exploring
the ocean is mankinds next giant leap, 3/13/12,
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/13/why-exploring-the-ocean-is-mankindsnext-giant-leap/)

Today a possible answer to that question has been announced. And it does not entail straining our necks to look

the most important discoveries and

opportunities for innovation may lie beneath what covers more than 70 percent of our planet the
ocean. You may think Im doing my grandfather Jacques Yves-Cousteau and my father Philippe a disservice when I
say weve only dipped our toes in the water when it comes to ocean
exploration. After all, my grandfather co-invented the modern SCUBA system and "The Undersea World of
Jacques Cousteau" introduced generations to the wonders of the ocean. In the decades since, weve only
explored about 10 percent of the ocean - an essential resource and complex environment that literally
supports life as we know it, life on earth. We now have a golden opportunity and a pressing need to
recapture that pioneering spirit. A new era of ocean exploration can yield discoveries that
will help inform everything from critical medical advances to sustainable forms of energy.
skyward. Finally, there is a growing recognition that some of

Consider that AZT, an early treatment for HIV, is derived from a Caribbean reef sponge, or that a great deal of
energy - from offshore wind, to OTEC (ocean thermal energy conservation), to wind and wave energy - is yet

the ocean is a treasure trove of

knowledge. In addition, such discoveries will have a tremendous impact on economic
growth by creating jobs as well as technologies and goods . In addition to new discoveries, we
also have the opportunity to course correct when it comes to stewardship of our oceans. Research and
exploration can go hand in glove with resource management and conservation. Over the last
untapped in our oceans. Like unopened presents under the tree,

several decades, as the United States has been exploring space, weve exploited and polluted our oceans at an
alarming rate without dedicating the needed time or resources to truly understand the critical role they play in the

the oceans are the life support system of this

oxygen, as well as a primary source of protein for
billions of people, not to mention the regulation of our climate. Despite this life-giving role, the world has
future of the planet. It is not trite to say that

planet, providing

us with up to 70 percent of our

fished, mined and trafficked the ocean's resources to a point where we are actually seeing dramatic changes that is
seriously impacting today's generations. And that impact will continue as the world's population approaches 7
billion people, adding strain to the worlds resources unlike any humanity has ever had to face before. In the long

destroying our ocean resources is bad business with devastating consequences

for the global economy, and the health and sustainability of all creatures - including humans. Marine spatial
term,

planning, marine sanctuaries, species conservation, sustainable fishing strategies, and more must be a part of any
ocean exploration and conservation program to provide hope of restoring health to our oceans. While there is still
much to learn and discover through space exploration,

we also need to pay attention to our

unexplored world here on earth. Our next big leap into the unknown can be every bit as exciting and bold as
our pioneering work in space. It possesses the same "wow" factor: alien worlds, dazzling technological feats and the

The United States has the scientific muscle, the diplomatic knowhow and the entrepreneurial spirit to lead the world in exploring and protecting our
ocean frontier. Now we need the public demand and political will and bravery to take the
plunge in order to ensure that the oceans can continue to provide life to future generations.
mystery of the unknown.

Inherency

Funding
Funding not happening and is vital.
Haidvogal et. al 13 (Dale, Professor at Rutgers University in Physical oceanography,
numerical ocean circulation modeling, Elizabeth Turner, Oceanographer and Senior Program Manager
NOAA Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR), Enrique N. Curchitser, Associate
Professor Physical Oceanography / Modeling at Rutgers University, Eileen Hoffman, Eileen E.
Hofmann Professor of Oceanography at Old Dominion University, Transdisciplinary Modeling,
Environmental Forecasting, and Management, Vol. 26 No. 4,
http://www.tos.org/oceanography/archive/26-4_haidvogel.html) jml

Large-scale ocean research programs are difficult to sustain under stable budgets,
and are even more so under declining budgets . A national ocean research initiative
has been formulated through the Ocean Research Priorities Plan (National Science
and Technology Council, 2007, 2013), which highlights themes that were also part of
US GLOBEC, such as: Monitoring of living resources (at multiple trophic levels),
Collection of necessary data (observational and experimental) to support robust
models , Process-oriented research to resolve critical functional relationships
encoded into models Development and validation of ecosystem and species
interaction models at appropriate scales that incorporate feedback mechanisms
among trophic levels, Improving ecosystem models to better understand complex
ecosystem dynamics and forecast the effects of resource use, exploration, and
development on ecosystems and individual components These ambitions have yet
to be fully implemented due to financial constraints, but it is clear that approaches
such as those used by US GLOBEC continue to be essential to meeting the nations
ocean research needs.

Lack of funding prohibits ocean exploration

Conathan 13 | Michael Conathan is the Director of Ocean Policy at American Progress. Prior to joining
American Progress, Mike spent five years staffing the Senate Committee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and
Coast Guard. He holds a masters in marine affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a BA in English Literature
from Georgetown University. <Space Exploration Dollars Dwarf Ocean Spending, 6/25/2014. The reference shelf.
TG>
Star Trek would have us believe that space is the final frontier, but with apologies to the armies of Trekkies, their oracle might be a tad off base. Though

we still have plenty of frontiers to explore here on our home

planet. And theyre losing the race of discovery . Hollywood giant James Cameron, director of megawe know little about outer space,

blockbusters such as Ti- tanic and Avatar, brought this message to Capitol Hill last week, along with the single-seat submersible that he used to

become the third human to journey to the deepest point of the worlds oceansthe Marianas Trench.
By contrast, more than 500 people have journeyed into space including Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL),
who sits on the committee before which Cameron testifiedand 12 people have actu- ally set foot on the surface of the moon. All it takes is a quick
comparison of the budgets for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to understand why space ex- ploration is

NASAs annual exploration budget was

roughly $3.8 billion. That same year, total funding for everything NOAA doesfishery management,
weather and climate forecasting, ocean research and management, among many other programs was about $5 billion, and NOAAs
Office of Exploration and Re- search received just $23.7 million. Something is wrong with this picture . Space travel is
outpacing its ocean counterpart by such a wide margin. In fiscal year 2013

certainly expensive. But as Cameron proved with his dive that cost approximately $8 million, deep-sea exploration is pricey as well. And thats not the only
similarity between space and ocean travel: Both are dark, cold, and com- pletely inhospitable to human life. Yet space travel excites Americans
imaginations in a way ocean exploration never has. To put this in terms Cameron may be familiar with, just think of how stories are told on screens both
big and small: Space dominates, with Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and 2001 A Space Od- yssey.
Then there are B-movies such as Plan Nine From Outer Space and every- thing ever mocked on Mystery Science Theater 2000. There are even
parodies: Spaceballs, Galaxy Quest, and Mars Attacks! And lets not forget Camerons own contributions: Aliens and Avatar. Part of this
incongruity comes from access. No matter where we live, we can go outside on a clear night, look up into the sky, and wonder about whats out there.
Were presented with a spectacular vista of stars, planets, meteorites, and even the occasional comet or aurora. We have all been wishing on stars since
we were chil- dren. Only the lucky few can gaze out at the ocean from their doorstep, and even those who do cannot see all that lies beneath the waves.
When it comes to the ocean, we have 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Sponge Bob Square Pants, and Camerons somewhat lesser-known film The
Abyss. And thats about it. This imbalance in pop culture is illustrative of what plays out in real life. We rejoiced along with the NASA mission-control room

when the Mars rover landed on the red planet late last year. One particularly exuberant scientist, known as Mo- hawk Guy for his audacious hairdo,
became a minor celebrity and even fielded his share of spontaneous marriage proposals. But when Cameron bottomed out in the Challenger Deep more
than 36,000 feet below the surface of the sea, it was met with resounding indifference from all but the dorkiest of ocean nerds such as my- self. As a
result,

the facts about ocean exploration are pretty bleak . Humans have laid eyes on less than 5 percent of the
we have better maps of
Mars than
Americas e
e
z

ocean, and
the surface of
we do of
xclusive conomic onethe
undersea territory reaching out 200 miles from our shores. Sure, space is sexy. But the oceans are too. To those intrigued by the quest for alien life,
consider this: Scientists estimate that

we still have not discovered 91 percent of the species that live

in our oceans. And some of them look pretty outlandish. Go ahead and Google the deepsea hatchetfish, frill shark, or Bathynomus giganteus.
In a time of shrinking budgets and increased scrutiny on the return for our in- vestments, we should be taking a
long, hard look at how we are prioritizing our exploration dollars . If the goal of government spending
is to spur growth in the private sector, entrepreneurs are far more likely to find inspiration down in the depths of the ocean than up in the heavens. The
ocean already provides us with about half the oxygen we breathe, our single largest source of protein, a wealth of mineral re- sources, key ingredients for
pharmaceuticals, and marine biotechnology. Of course space exportation does have benefits beyond the cool factor of put- ting people on the moon and
astronaut-bards playing David Bowie covers in space. Inventions created to facilitate space travel have become ubiquitous in our lives cell-phone
cameras, scratch-resistant lenses, and water-filtration systems, just to name a fewand research conducted in outer space has led to breakthroughs here
on earth in the technological and medical fields. Yet despite far-fetched plans to mine asteroids for rare metals, the only tangible goods brought back from
space to date remain a few piles of moon rocks.

NASA given more importance and funding

Peterson 13 (Molly, Long Beach to host first effort to craft a national ocean exploration plan, SCPR, July
18, http://www.scpr.org/blogs/environment/2013/07/18/14302/long-beach-to-host-first-effort-to-craft-a-nationa/) KD
Deep space and the deep sea have a few things in common: theyre dark, theyre cold, and theyre fairly
inhospitable to human life. But the

US spends a LOT more money exploring space than it does

the ocean. About one hundred of the nations leading ocean explorers are meeting Friday and Saturday at the
Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach as part of a high-profile effort to change that. The National
Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration got just around $24 million in the
most recent fiscal year for ocean exploration. NASAs budget for space exploration topped
out around $3.8 billion: about 150 times more money. And NOAA funding is always on
shaky ground. In the last year, Congress again kicked around the idea of killing off the
National Undersea Research Program. The Aquarium of the Pacific is co-sponsoring this weekends
meeting with NOAA, several foundations, and Google. The meetings executive chair is Marcia McNutt, a marine
geophysicist who until recently ran the US Geological Survey. Government scientists, policymakers, and people from
the private sector will discuss exploration priorities. At the end, they plan to produce the first national ocean
exploration plan, which they will present to President Obama. Even though Friday and Saturday sessions are
invitation-only, NOAAs streaming the meeting online. The Aquarium of the Pacific is making Sunday Explorers Day.
At the tropical reef habitat, scientists will demonstrate remote operated vehicles. And several ocean explorers will
be presenting their work and chatting with the public. Among them will be Sylvia Earle, who led the first team of
women aquanauts during the Tektite Project.

NOAA Bad
The NOAA is a stagnant agency that is forced into a corner by bureaucracy

Juda 14 [Lawrence, Works at the Department of Marine Affairs, Ocean Development & International Law,
Taylor & Francis, http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00908320390209627]-DaveD.

Institutional change did occur following the issuance of the Stratton Commission Report. President Nixon
established a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),39 but it was not made an independent
body as suggested by the Stratton Com- mission. Rather, it was placed in the Department of Commerce. Further,
not all of the governmental units that the Stratton Commission would have transferred into that agency were so

Although the creation of NOAA represented a significant step toward ocean

policy centralization, it did not eliminate the reality that a number of civilian federal
government departments and agencies still maintained important jurisdictional and
programmatic responsibilities relating to ocean/coastal matters. Some saw the
establishment of NOAA only as the start of a process of centraliza- tion of ocean
authority and policy.42 Indeed, several bills were introduced in Congress calling for
the establishment of a Department of the Oceans, a Department of the Environment and Oceans, or an independent ocean agency,43 but the energy crisis
caused by the Arab oil embargo in the 1970s served to shift reorganization attention
toward energy and natural resource concerns . In this context ocean-related
programs and resources were not seen as providing an integrating theme but rather
as elements of what might be encompassed in the creation of a Department of
Energy and Natural Resources.44 As noted by Robert White, a former Administrator
of NOAA, Governments are problem- oriented, not place oriented ,45 so in this
perspective it is not surprising that oceans were not seen as a focal point around
which to organize government. But the failure to achieve more substantial
organizational change also reflected a continuing problem associated with efforts
for governmental reorganization: bureaucratic bodies will mobilize to protect
existing agency jurisdiction (turf) and prerogatives.46 This characteristic is seen as well in the
moved.40

standing committees of Congress, whose members are vigilant and wary of change that may weaken committee
importance and influence. Reorganization also raises anxieties among many nongovernmental stakeholders. All of
these actors are well aware that reorganization has implications for their influence and the substantive nature of
ocean and coastal policy. Accordingly, suggestions for institu- tional reorganization will be carefully and skeptically
scrutinized. In terms of policy recommendations, the findings of the Stratton Commission with respect to the
coastal zone were heeded by Congress and reflected in the passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)47
in 1972. The CZMA marks an important de- parture from past practice in that it represents a spatial and not a
sectoral approach to the management of coastal areas, one in which uses are not to be considered in isolation but
in relation to other uses and with consideration of their impacts on the broader environment. Important incentives
in the form of federal funding48 and federal consistency49 are provided to encourage states to adopt
comprehensive coastal zone management. .

Funding/US Leadership
American funding and global leadership on oceans is
dwindling.
McClain, 12 (Craig, Assistant Director of Science for the National Evolutionary
Synthesis Center and editor @ Deep Sea News, We Need an Ocean NASA Now Pt.
1, 10/16/12, http://deepseanews.com/2012/10/we-need-an-ocean-nasa-now-pt-1/)
Our nation faces a pivotal moment in exploration of

oceans. The most remote regions of

What
limits our exploration of the oceans is not imagination or technology but funding. We as a society started
the

the deep oceans should be more accessible now than ever due to engineering and technological advances.

to make a choice: to deprioritize ocean exploration and science. In general, science in the U.S. is poorly funded;
while the total number of dollars spent here is large, we only rank 6th in world in the proportion of gross domestic

The outlook for ocean science is even bleaker. In many cases,

funding of marine science and exploration, especially for the deep sea, are at historical lows. In
others, funding remains stagnant, despite rising costs of equipment and personnel. The Joint Ocean
Commission Initiative, a committee comprised of leading ocean scientists, policy makers, and former U.S.
secretaries and congressmen, gave the grade of D- to funding of ocean science in the U.S.
product invested into research.

Recently the Obama Administration proposed to cut the National Undersea Research Program (NURP) within NOAA,
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a move supported by the Senate. In NOAAs own words,
NOAA determined that NURP was a lower-priority function within its portfolio of research activities. Yet, NURP is
one of the main suppliers of funding and equipment for ocean exploration, including both submersibles at the
Hawaiian Underwater Research Laboratory and the underwater habitat Aquarius. This cut has come despite an
overall request for a 3.1% increase in funding for NOAA. Cutting NURP saves a meager $4,000,000 or 1/10 of
NOAAs budget and 1,675 times less than we spend on the Afghan war in just one month. One of the main reasons
NOAA argues for cutting funding of NURP is that other

avenues of Federal funding for such activities

might be pursued. However, other avenues are fading as well. Some funding for ocean exploration is still
available through NOAAs Ocean Exploration Program. However, the Office of Ocean Exploration, the division that
contains NURP, took the second biggest cut of all programs (-16.5%) and is down 33% since 2009. Likewise, U.S.
Naval funding for basic research has also diminished. The other main source of funding for deep-sea science in the
U.S. is the National Science Foundation which primarily supports biological research through the Biological
Oceanography Program. Funding for science within this program remains stagnant, funding larger but fewer grants.
This trend most likely reflects the ever increasing costs of personnel, equipment, and consumables which only
larger projects can support. Indeed, compared to rising fuel costs, a necessity for oceanographic vessels, NSF funds
do not stretch as far as even a decade ago. Shrinking funds and high fuel costs have also taken their toll on The
University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS) which operates the U.S. public research fleet. Over
the last decade, only 80% of available ship days were supported through funding. Over the last two years the gap
has increasingly widened, and over the last ten years operations costs increased steadily at 5% annually. With an
estimated shortfall of $12 million, the only solution is to reduce the U.S. research fleet size. Currently this is
expected to be a total of 6 vessels that are near retirement, but there is no plan of replacing these lost ships. The

the U.S. contrasts greatly with other countries. The budget for the
Japanese Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) continues to increase, although much less
situation in

so in recent years. The 2007 operating budget for the smaller JAMSTEC was $527 million, over $100 million dollars
more than the 2013 proposed NOAA budget. Likewise, China is increasing funding to ocean science
over the next five years and has recently succeeded in building a new deep-sea research and exploration
submersible, the Jiaolong. The only deep submersible still operating in the US is the DSV Alvin, originally built in
1968.

Adv Science

No Env. Leadership
The US has lost its lead as the a green leader.
Knox, 12 (John H. Knox is the Henry C. Lauerman Professor of International Law at
Wake Forest University. Professor Knox has taught courses on environmental law,
international environmental law, human rights, international trade, and property
law. His scholarship examines international environmental law, human rights law,
and international economic integration, and has often focused on areas where those
fields overlap or conflict, Reclaiming Global Environmental Leadership, blog, January
20, 2012, http://www.progressivereform.org/CPRBlog.cfm?idBlog=FB9153F2-ABFE3CF2-8053EAF1ED929DB8, A.G)
For more than a century, the United States took the lead in organizing responses to
international environmental problems. The long list of environmental agreements spearheaded by
the United States extends from early treaties with Canada and Mexico on boundary waters and migratory birds to

In the last
two decades, however, U.S. environmental leadership has faltered. The best-known
example is the lack of an effective response to climate change, underscored by the U.S.
global agreements restricting trade in endangered species and protecting against ozone depletion.

decision not to join the Kyoto Protocol. But the attention climate change receives should not obscure the fact that

United States has also failed to join a large and growing number of treaties directed at other
environmental threats, including marine pollution, the loss of biological diversity,
persistent organic pollutants, and trade in toxic substances
the

US Should Lead - Brink

The US maintains its edge the scientific leader, but new
operations are necessary to sustain this position.
Akst, 12 (Jef, masters degree from Indiana University and news editor at The Scientist, Slipping from the
Top? The Scientist, 3/14/12, http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/31845/title/Slipping-from-theTop-/)

The United States is still a global leader in science and tech nology research, but the country
must act now to avoid losing its edge. This was the overall consensus among two panels of experts,
which included National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins, assembled today (March 14) by Research!

America continues to be a
place where boldness and innovation and creativity are encouraged, Collins said. But there
are warning signs, he added, such as the facts that the country is now ranked 6th in the world with
regard to the proportion of its gross domestic product that is invested in research and development and
America, a nonprofit public education and advocacy alliance. I do think

that young high school students score relatively poorly in math and science compared to teens in other nations. If
efforts are not taken to reverse these trends, Collins warned, we

might see America lose their

commitment to supporting research at the level that it will take to maintain that
competitiveness. Research!America today released the results of a national poll that suggests the
American voting public is skeptical about the countrys future in scientific research. More
than half (58 percent) of those polled do not believe the United States will be a world leader in science and

85 percent said they were worried about decreases in federal

funding for research. The findings reveal deep concerns among likely voters about our ability to maintain
technology in 2020, and

world-class status, said Mary Woolley, president and CEO of Research!Americasomething that the vast majority
(91 percent) of those polled said was important,

investing in science.

especially as other countries are increasingly

SciDip Solves War

Science diplomacy builds coalitions, creates multilateral
applications for soft power and diffuses global conflicts.
Espy, 13 (Nicole, PhD student in Biological Sciences of Public Health at Harvard
University, Science and Diplomacy, 2/18/13,
http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2013/science-and-diplomacy/)
The daily endeavors of a scientist may seem very distinct from those of a political diplomat. The public may imagine
that scientific progress is driven by the work of scientists working methodically and in isolation in laboratories
around the world. In contrast, the idea of a political diplomat likely conjures a different image one that involves
groups of politicians forming alliances and guiding negotiations between multiple organizations and nations. But,
science is a similarly collaborative effort that often requires coordination between different groups to improve

Science and diplomacy can even benefit one another.

Science can provide the data and frameworks necessary to initiate and inform
diplomatic talks while at the same time, diplomacy can create opportunities that improve the way we do
science. Science as a topic of Diplomacy Science is at the heart of many international
diplomatic discussions. For example, nuclear research has been a hot topic in international politics for the
available tools and advance knowledge.

past 60 years. Nuclear research has enabled us to harness the power of nuclear fission for nuclear energy, but it
has also resulted in the creation of nuclear arms that have led to a great deal of destruction. To ensure nuclear
research continues in a safe and responsible manner, nations have worked together to develop a system of
oversight and accountability. These diplomatic efforts have resulted in the establishment of the International Atomic
Energy Agency, whose early slogan was Atoms for Peace. This agency provides technical guidelines and
assistance to countries for safe use of tools and techniques involving nuclear and radioactive materials. It also
attempts to make public the development of nuclear arms programs in countries around the world so that other
world leaders can take appropriate action. The International Atomic Energy Agency is a model for how scientists and
policy makers can share information and work toward shared interests. Climate change is another major driver of
international diplomatic negotiations. The impact of climate change on peoples lives is largely unpredictable and
non-uniform across different regions. In response, national leaders similarly vary in their willingness to consent to
international agreements concerning means to cut green house gas emissions. While the scientific consensus is that
greenhouse-gas emissions are a major cause of global warming, the debate surrounding climate change at the
global diplomatic level concerns the methods that should be employed to slow global warming and which countries
should carry the brunt of the socioeconomic responsibility. The Kyoto Protocol, written in 1997, was an international
agreement that required participating countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The greatest responsibility for
these reductions fell on developed countries, like the United States and those in Europe, who emitted much of the
greenhouse gas during the 19th and 20th centuries. However, in 2001, the United States withdrew its support of
the Protocol, in objection to the quality of the Protocols goals, recognizing that rapidly industrializing countries like
China and India now emit more greenhouse gases from fossil fuels than high-income countries. Meanwhile, lowincome countries, including many island nations soon to be overcome by rising sea levels, want immediate action
that will stop climate change and help these countries adapt to future changes. Last November, the United Nations
held the Doha Climate Change conference, one of a series of conferences held to devise an internationally
supported plan of action to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. The result was not a consensus on the means and
measurements of reducing emissions per country. Instead, the Kyoto Protocol was extended through 2020 and
participating countries discussed the right of island nations to be compensated for adaptation costs. Since all 196
countries in the world are a part of this conversation, climate change negotiations are difficult but imperative in the
face of the impending effects of climate change. Ultimately, science can help provide the data models forecasting
future climate changes, predicted outcomes of different strategies that help frame climate change discussions,
but decisions on what policy to pursue will require frank and democratic deliberations that balance the needs and

diplomacy is used to make new

scientific tools available and to facilitate intellectual exchange . After the Second World War,
interests of all stakeholders. Diplomacy to improve science Sometimes

European scientists in the field of nuclear physics imagined an organization that would increase collaboration across
Europe and coordinate cost sharing for the building and maintenance of the facilities this research required. This
idea resulted in the formation of the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN. The political
negotiations to manage the shared operating costs and the use of CERN facilities, like the Large Hadron Collider, by
over half of the worlds physicists from many different nations and academic institutions are now carried out within
the CERN framework to manage the shared operating costs and the use of the facilities, like the Large Hadron
Collider, by over half of the worlds physicists. This use of diplomacy has enabled many important discoveries,
including the most recent discovery of the Higgs Boson. Other organizations that are the result of global
collaboration include ITER, former known as the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, for the

development of nuclear fusion for energy production, the Square Kilometre Array for the design of the worlds
largest radio telescope, and the International Space Station for space exploration. All of the above organizations
have helped scientists overcome technical (and financial) challenges in their respective fields that they would not
have surmounted on their own. Science to improve Diplomacy Beyond the contentious subjects of nuclear

science can be a tool to improve diplomatic relations

between conflicting nations. The former Dean of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard
University Dr. Joseph Nye, Jr., noted that soft power, such as international cultural and intellectual
collaborations between international groups, helps maintain a positive global attitude
between participating nations and can result in favorable political alliances.
Scientific collaborations are a powerful example of soft power , since science is
internationally respected as an impartial endeavor.
proliferation and climate change,

Science diplomacy is a vital tool in achieving growth and

minimizing war.
Colglazier, 13 (E. William, Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of
State, Remarks on Science and Diplomacy in the 21st Century, 8/20/13,
http://www.state.gov/e/stas/2013/213741.htm)
Science diplomacy helps other countries to become more capable in science and
technology. One might worry that this creates more capable competitors, but I believe that it is in the
interest of technologically advanced societies like in the U.S. and Europe to encourage
more knowledge-based societies worldwide that rely upon science. The only way to stay
in the forefront of the scientific and technological revolution, which is where I want the U.S. to be, is to
run faster and to work with the best scientists and engineers wherever they reside in the world. That is why
I support more global scientific engagement by the U.S. with leading scientists and engineers
around the world. The approach that I favor was captured well in the title of an article in the October 2012 issue of
Scientific American: A measure of the creativity of a nation is how well it works with those beyond its borders. I
believe that the world has a special opportunity in this decade since so many countries are focusing on
improving their capabilities in science and technology and are willing to make fundamental changes in investments

we can minimize wars and conflicts with

skillful diplomacy, the potential is there for more rapid economic growth, faster expansion of the
middle class, and increased democratic governance in many countries as well as increased
trade between countries. This is an optimistic scenario. A range of future scenarios, including some that are quite
and policies so they can build more innovative societies. If

pessimistic, are laid out in the fascinating report Global Trends 2030, published by the U.S. National Intelligence

we can make the hopeful scenario a reality . Science

diplomacy is one of our most important tools in achieving the desired
outcome.
Council in 2012.(8) I believe that

Science diplomacy can prevent conflict and diffuse existing

tensions.
Wallin, 10 (Matthew, masters candidate at in the Public Diplomacy program and
Center for Science Diplomacy intern/conference reporter, referencing the remarks of
Ernest J. Wilson III, Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and
Journalism at the proceedings of the USC Center of Public Diplomacys conference
on Science Diplomacy and the Prevention of Conflict, 2/4/10,
http://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/sites/uscpublicdiplomacy.org/files/useruploads/u22281
/Science%20Diplomacy%20Proceedings.pdf)
science diplomacy can be
utilized to prevent conflict, it tends to be neglected as an important aspect of diplomacy. Science
In his introductory remarks, Dean Ernest Wilson pointed out that although

diplomacy takes place at the intersection of events and trends , and so it doesnt neatly
fit into traditional analytic categories, nor does it fit into the standard and familiar organizational silos.
Proposing three areas of analysis for science diplomacy, Wilson outlined the concepts of Context, Curves, and

science and technologys ability to play a larger role in the foreign

policy of states is an area that requires careful scrutiny. This field is becoming more pertinent, as can
Caution. Contextually,

be seen from recent conflicts between Google, Inc. and the Peoples Republic of China over Internet access. This
example highlights technology companies attempts to gain political influence that they believe is commensurate
with their economic weight, demonstrating the possible emergence of a new political context where science and
technology (S&T) may be augmenting companies audiences and constituencies. To demonstrate the concept of

As with science,
conflict can be subdivided into different categories, many of which require different tools to
achieve lasting and successful resolution. Conflict cannot be modeled as a steady state, but rather
as a bell-shaped curve. On the left side, conflict is either non-existent or in a pre-conflict state.
Accelerators act to raise the level of conflict to a peak or plateau, and on the right side of the
curve, conflict declines. It is subsequently important to understand at which points on the curve
science and technology can intervene. On the left side, S&T can help prevent conflict,
whereas at the peak it can help reduce it. On the right side, the question remains of how exactly S&T can
Curves, Wilson brought up the previous nights question about the disaggregation of science.

help sustain the reduction in conflict.

Science Race/Impact

The race for scientific leadership is on innovative science is

vital to solving global impacts.
Colglazier, 13 (E. William, Science and Technology Advisor to the Secretary of
State, Remarks on Science and Diplomacy in the 21st Century, 8/20/13,
http://www.state.gov/e/stas/2013/213741.htm)
In 2010 the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development released a strategic
blueprint to chart the course of the next four years. In this first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review, it
was stated: Science, engineering, technology, and innovation are the engines of modern society
and a dominant force in globalization and international economic development. The significance of this

has been emphasized repeatedly to me over the past two years in conversations with
representatives of many countries about science and technology. I have been struck by the fact that nearly
every country has put at the very top of its agenda the role of science and technology
for supporting innovation and economic development. This observation has been true for countries at every
level of development not only for countries like Germany, Japan, China, India , Brazil, South Korea,
and Singapore, but also for countries like Mexico, Colombia, Chile, South Africa, Indonesia, Czech Republic,
Malaysia, and Vietnam. They are all seeking insights regarding the right policies and investments
to help their societies to become more innovative and competitive to ensure a more
prosperous future for their citizens. Why does nearly every country now have a laser-like focus on
observation

improving its capabilities in science, technology, and innovation in order to be more competitive in this globalized,

science and technology

have a major impact on the economic success of leading companies and countries and (2) the
scientific and technological revolution has been accelerating . If countries do not become
more capable in science and technology, they will be left behind. The upside is great if they can
interconnected world? My guess is that most countries see two trends clearly: (1)

capitalize on the transformative potential of new and emerging technologies. As one example, the information and
communication technology (ICT) revolution has shown the potential for developing countries to use new
technologies to leapfrog over the development paths taken by developed countries, such as with mobile phones

every issue with which they are confronted on the national,

regional, and global level has an important scientific and tech nological component. This
is true whether the issue concerns health, environment, national security, homeland security, energy,
communication, food, water, climate change, disaster preparedness, or education. Countries
in Africa. Countries also recognize that almost

know they have smart, creative, entrepreneurial people. They believe their people can compete, even from a
distance, if the right investments are made and the right policies are implemented. And they know that to become
more capable in science and technology and to create innovation and knowledge-based societies, they must

New and emerging technologies have also

affected the trajectory of fundamental science and engineering research by creating new
capabilities for exploring and understanding the natural world. We are only at the beginning
collaborate with the world leaders in science and technology.

of exploiting the potential of these new capabilities. This is another reason for the acceleration of the scientific and
technological revolution, progressing at such an incredibly rapid pace that it is hard to imagine, much less predict,
what new transformative possibilities will emerge within a decade. Scientists are not much better at predicting the
future than anyone else. I am very envious of young people who will see amazing developments in their lifetimes.
As renowned computer scientist Alan Kay said, The best way to predict the future is to invent it.

SciDip => Heg/Relations/Solves Things

Science diplomacy key to relations
Hormats 12 (Robert D., March 3, 2012, Robert D. Hormats has served as the U.S. Under
Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment since 2009., Science Diplomacy
and Twenty-First Century Statecraft, AAAS, http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/perspective/2012/sciencediplomacy-and-twenty-first-century-statecraft) KD

Science diplomacy is a central component of Americas twenty-first century

statecraft agenda. The United States must increasingly recognize the vital role science
and technology can play in addressing major challenges, such as making our economy
more competitive, tackling global health issues, and dealing with climate change .
American leadership in global technological advances and scientific research, and the dynamism of
our companies and universities in these areas, is a major source of our economic, foreign policy, and
national security strength. Additionally, it is a hallmark of the success of the American system. While some seek to
delegitimize scientific ideas, we believe the United States should celebrate science and see itas was the case since the time of

an opportunity to advance the prosperity, health, and overall

wellbeing of Americans and the global community . Innovation policy is part of our science diplomacy
engagement. More than ever before, modern economies are rooted in science and technology . It is
estimated that Americas knowledge-based industries represent 40 percent of our
economic growth and 60 percent of our exports . Sustaining a vibrant knowledge-based
economy, as well as a strong commitment to educational excellence and advanced
research, provides an opportunity for our citizens to prosper and enjoy upward
mobility. America attracts people from all over the worldscientists, engineers, inventors, and entrepreneurswho want the
opportunity to participate in, and contribute to, our innovation economy. The practice of science is increasingly
expanding from individuals to groups, from single disciplines to interdisciplinary,
and from a national to an international scope. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Benjamin Franklinas

Development reported that from 1985 to 2007, the number of scientific articles published by a single author decreased by 45
percent. During that same period, the number of scientific articles published with domestic co-authorship increased by 136 percent,

Science
collaboration is exciting because it takes advantage of expertise that exists around the
country and around the globe. American researchers, innovators, and institutions, as well as their foreign
and those with international co-authorship increased by 409 percent. The same trend holds for patents.

counterparts, benefit through these international collaborations. Governments that restrict the flow of scientific expertise and data

scientific
partnerships that the United States builds with other nations, and international ties
among universities and research labs , are a means to address shared challenges, they also contribute
to broadening and strengthening our diplomatic relationships. Scientific
partnerships are based on disciplines and values that transcend politics, languages,
borders, and cultures. Processes that define the scientific communitysuch as merit review, critical thinking, diversity
of thought, and transparencyare fundamental values from which the global community can reap benefits. History
provides many examples of how scientific cooperation can bolster diplomatic ties
and cultural exchange. American scientists collaborated with Russian and Chinese
counterparts for decades, even as other aspects of our relationship proved more
challenging. Similarly, the science and technology behind the agricultural Green Revolution of the 1960s and 70s was the
will find themselves isolated, cut off from the global networks that drive scientific and economic innovation. While the

product of American, Mexican, and Indian researchers working toward a common goal. Today, the United States has formal science
and technology agreements with over fifty countries. We are committed to finding new ways to work with other countries in science
and technology, to conduct mutually beneficial joint research activities, and to advance the interests of the U.S. science and

It is, however, broader, deeper, and more visible

than ever before and its importance will continue to grow. The Department of States first
Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review highlights that science, engineering, technology, and
innovation are the engines of modern society and a dominant force in globalization
technology community. Science diplomacy is not new.

and international economic development. These interrelated issues are priorities for the United States and,
increasingly, the world.

Adv Pharmaceuticals

Oceans have Essential Medicines

The ocean is now an incredible source of biomedical resources; over
100 essential drugs today exist because of ocean exploration.
UCSD 03 (Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego, A group of researchers at Scripps
Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, have for the first time shown that sediments in the deep
ocean are a significant biomedical resource for microbes that produce antibiotic molecules; Scripps Scientists Discover Rich Medical
Drug Resource In Deep Ocean Sediments; January 20, 2003, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/01/030120100702.htm, RJ)

Although the oceans cover 70 percent of the planet's surface, much of their
biomedical potential has gone largely unexplored. Until now. A group of
researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California,
San Diego, have for the first time shown that sediments in the deep ocean are a
significant biomedical resource for microbes that produce antibiotic molecules. In a
series of two papers, a group led by William Fenical, director of the Center for
Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine (CMBB) at Scripps Institution, has reported
the discovery of a novel group of bacteria found to produce molecules with potential
in the treatment of infectious diseases and cancer. "The average person thinks of
the bottom of the ocean as a dark, cold, and nasty place that is irrelevant, but we've
shown that this environment may be a huge resource for new antibiotics and drugs
for the treatment of cancer," said Fenical. The first paper, published in the October,
2002 issue of Applied and Environmental Microbiology, highlights the discovery of
new bacteria, called actinomycetes, from ocean sediments. For more than 45 years,
terrestrial actinomycetes were the foundation of the pharmaceutical industry
because of their ability to produce natural antibiotics , including important drugs
such as streptomycin, actinomycin, and vancomycin. The data from this paper
provide the first conclusive evidence of the widespread occurrence of indigenous
actinomycete populations in marine sediments. The second paper, published in the
Jan. 20, 2003 issue of the international edition of the chemistry journal Angewandte
Chemie, identifies the structure of a new natural product, which Fenical's group has
named Salinosporamide A, from this new bacterial resource. The new compound is a
potent inhibitor of cancer growth, including human colon carcinoma, non-small cell
lung cancer, and, most effectively, breast cancer . January's report cracks the door
open for a line of similar discoveries from the recently discovered Salinospora
genus. "The second paper shows the potential for the production of materials that
are highly biologically active and very chemically unique. This is likely to be the tip
of the iceberg of diverse chemical formulas that are out there," said Fenical.
Although more than 100 drugs today exist from terrestrial microorganisms,
including penicillin, arguably the most important drug in medicine, the potential
from land-based microbial sources began dwindling nearly 10 years ago.
Pharmaceutical investigators searched high and low around the globe for new
terrestrial, drug-producing microbes, but with diminishing payback. According to
Fenical, when considering the ever-increasing resistance of bacteria to existing
antibiotics, the need to make new discoveries becomes essential. Surprisingly, the
oceans, with some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, were largely
ignored as a potential source for actinomycete bacteria. Given this omission, it was
natural for Fenical's group at the Scripps CMBB to initiate studies of marine
environments for new microorganisms important in pharmaceutical discovery. His
group developed new methods and tools for obtaining a variety of ocean sediments,

including a miniaturized sampling device that efficiently captures samples from the
deep ocean. They derived bottom muds from more than 1,000 meters deep from
the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of California. They also
developed new methods for sifting through these samples (which contain roughly
one billion microorganisms per cubic centimeter), culturing the microorganisms,
identifying them by genetic methods, and screening their metabolic products for
anticancer and antibiotic properties. By genetic and culture analysis, Fenical's group
discovered the new genus Salinospora, a type of actinomycete bacteria found in
tropical and subtropical oceans, but never seen before on land. The results from
their biomedical studies were extraordinarily positive. Of 100 strains of these
organisms tested, 80 percent produced molecules that inhibit cancer cell growth.
Roughly 35 percent revealed the ability to kill pathogenic bacteria and fungi. Based
on the worldwide distribution of Salinospora, Fenical estimates that many thousands
of strains will be available. "I would even go as far as to say that never before has
this level of biological activity been observed within a single group of organisms,"
said Fenical. These discoveries have been patented by the University of California
and licensed to Nereus Pharmaceuticals Inc. for subsequent development. Nereus is
a four-year-old biotech company in San Diego, Calif. dedicated to the development
of new drugs from this new source for drug discovery. "These extraordinary marine
discoveries by Scripps Institution, coupled with their industrialization by Nereus
Pharmaceuticals, could provide the next great source of drug discovery for the
pharmaceutical industry," said Kobi Sethna, president and CEO of Nereus
Pharmaceuticals. "These discoveries speak to the future of antibiotic discovery,"
said Fenical. "They point to the fact that the ocean is an incredibly exciting new
microbial resource. They indicate how little we know, and they demonstrate how
much we need to invest in further exploration of the oceans." In addition to
Fenical, coauthors on the papers include Tracy Mincer, Paul Jensen, Christopher
Kauffman, Robert Feling, and Greg Buchanan.

Exploring the deep could lead to incredible medical

discoveries.
Mckie 2012 (Robin, science and technology editor for the Observer, Marine
'treasure trove' could bring revolution in medicine and industry, 11/10/2012
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2012/nov/10/marine-treasure-trovemedicine MB)
Scientists have pinpointed a new treasure trove in our oceans: micro-organisms that
contain millions of previously unknown genes and thousands of new families of
proteins. These tiny marine wonders offer a chance to exploit a vast pool of material that could be used to create innovative
medicines, industrial solvents, chemical treatments and other processes, scientists say. Researchers have already created
new enzymes for treating sewage and chemicals for making soaps from material they have found in ocean organisms. "The potential for marine biotechnology is almost infinite," said
Curtis Suttle, professor of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences at the University of British Columbia. "It has become clear that most of the biological and genetic diversity on Earth is

. By weight, more than 95% of all living

organisms found in the oceans are microbial. This is an incredible resource." However,
by far tied up in marine ecosystems, and in particular in their microbial components

the discovery of the ocean's biological riches, including hundreds of thousands of new sponges, bacteria and viruses, also raises worries about the damage that could ensue from the
new science of marine biotechnology. In particular, scientists worry that precious sources, including hydrothermal vents where bacteria and simple plants thrive in water above boiling
point, could be damaged or destroyed in a free-for-all rush to exploit these wonders. In addition, major worries focus on developing nations whose waters contain rich sources of marine
life that could be targeted and exploited by western chemical companies. On land, patents can provide protection for products derived from local animals or plants. In the sea, where
currents carry fish, sponges and microbes from place to place, such protection could be far trickier to enforce. The issues are set to top the agenda at a biotechnology forum, The
Evolving Promise of the Life Sciences, that the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) genomics
forum are holding in Paris on Monday. "We have controls for regulating the exploitation of animals, plants and microbes on land, but regulating them at sea is going to be much more
difficult," said Professor Steve Yearley, head of the ESRC genomics forum and organiser of tomorrow's meeting. "We cannot stop pirates off Somalia, so how is someone supposed to

Sponges turn out to be a particularly promising marine

resource. The sponge Tethya crypta, found in Belize and other parts of the
Caribbean, has been found to contain chemicals that have anti-cancer and anti-viral
properties. Similarly, the cancer drug Halaven was derived from sponges of the
Halichondria family. To date, only a handful of drugs derived from marine biotechnology sources have been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
protect rare sponges that they find in their coastal waters?"

However, more than 1,000 new ones are undergoing pre-clinical tests. These include products derived from molluscs, snails, marine microbes and fish. The science of marine
biotechnology was kickstarted five years ago by the entrepreneur Craig Venter. One of the scientists involved in the sequencing of the human genome, Venter set off in his yacht in a
round-the-world cruise intent on demonstrating

water.

the potential of the biological material that is found in sea

In the end, he made two journeys, one from 2006-8 and the other from 2009-11. On both expeditions, scientists took 200-400 litre samples of sea water every 200 miles,

put these through progressively smaller filters to capture the organisms in the samples, then froze the captured micro-organisms for shipment back to his laboratory. There scientists

staggering. According to Venter, his team discovered

20m new genes and thousands of new families of proteins in the samples they scooped
up on their journeys through the world's oceans. As yet, no one knows what these genes and proteins do, although
most researchers believe many of them must have potential as sources of new
drugs. We are struggling to develop the right techniques to isolate and understand the marvels we are finding in the waters around the planet," said Yearley. "Once we have done
sequenced their DNA using techniques developed by Venter on sequencing the human genome. The results were
around

that, then we will have a much better idea just what we are looking at and just how careful we need to be when it comes to ensuring this resource is protected for the future."

Ocean Is The most promising frontier for sources of new drugs

National Research Council 9 The National Academics Advisors to the Nation on
Science, Engineering, and Medicine, 2009, http://dels.nas.edu/resources/staticassets/osb/miscellaneous/Oceans-Human-Health.pdf) jml

In 1945, a young organic chemist named Werner Berg- mann set out to
explore the waters off the coast of south- ern Florida. Among the marine
organisms he scooped from the sand that day was a Caribbean sponge
that would later be called Cryptotethya crypta . Back in his lab, Bergmann
extracted a novel compound from this sponge that aroused his curiosity.
The chemical Bergmann identified in this sponge, spongothymidine,
eventually led to the development of a whole class of drugs that treat cancer
and viral diseases and are still in use today. For example, Zid- ovudine (AZT)
fights the AIDS virus, HIV, and cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C) is used in the
treatment of leuke- mias and lymphomas. Acyclovir speeds the healing of
eczema and some herpes viruses. These are just a few examples of how
the study of marine organisms con- tributes to the health of thousands of
men, women, and children around the world. New antibiotics, in addition
to new drugs for fighting cancer, inflammatory diseases, and
neurodegenerative diseases (which often cannot be treated successfully
today), are greatly needed. With drug resistance nibbling away at the
once-full toolbox of antibiotics, the limited effectiveness of currently
available drugs has dire conse- quences for public health. Compounds with
medical potential have been found in several species of marine sponges , such as
this bright orange sponge. (Image from Harbor Branch Oceanographic
Institution, Fort Pierce, Florida) _ OCEAN SCIENCE SERIES exploring the
promises of ocean science OCEANS AND HUMAN HEALTH 3 Historically,
many medicines have come from nature mostly from land-based natural
organisms. Because scientists have nearly exhausted the supply of terrestrial
plants, animals, and microorganisms that have interesting medical
properties, new sources of drugs are needed. Occupying more than 70 percent
of the Earths surface, the ocean is a virtually unexplored treasure chest of
new and unidentified speciesone of the last frontiers for sources of new

natural products. These natural products are of special interest because of

the dazzling diversity and uniqueness of the creatures that make the sea
their home. One reason marine organisms are so interesting to sci- entists
is because in adapting to the various ocean environments, they have evolved
fascinating repertoires of unique chemicals to help them survive. For
example, anchored to the seafloor, a sponge that protects itself from an
animal trying to take over its space by killing the invader has been
compared with the human im- mune system trying to kill foreign cancer
cells. That same sponge, bathed in seawater containing millions of
bacteria, viruses, and fungi, some of which could be pathogens, has
developed antibiotics to keep those pathogens under control. Those same
antibiotics could be used to treat infections in humans. Sponges, in fact, are
among the most prolific sources of diverse chemical compounds. An
estimated 30 percent of all potential marine-de- rived medications
currently in the pipelineand about 75 per- cent of recently patented
marine-de- rived anticancer compoundscome from marine sponges.
Marine-based microorganisms are another particu- larly rich source of new
medicines. More than 1_0 drugs available today derive from land-based
microbes. Scien- tists see marine-based microbes as the most promising
source of novel medicines from the sea. In all, more than _ 0,000
biochemical compounds have been isolated from sea creatures since the
1980s. Because drug discovery in the marine frontier is a relatively young
field, only a few marine-derived drugs are in use today. Many others are in
the pipeline. One ex- ample is Prialt, a drug developed from the venom of
a fish-killing cone snail. The cone snails produce neuro- toxins to paralyze
and kill prey; those neurotoxins are being developed as neuromuscular blocks
for individuals with chronic pain, stroke, or epilepsy . Other marine- derived
drugs are being tested against herpes, asthma, and breast cancer . The
National Research Council report Marine Biotechnology that the
exploration of unique habitats, such as deep-sea environments, and the
isolation and culture of marine microor- ganisms offer two underexplored
opportuni- ties for discovery of novel chemicals with thera- peutic
potential. The successes to date, which are based upon a very limited
investigation of both deep-sea organisms and marine microorganisms,
suggest a high potential for continued discovery of new drugs.

Ocean key to medical breakthroughs

Kay 01 (Sharon, Scientists Seek New Medicines From the Ocean,
National Geographic, August 7, 2001,
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0807_wireseamed1.htm
l) KD
Male toadfish use their bladder muscles to dazzle females with a unique mating call
that sounds like a bullfrog. But, these days, toadfish are also wooing scientists who
want to apply lessons of toadfish anatomy to everything from heart disease to
human nerve regeneration. After all, muscles that can contract and relax as fast as
a toadfish bladder could provide clues on how to help failing human muscles of all
kinds. "When you want to develop a new system for a Ford Escort, you use the

Formula One model to see the extreme version of motor performance," explained
muscle physiologist Iain Young, who is spending the summer at the Marine
Biological Lab in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, to study the Formula One muscle of
the sea. Once regarded as either dinner or a research novelty, creatures of the sea
are getting increased respect among scientists looking for the medicines and
therapies of the future. From the ancient horseshoe crab, whose blood provides a
common test for bacterial contamination, to the lowly sea urchin, which played a
key role in test-tube fertilization of embryos, marine life is starting to take its place
alongside more established lab animals, such as the mouse, in medical and basic
biological research. "I believe marine organisms can be used to eliminate disease
and human suffering," said William Speck, a pediatrician who is now director of the
Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole. "We now have the technology to visit
the deep ocean floor, and, because of DNA technology, to more deeply understand
life and ourselves." In addition to covering three quarters of the planet surface,
oceans support the greatest variety of life on Earth, many of them adapted to
extreme environmentsfish that can see in pitch blackness, marine mammals that
can accurately find the source of sound underwater, creatures that thrive at
pressure levels that would kill a human. Understanding how these animals function
enables scientists to experiment with more complex mammal systems in order to
understand and cure diseases.

Reefs K/T Pharm

Further studying of Coral reefs could lead to medical
breakthroughs
Levins No Date (Nicole Levins, Nicole Levins is an online media manager at The Nature
Conservancy, Oceans and Coasts Coral Reefs: Nature's Medicine Cabinet, No Date,
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/habitats/oceanscoasts/explore/coral-reefs-and-medicine.xml)

, coral reefs hold the cures to some of our most common medical ailments.
Climate change is affecting the health of coral ecosystems and that puts a strain on the medicinal benefits derived from our oceans . By protecting marine
environments across the world, The Nature Conservancy is safeguarding marine biodiversity and ensuring coral reefs
will be around for future medicinal discoveries. A DEVASTATING LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY
COULD MEAN THAT FEWER SPECIES WILL BE AROUND FOR FUTURE MEDICINAL
RESEARCH AND BIOMEDICAL STUDIES. Stephanie Wear, Nature Conservancy marine scientist. What are some of the things you think
Surprisingly

about when you hear the words coral reef? Maybe the threats faced by these fragile ecosystems cross your mind: climate change, ocean acidification and unsustainable fishing
practices. Or maybe, if youre more of a glass-half-full type, you visualize the happy images: starfish and sea urchins, clownfish and parrotfish, sea turtles and giant clams. But you

Coral reefs
could hold the cures for some of the human races most common and most
serious ailments. By protecting these rainforests of the sea, The Nature Conservancy is ensuring that coral reefs will be around and healthy enough to
probably dont think about medicine. Its true these colorful and sometimes crazy-looking underwater structures host a lot more than just cool sea creatures.

facilitate future medicinal discoveries. Find out how you can help by adopting a coral reef today AN UNDERWATER PHARMACY Scientists have already developed many medical
treatments from resources found in the worlds oceans, For instance: Secosteroids, an enzyme used by corals to protect themselves from disease, is used to treat asthma, arthritis and
other inflammatory disorders. Bryozoan Bugula neritina, a common fouling organism (similar to barnacles) thats found in both temperate and tropical climates, is a source for the anti-

The U.S. National Cancer Institute recently collected more than

26,000 pounds of the organism from docks and pilings with little impact on the
population. Blue-green algae, commonly found in Caribbean mangroves, are used to treat small-cell lung cancer. The National Cancer Institute also endorsed blue-green
algae for the treatment of melanoma and some tumors.Two drugs currently on the market for cancer and pain
come from marine sources. Twenty-five more marine-derived medicines are being evaluated in human trials right now. Yondelis, the first
new treatment in 30 years for soft-tissue sarcoma, is extracted from the sea squirt,
a sac-like filter feeder. And with just a few more years of research, it seems likely that scientists will uncover even more therapeutic secrets in the sea: A
series of organic chemicals isolated from a soft coral called the Caribbean sea whip seem to have an impressive anti-inflammatory effect on human skin . Bioactive
molecules produced by marine invertebrates such as sea sponges, tunicates and
sea hares have displayed potent anti-viral, anti-tumor and antibacterial activity .
cancer compound bryostatin 1.

Researchers are studying bivalves, a class of mollusks, to learn more about aging processes, including metabolic activity and environmental stressors. In fact, one coral reef ecologist
says that were 300 to 400 times more likely to find new drugs in the oceans than on land. PROTECTING REEFS FOR HUMAN AND MARINE HEALTH Climate change is already affecting
the health of coral ecosystems. Microbial communities where many new drugs could likely be found are especially susceptible to these changes, and some are already beginning to
decline or migrate. An estimated 95 percent of the worlds oceans remain unexplored, so its possible that we might lose significant marine organisms without ever knowing they
existed in the first place, explains Stephanie Wear, a marine scientist on the Conservancys Global Marine Team. A devastating loss of biodiversity could mean that fewer species will be
around for future medicinal research and biomedical studies. By protecting marine environments through the creation of marine protected areas and the development of adaptation

People and nature are already benefitting in so

many ways from these marine protected areas. Just imagine what medical
benefits may still lay undiscovered beneath the sea.
strategies, the Conservancy is safeguarding marine biodiversity.

Mountain Ranges K/T Pharm

Exploring Underwater Mountains Could Drive New Medical
Discoveries
D'oliveira 98 (Steve, Editor / Education Law Newsletter at LRP Publications
Editor & Publisher at Florida Underwater Magazine Reporter at Fort Lauderdale News
& Sun-Sentinel Heed The Call Of The Oceans, Urges Explorer Who Discovered The
`Titanic', http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1998-04-09/news/9804080462_1_oceansrobert-ballard-earth, April 9, 1998)
The United States has sent men to the moon and robots to traverse the terrain on
Mars. Yet it has not sponsored an exploration of the mid-ocean range, a huge underwater
mountain ridge in the Southern Hemisphere. The heavens may beckon, but so do the oceans right here
on Earth. That was the message Robert Ballard, the pioneer oceanographer who discovered the Titanic, delivered to 500 people on Wednesday in Dania and Boca Raton at
speeches sponsored by Nova Southeastern University's Breakfast and Luncheon Forums. The mid-ocean ridge, a chain of active
volcanoes, stretches for 42,000 miles under several oceans as it encircles the Earth
like the raised seams on a baseball. ``It covers 23 percent of the Earth's total surface area, yet it wasn't until after Neil Armstrong and Buzz
Aldrin walked on the moon that humans entered the largest feature on Earth, which I find quite amazing,'' Ballard said. ``In fact, we have only
explored one-tenth of 1 percent of this great mountain. ``That's pretty staggering,
to realize how poorly explored Earth is,'' he said. There are many practical reasons for exploring the seas, he said. Not only do the
oceans drive the Earth's weather system, but marine organisms are vital to medicine and finding new drugs .
Deep-ocean bacteria also may have industrial applications, because of their ability
to withstand extreme heat and pressure. As an example of just how little is known about the seas, Ballard cited the long-held assumption
that the deep oceans _ where light cannot penetrate _ harbored little life. That was proved wrong, Ballard said , when scientists discovered 9foot tube worms and large white clams living on top of fresh volcanic lava. They can
survive, he said, because the organisms learned how to duplicate photosynthesis in
the dark. Ballard, who said life may have originated deep in the Earth's oceans, said life also may exist on ice-covered Europa, one of Jupiter's moons. Scientists think Europa
harbors a 60-mile ocean, perhaps kept warm by active underwater volcanoes. ``The question is, `How smart are the clams on Europa?' '' Ballard said. He made his remarks
Wednesday afternoon at the Boca Raton Marriott, where he showed slides from the Titanic. He found the wreck in 1985 using cameras mounted on a remotely operated vehicle, a
technology he helped pioneer in the late 1970s. Discovering the Titanic not only brought attention to the new technology used to find it, but Ballard said it also ``created a tremendous
sensitivity about the ocean.'' The so-called ``unsinkable'' ocean liner sank in the North Atlantic after striking an iceberg on its maiden voyage on April 15, 1912. Ballard's last public visit
to South Florida was in 1996, when he helped produce Jason Project VII, Adapting to a Changing Sea, an educational and interactive-television program designed to excite students about
science.Ballard, a tenured senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts, most recently discovered the largest concentration of ancient shipwrecks in the
Mediterranean Sea, 70 miles west of Sicily.

Empirics Prove
Empirical Examples Of Cures From The Oceans
Hagan, 13 (Pat, health journalist working mainly for national
newspapers like the Daily Mail, Daily Express and The Sun
Specialised in case study-led features and research-based
news stories, Deep sea cures, June 4, 2013,
http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/health/404738/Deep-sea-cures,
-MB)
Now scientists are increasingly turning their attention to the sea with ocean plants
and creatures providing the key to a variety of drugs that can treat everything from cancer
to sinus trouble. Experts hope the multitude of largely unexplored life forms lurking
in the depths will lead to many more medical breakthroughs in years to come . Here is our
guide to the treatments that originate deep in the ocean. SEAWEED Used for: Blocked
sinuses A nasal spray made from an organism found on seaweed could be a radical new treatment for blocked sinuses, which affect up to three million people in the UK. British
scientists are developing the spray after discovering that the marine organism can break down the cells, which act like a glue to hold mucus together inside the nasal cavity.They came
up with the idea of targeting blocked sinuses after originally researching the seaweed bug as a means of cleaning the hulls of ships, which can become covered in a layer of biofilm
similar to mucus. Now laboratory tests at Newcastle University show the seaweed enzyme can help to clear blocked sinuses by dissolving the glue that binds bacteria together and
acts as a shield against existing sprays or antibiotics.

BARNACLES Used for: Surgical glue

Barnacles have an amazing capacity to stick to wet

surfaces such as rocks or the hull of a boat even in the roughest conditions. Now scientists have taken the substance that helps them do this and turned it into a medical superglue.
Called Medhesive, it can help wounds repair in under a minute and like the barnacle substance, works in either wet or dry conditions. This means that surgeons could potentially use it on
major organs with a rich blood supply such as the heart, kidneys and liver. The glue is known as one of natures most powerful adhesives. It cannot be dissolved by strong acids, resists
temperatures up to 440F and is completely resistant to bacteria

. MARINE SNAILS Used for: Pain relief A drug that harnesses the power of

deadly sea snail venom is being used to treat chronic pain in patients who cannot tolerate treatments such as morphine. Given the name Prialt (ziconotide), it is based on a toxin
released by a sea snail called the magicians cone, which is usually found in tropical waters such as the Great Barrier Reef and the South Pacific. The snail uses venom to paralyse
passing fish. However nearly 30 years ago scientists found one of the chemical components in the poison could also block pain signals in the human brain. A synthetic version of the
chemical was developed which forms the basis of the drug in use today

. CORAL Used for: Osteoarthritis of the knee

Around eight

million people in Britain have some degree of osteoarthritis where cartilage that allows joints to move easily is gradually worn down. Cartilage soaks up the impact from walking, running
or lifting so that bones do not rub together and disintegrate. Once it breaks down, the bones come into contact with each other, which causes severe swelling and pain. Around 60,000
people a year end up needing a knee replacement because their joints are too badly eroded. Now a tiny implant made from coral could be the solution. It helps to stimulate the growth of
new cartilage from stem cells, the bodys own immature cells that can turn into any type of tissue. Scientists chose coral because its structure resembles human bone so closely that it
provides the perfect scaffold for new cartilage and blood vessels to form inside the knee.
Called Agili-C, the implant has been cleared for sale in the UK and Europe and could be launched later this year. One of the first patients in the world to have it fitted, a 47-year-old man
from Slovenia, was reportedly skiing and cycling again within six months

. SEA SHRUB Used for: Dry eyes

Sea buckthorn is a thorny deciduous

shrub that grows along some of Britains coastal areas. A recent study found that the oil extracted from the plant provides considerable relief for dry eye syndrome, reducing the rate at
which tears evaporate, easing soreness and redness.
Dry eye syndrome is a common condition that develops when the eyes do not make enough tears or the tears they do produce evaporate too rapidly. Around one in 13 people in their
50s is affected but for those in their 60s this rises to one in three. Volunteers who took a capsule containing two grams of sea buckthorn oil every day for three months during autumn
and winter suffered significantly milder symptoms than those who took a placebo capsule. The oil is thought to work due to its relatively high content of linolenic acid, a type of fatty acid
often found in plant oils and rich in beneficial omega 6. Researchers think the anti-inflammatory effects of linolenic acid may help to combat swelling and irritation in the eye.

MARINE SPONGES Used for: Breast cancer

In the mid-Eighties Japanese scientists investigating the properties of a marine sponge

called halichondria okadai discovered something remarkable. It contained a compound that seemed to stop cancer cells in their tracks. The compound was fast-tracked for development
as a new drug and finally in 2010 was licensed as a new drug called eribulin, a type of chemotherapy medicine used specifically for advanced breast cancer. It works by stopping virulent
cancer cells from dividing into two, halting or slowing its spread.

SHARK LIVER Used for: Treating vision loss

An antibiotic found in

shark liver could soon be used in eye drops designed to prevent a leading cause of blindness known as wet age-related macular degeneration. The drug, called squalamine, is a
compound found in the liver of dog sharks.
New research suggests it halts the abnormal growth of tiny blood vessels in the eye which leads to blindness. The drops are being trialled and could be a popular alternative to current
drugs that have to be injected into the eye

San Diego-based Pharmaceuticals have already found deep ocean

fungus that can cure cancer, and their research has lead to massive
breakthroughs like penicillin.
Timmerman 09 (Luke Timmerman is an award-winning journalist specializing in life sciences. He has
served as national biotechnology editor for Xconomy and national biotechnology reporter for Bloomberg News;
Having Scoured the Ocean for Cancer Drugs, Nereus Aims to Prove Its Concept Works, February 26, 2009;

http://www.xconomy.com/san-diego/2009/02/26/having-scoured-the-ocean-for-cancer-drugs-nereus-aims-to-proveits-concept-works/, RJ)

Off the coast of the Bahamas, in sea grass more than a half-mile deep, San Diegobased Nereus Pharmaceuticals found a fungus that may be the key ingredient for an
innovative new cancer drug. This will be a key year for gathering evidence that will
either support or debunk the idea. I got the download on Nereus last week in a
conversation with co-founder and CEO Kobi Sethna and Charles White, the
companys chief business officer. Nereus has raised a whopping $125 million in
venture capital in almost a decade of business, from big name investors like Roche
Venture Fund, Alta Partners, and San Diego-based Forward Ventures, among others,
so I figured it was worth taking a look. The company is built on the idea that many
of the biggest pharmaceutical breakthroughs, like penicillin, come from natural
microbes. The bulk of these fungi and bacteria that led to drugs come from land,
but, of course, Mother Nature has plenty of more biodiversity in the ocean. After
years of sailing expeditions that trawled up potential drug candidates in hot and
cold water, shallow and deep, from the Pacific and the Atlantic, Nereus has looked at
hundreds of candidates for treating autoimmune disease and cancerand now has
settled on two lead horses against cancer that it thinks have a real shot. So
the sailing expeditions are over, and now its time to push through the hard,
unpredictable slog of clinical trials to see if these drugs really work in people. In
this business, youve got to be focused. Its the name of the game, Sethna says.
Weve morphed into an oncology company. So what does Nereus have to show for
all that investment? The lead candidate (the one found off the coast of the
Bahamas) is called NPI-2358. Its a small-molecule drug synthesized in the lab to be
similar in structure to a unique fungus it found in the ocean. This drug is designed to
be a vascular disrupting agent to tumors. Its made to attack existing blood
vessels in tumors, unlike big-name cancer drugs like Genentechs bevacizumab
(Avastin) or Pfizers sunitinib (Sutent) that are meant to block the formation of new
blood vessels to tumors, White says. The reason the Nereus drug is still alive in the
clinic is that it showed a long-lasting, potent ability to disrupt tumor blood flow,
without causing the heart damage that has plagued other vascular-disrupting drugs
in the class, White says. The first clinical trials supported further testing, confirming
the drug wasnt harming the heart while shrinking tumors at least partially for about
three-fourths of patients when given in combination with Sanofi-Aventis docetaxel
(Taxotere). This molecule is in competition with Waltham, MA-based Oxigenes
OXi4503, which is in early clinical trials, and about five or six others still in animal
testing, White says. The advantage he sees with the Nereus drug is that it appears
to enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy, without adding on any new layers of
toxic side effects, as often happens with chemo cocktails. The drug is currently
being tested against lung cancer, the leading cancer killer in the U.S.

Sponges Could Hold Cancer Cures More Exploration Needed

Penfold 12 (Curtis, College of Physical and Mathematical
Sciences, Rare Sponges May Carry a New Cure for Cancer,
October 30, 2012, http://cpms.byu.edu/castle-cancer-research/)

Cancer-killing chemicals in sea sponges? Sounds too good to be true. But its not.
Two years ago, Japanese scientists found a chemical compound inside of deep-sea
sponges that helps destroy certain cancer cells.The compound yakuamide A is
likely produced by bacteria that only grow in a certain type of deep-sea sponge . But
it grows in such low quantities that its rather impractical to try to harvest. The more
practical solution is to synthesize the chemical compound in a lab, although the
research to do so has proved difficult. This is where chemistry professor Steven
Castle steps in. For the past few months, he and his research team have been trying
to recreate yakuamide A. Yakuamide A is toxic to cells of lung cancer, breast
cancer, colon cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, and leukemia. But its not
toxic to all cancers.Usually you want a compound that is selective rather than a
nonselective compound that kills many types of cancer cells, Castle says, because
nonselective compounds are usually too toxic to be used as drugs. Castles
research has led him to Japan, where he stayed for four and a half months this
summer, studying with a fellow synthetic chemist, Professor Masayuki Inoue.
Together, they did some research (soon to be published) on the immediate
difficulties of synthesizing yakuamide A.
The biggest obstacle the team faces in trying to synthesize yakuamide A is creating
the chemical compound without creating a mirror image of it at the same time.
Mirror images are reversed replicas of a chemical compound, and thus cannot
perform the same function inside cells and organisms as their counterparts. Itd be
like taking your right hand and your left hand, and having a right-handed baseball
mitt, Castle said. Your right hand will fit the baseball mitt, while your left hand will
not. Despite the daunting task ahead of him and his research team, he remains
enthusiastic. Im pretty optimistic, pretty positive that at some point, well figure it
out, Castle said. Optimism in cancer research. Thats what we like to hear.

Adv STEM

US STEM Low Now

STEM is Good and US falling behind
Eberle 10 (Francis Eberle, Ph.D., is the executive director for the National Science
Teachers Association. Why STEM education is important. The International Society of
Automation. September/October, 2010. https://www.isa.org/standards-and-publications/isapublications/intech-magazine/2010/september/why-stem-education-is-important/ nyy)
Thirty five years ago, I entered the classroom as a young eighth-grade science teacher because science fascinates me.
Letting students explore ideas in science and watching them learn is truly a passion that most science teachers share. It is
inspiring to watch a student work through a science investigation and get to the "aha" moment of understanding, seeing their
eyes light up, the smile broaden across their face, and the explosion of energy as they rush to explain to someone what they
have just discovered. Good science teachers capitalize on the "aha" moments and work hard to help students not only

science is the one

subject that encompasses everything in life and helps students be curious, ask questions,
and make connections as to why the world exists as it does. It is the backdrop for
understanding our world, and helps us to explain and appreciate it in new ways. Science is the
"S' in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education. We define STEM education as the
preparation of students in competencies and skills in the four disciplines (science,
technology, engineering, and math). A successful STEM education provides students with
science, math, and engineering/technology in sequences that build upon each other and
can be used with real-world applications. STEM education creates critical thinkers,
increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Innovation leads
to new products and processes that sustain our economy. This innovation and science literacy depends
on a solid knowledge base in the STEM areas. It is clear that most jobs of the future will require a basic
understanding of math and science-10-year employment projections by the U.S.
Department of Labor show that of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014,
15 of them require significant mathematics or science preparation. It is imperative that as a
nation, we make STEM education a top priority. We have a lot of work to do. Consider this: U.S. student
achievement in mathematics and science is lagging behind students in much of Asia and
Europe. International test scores tell us that in science U.S. eighth-graders were
outperformed by eighth-grade students in Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Republic of Korea,
Hong Kong SAR, Estonia, Japan, Hungary, and Netherlands. In math, U.S. eighth-graders
were outperformed by their peers in 14 countries : Singapore, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong
SAR, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, Estonia, Hungary, Malaysia, Latvia,
Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, and Australia. The 2010 ACT College and Career
Readiness report found only 29% of the tested 2010 graduates are considered collegeready in science and 43% are considered college-ready in math. President Barack Obama has
understand science, but also foster a lifelong learning in science. Why is this so important? Because

declared we need to increase student achievement in mathematics and science and expand STEM education and career
opportunities to underrepresented groups, including women. In a speech at the National Academies of Science last April,
Obama said, "Reaffirming

and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific

discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this
century. That's why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national
priority." Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign is designed to lift American students to the top of the pack in science and
math achievement over the next decade. The campaign involves public-private partnerships involving major companies,
universities, foundations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. One of the main goals of this campaign is to
increase STEM literacy so all students have the opportunity to learn deeply and think critically in science, math, engineering,
and technology. Funding will come from the many corporate, private, and foundation sponsors who are interested in taking
part in the campaign efforts by serving students with their own initiatives. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
fully supports Educate to Innovate and is a proud sponsor of National Lab Day (NLD), a cornerstone of Obama's initiative. NLD
is a teacher-driven nationwide effort to build local communities of support between STEM professionals and STEM teachers
that will foster ongoing collaborations to strengthen the education we provide to our students.. To further support businesses

and other stakeholders in efforts to establish a STEM pipeline, the STEM Education Coalition, advocates from over 1,000
diverse groups, works to raise awareness in Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation,
and other agencies that offer STEM related programs. This coalition, co-chaired by NSTA, keeps the dialogue going between
and among stakeholders and supports initiatives that strengthen K-12 STEM education. Increased commitment from

STEM education
creates the pipeline of future innovators that will move this country forward. Making STEM
education a priority is important, for our nation's short and long-term future.
businesses and other stakeholders that support STEM education is critical, now more than ever.

AT: Educate to Innovate Solves

Obamas Current Educate to Innovate policy falls short
Burke and McNeill 11 (Lindsey M. Burke is a Policy Analyst in the Domestic Policy
Studies Department and Jena Baker McNeill is Policy Analyst for Homeland Security in the
Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and
Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.
Educate to Innovate: How the Obama Plan for STEM Education Falls Short. The
Heritage Foundation. January 5, 2011. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/01/educateto-innovate-how-the-obama-plan-for-stem-education-falls-short nyy)

President Obamas Educate to Innovate initiative has provided billions in additional

federal funding for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics ( STEM)
education programs across the country. The Administrations recognition of the
importance of STEM education for global competitiveness as well as for national
securityis good and important. But the past 50 years suggest that federal
initiatives are unlikely to solve the fundamental problem of American
underperformance in STEM education. Heritage Foundation education and national
security analysts explain that, though Educate to Innovate is intended to raise the
U.S. from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math, the federal
programs one-size-fits-all approach fails to remedy the underlying problems of
academic performance and does not plug the leaky pipeline in the American
education system.

Specifically the One-Size-Fits-All approach fails

Burke and McNeill 11 (Lindsey M. Burke is a Policy Analyst in the Domestic Policy
Studies Department and Jena Baker McNeill is Policy Analyst for Homeland Security in the
Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and
Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies, at The Heritage Foundation.
Educate to Innovate: How the Obama Plan for STEM Education Falls Short. The
Heritage Foundation. January 5, 2011. http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/01/educateto-innovate-how-the-obama-plan-for-stem-education-falls-short nyy)

Despite increasing federal control over the American education system over the
past 50 years, educational achievement across the country has continued to
deteriorate.[12] A large part of the problem is that the federal focus centers on a onesize-fits-all approach. Most recently, this approach is part of the Obama Administrations
efforts to impose national education standards and tests on states . This is a significant
federal overreach into states educational decision-making authority, and will likely result in the
standardization of mediocrity, rather than a minimum benchmark for competency in
math and English.[13] Applying a blanket approach to education reform undermines
innovation in STEM education, increasing conformity at the expense of meeting the diverse needs of
students and parents.

Econ Low Now - Brink

Economy declining now, but can be turned around- action is
key NOW.
Lambro 14 [Donald, chief political correspondent for The Washington Times, U.S. Economy
Slides Deeper Into Decline, Townhall, May 02, 2014,
http://townhall.com/columnists/donaldlambro/2014/05/02/can-obamas-nogrowth-jobless-economy-getmuch-worse-it-can-and-it-will-if-we-do-nothing-to-change-his-policies-n1832247/page/full]-DaveD.

The Obama economy nearly stopped breathing in the first quarter ,

giving the Republicans new political ammunition for a full takeover of Congress in
the November elections.No sooner did the Commerce Department announce that the economy barely
grew by one-tenth of one percent in the first three months of this year, than the news media was
searching for the toughest words to describe the U.S. economy's demise under
President Obama's anti- growth, anti-job policies ."U.S. Economic Growth Slows to a
Crawl," was the way the Reuters news agency put it Wednesday, and even that was
being generous. Some said the economy "stalled," or "barely grew" or "hit a wall." Others called the 0.1
WASHINGTON -

percent growth rate "anemic," a word that doesn't do justice to an economy that has all but ground to a halt. But
after one excuse after another for the president's economic failures, some in the news media weren't pulling their
punches. Here's the way the Wall Street Journal put it: "U.S growth nearly stalled in the first three months of the
year, fresh evidence that the economic expansion that began almost five years ago remains the weakest in modern
history." "U.S. economic growth stalled to near zero," the Journal said on its website, minutes after the government

Even the liberal New York Times, one of the Democrats'

biggest apologists, pointed out that the economy's failing grade was actually a
continuation of what Americans have been experiencing ever since Obama's first
year in office, without any sustained improvement. "For all the attention devoted to the quarterly
announced its shocking number.

fluctuations, the current underlying rate of expansion is not much different from the frustratingly slow trajectory in
place ever since the economy began to recover from the Great Recession," the Times said. "The average quarterly
rate of growth since the summer of 2009 stands at 2.2 percent," the newspaper noted, a pathetic, sub-par rate of

The White House was still peddling

their belief that the economy would soon pick up in the second quarter and that the
slowdown was the result of a harsh winter. But wiser economists aren't buying the
administration's excuses. Dan North, the chief economist at Euler Hermes North America, a large insurer,
growth for the largest and once strongest economy on the planet.

told the Times that even if the growth rate picks up in the second quarter, "the annual growth rate in 2014 will most
likely still be below the post-World War II average of just over 3 percent." "We've been living in a sub 3-percent
land, and people have gotten used to that as the new normal," North said. "But it's not. It's anemic." Yes, a bitter

Its precipitous
plunge into recession-leaning territory -- defined by two back to back quarters
of near minus growth -- was driven by multiple weaknesses across the nation's
economic landscape. U.S. exports plunged 7.6 percent, a victim of Obama's failure to
winter took its toll on growth, but it was not the driving force behind a snails-pace economy.

negotiate new trade deals. Business investment fell as many companies cut back on their inventories in the face of
a weak economy. The real estate markets were in decline as higher interest rates and rising prices pushed
homeownership beyond the reach homebuyers. "The housing market has cooled recently as buyers have struggled
to afford homes," the Los Angeles Times reported this week. The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that the
"recovery in the housing sector remained slow." And remember all that inventory businesses bought in the second
half of 2013, believing the economy was going to take off? Well, their shelves were still full throughout the first
quarter, resulting "in manufacturers receiving fewer orders" in the past three months, Reuters reported. But the
biggest factors behind the economy's decline is the shrinking labor market, high, long-term jobless rates, and
stagnant or declining incomes. "A separate report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Wednesday on the
employment cost index showed that private sector wages and salaries in the first quarter of 2014 increased at the
slowest rate since the bureau began tracking the data in March 1980," the Times reported. Little wonder, then,
that the Conference Board reported Wednesday that U.S. consumer confidence fell in April as a result of growing
concerns about job cuts and business pullbacks in investment.

There are lots of ways that this

economy can be turned around, but Obama and the Democrats are opposed to all of them. We need

revenue neutral, job friendly tax reform that scrubs corporate welfare out of the tax code, broadens the tax base,
and lowers income tax rates across the board for businesses and individuals. The Republicans in the House have a
plan ready to go, but Senate Democrats want no part of it. And Obama's too busy trying to raise the minimum
wage, even though the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office says it will kill 500,000 jobs. We need tax
incentives to unlock trillions of dollars in capital investment to expand existing businesses, create new ones and
boost employment. In his second term, Bill Clinton signed a GOP-passed capital gains tax cut and his economy took
off. Obama and the Harry Reid Democrats flatly oppose this. We need to enact fast track trade authorization to
open up world markets to American goods and services, but the Democrats won't even discuss it for fear of
angering their party's union bosses.

slope to further decline

Senate and the Oval Office.

Sad to say, but the American economy is on a slippery

and it's not going to get any better until we have tough, new leadership in the

STEM = Comp/Econ
STEM is vital to economic growth and competitiveness to
cement leadership.
Gillibrand and Kennedy 14 (Kristen, U.S. Senator representing New York, Joe,
III, U.S. Representative representing Massachusetts a member of the House Committee on
Science & Technology and serves as honorary chair of the Governor's STEM Advisory
Council, STEM Jobs Key to Better Economy, USA Today, January 10, 2014,
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/01/10/engineering-mathematics-stem-gillibrand-kennedycolumn/4361837/, nyy)
From Taunton, Massachusetts to Buffalo, New York, the innovation economy is redefining our nation's story of
recovery and growth. Middle-class industrial towns and working-class urban epicenters alike are experiencing
transformative shifts toward advanced manufacturing, life sciences, information technology and big data. We see

jobs in science, technology,

(STEM) have grown at a rate three times faster than non-

this trend amplified across our national job market. Over the past decade,
engineering and mathematics

STEM jobs. According to the Department of Commerce, that momentum will continue over the next decade as
STEM jobs will grow at a staggering rate of 17% compared with a projected 9.8% growth in other occupations.

But if we want to capitalize on this economic bright spot, it's time to expand the
conversation we are having about STEM. Too often pigeonholed as the vehicle by which upper middle class
students pursue PhD programs at MIT, STEM is also the tool a first-generation vocational student from Fall River,
Massachusetts uses to get a $50,000/year advanced manufacturing job right after graduation or a student from
Rensselaer, New York uses to secure a good-paying job in upstate New York's fast growing nanotechnology industry.

STEM is not just the fuel our

high-tech workforce requires. It is the best hope we have of creating what our fragile
economy needs most: a sustainable supply of well-paid, middle-class jobs . But before
In a time of slow recovery, decreased mobility and pervasive income inequality,

we can reap the benefits of a skilled workforce we must improve and invest in our efforts to reach populations
historically underrepresented in this country's STEM pipeline: women, minorities and students from economically
distressed communities. In 2011, 26% of STEM workers were women and 74% were men. According to a 2011
report by the Department of Commerce, underrepresented minorities account for only 3 out of 10 professionals in
STEM fields. Half of all STEM jobs are available to workers without a 4-year college degree, but the vast majority of
federal funding is channeled into higher education institutions that students from economically distressed

a disconnect in our STEM

efforts that left unchecked will throw a wrench in our economic future . By excluding
communities are priced out of from the start. These statistics underscore

critical segments of the American workforce from the STEM pipeline, we don't just hurt those individuals, their

we leave a staggering amount of economic potential on the

table. Global leadership in the 21st century requires all hands on deck. If we want to preserve this
country's competitive edge, we need to increase points of access to STEM for
families and their communities

underrepresented populations. With that in mind, we were proud to introduce the STEM Gateways Act in Congress
at the end of the year. The Gateways Act will create a grant program for elementary and secondary schools,
community colleges, and partner organizations that support students from historically underrepresented and
economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Grant funds can be used for classroom learning, career preparation,
mentoring, internships, informal learning, and other relevant activities designed to encourage the interest and
develop the skills that young women, underrepresented minorities, and students of all economic backgrounds will
need to succeed in our country's STEM workforce. Broadening our STEM efforts isn't just about jobs today and
tomorrow. It's about leveraging the collective capacity of the American workforce to tackle our most pressing
modern challenges, from renewable energy to medical research to cybersecurity. If we don't keep the doors of
opportunity wide open to students of all genders, ethnicities and backgrounds then we will collectively forfeit a

global
leadership is being challenged on multiple fronts ; when American students lag
behind other developed nations in the skills required to support innovation
industries we cannot afford to leave that much potential untapped.
huge portion of the talent that these next generation challenges demand. At a time when our

STEM is essential to economic growth, innovation, and job

creation.
Eberle 10 (Francis Eberle, Ph.D., is the executive director for the National Science
Teachers Association. Why STEM education is important. The International Society of
Automation. September/October, 2010. https://www.isa.org/standards-and-publications/isapublications/intech-magazine/2010/september/why-stem-education-is-important/ nyy)
Thirty five years ago, I entered the classroom as a young eighth-grade science teacher because science fascinates me.
Letting students explore ideas in science and watching them learn is truly a passion that most science teachers share. It is
inspiring to watch a student work through a science investigation and get to the "aha" moment of understanding, seeing their
eyes light up, the smile broaden across their face, and the explosion of energy as they rush to explain to someone what they
have just discovered. Good science teachers capitalize on the "aha" moments and work hard to help students not only

science is the one

subject that encompasses everything in life and helps students be curious, ask questions,
and make connections as to why the world exists as it does. It is the backdrop for
understanding our world, and helps us to explain and appreciate it in new ways. Science is the
"S' in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education. We define STEM education as the
preparation of students in competencies and skills in the four disciplines (science,
technology, engineering, and math). A successful STEM education provides students with
science, math, and engineering/technology in sequences that build upon each other and
can be used with real-world applications. STEM education creates critical thinkers,
increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Innovation leads
to new products and processes that sustain our economy. This innovation and science literacy depends
on a solid knowledge base in the STEM areas. It is clear that most jobs of the future will require a basic
understanding of math and science-10-year employment projections by the U.S.
Department of Labor show that of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014,
15 of them require significant mathematics or science preparation. It is imperative that as a
nation, we make STEM education a top priority. We have a lot of work to do. Consider this: U.S. student
achievement in mathematics and science is lagging behind students in much of Asia and
Europe. International test scores tell us that in science U.S. eighth-graders were
outperformed by eighth-grade students in Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Republic of Korea,
Hong Kong SAR, Estonia, Japan, Hungary, and Netherlands. In math, U.S. eighth-graders
were outperformed by their peers in 14 countries : Singapore, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong
SAR, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Belgium, Netherlands, Estonia, Hungary, Malaysia, Latvia,
Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, and Australia. The 2010 ACT College and Career
Readiness report found only 29% of the tested 2010 graduates are considered collegeready in science and 43% are considered college-ready in math. President Barack Obama has
understand science, but also foster a lifelong learning in science. Why is this so important? Because

declared we need to increase student achievement in mathematics and science and expand STEM education and career
opportunities to underrepresented groups, including women. In a speech at the National Academies of Science last April,
Obama said, "Reaffirming

and strengthening America's role as the world's engine of scientific

discovery and technological innovation is essential to meeting the challenges of this
century. That's why I am committed to making the improvement of STEM education over the next decade a national
priority." Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign is designed to lift American students to the top of the pack in science and
math achievement over the next decade. The campaign involves public-private partnerships involving major companies,
universities, foundations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies. One of the main goals of this campaign is to
increase STEM literacy so all students have the opportunity to learn deeply and think critically in science, math, engineering,
and technology. Funding will come from the many corporate, private, and foundation sponsors who are interested in taking
part in the campaign efforts by serving students with their own initiatives. The National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)
fully supports Educate to Innovate and is a proud sponsor of National Lab Day (NLD), a cornerstone of Obama's initiative. NLD
is a teacher-driven nationwide effort to build local communities of support between STEM professionals and STEM teachers
that will foster ongoing collaborations to strengthen the education we provide to our students.. To further support businesses
and other stakeholders in efforts to establish a STEM pipeline, the STEM Education Coalition, advocates from over 1,000

diverse groups, works to raise awareness in Congress, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation,
and other agencies that offer STEM related programs. This coalition, co-chaired by NSTA, keeps the dialogue going between
and among stakeholders and supports initiatives that strengthen K-12 STEM education. Increased commitment from

STEM education
creates the pipeline of future innovators that will move this country forward. Making STEM
education a priority is important, for our nation's short and long-term future.
businesses and other stakeholders that support STEM education is critical, now more than ever.

STEM jobs are key to US competitiveness- filling the job gap is key.
NMS 2011(National Math and Science Initiative, mission to improve student
performance in STEM, Why m Education Matters, NMS, 2011,
http://www.nms.org/Portals/0/Docs/Why20Stem20Education20Matters.pdf)
STEM) are where the jobs are. STEM job creation over the next
10 years will outpace non-STEM jobs significantly, growing 17 percent, as compared to 9.8 percent for non-stem positions.1
Jobs in computer systems design and related services a field dependent on high-level math and problem-solving skills are projected
to grow 45 percent between 2008 and 2018. The occupations with the fastest growth in the coming years such
as biomedical engineers, network systems and data communications analysts, and medical
scientists all call for degrees in STEM fields.2 STEM workers can expect higher salaries.
College graduates overall make 84 percent more over a lifetime than those with only high school diplomas. But further analysis of 171 majors
shows that STEM majors can earn higher wages. For example, petroleum engineering majors make about $120,000 a year,
Science, technology, engineering and math (

compared with $29,000 annually for counseling psychology majors. Math and computer science majors earn $98,000 in salary, while early childhood education majors
get paid about $36,000.3 According to the Commerce Department, people in STEM fields can expect to earn 26 percent more money on average and be less likely to

And
yet the United States is failing to produce enough skilled STEM workers. Sixty
percent of the new jobs that will open in the 21st century will require skills possessed by
only 20 percent of the current workfor ce.5 The U.S. may be short as many as three million
high-skills workers by 2018. Two-thirds of those jobs will require at least some post-secondary education. American universities, however, only award about a
third of the bachelors degrees in science and engineering as Asian universities. Worldwide, the U nited States ranks 17th in the
number of science degrees it awards. 6The United States is fast losing its competitive edge. The
competitive edge of the US economy has eroded sharply over the last decade, according to a new study by a nonpartisan research group. The report found that the U.S. ranked sixth among 40 countries and regions, based on 16 indicators of
innovation and competitiveness. They included venture capital investment, scientific research, spending on research, and educational achievement.7 The prestigious
World Economic Forum ranks the U.S. as No. 48 in quality of math and science education. 8 American
students arent keeping up with students in other countries in math and
science. International results released in 2010 showed once again that U.S. students rank well below many foreign
competitors in the crucial areas of math and science. The rankings from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
showed American students scored 17th in science achievement and 25th in math ability out of 65 countries.
experience job loss. The STEM degree holders also tend to enjoy higher earnings overall, regardless of whether they work in STEM or non-STEM occupations. 4

According to the 2009 National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), the Nations Report Card, only one percent of U.S. fourth grade and 12th grade students
and two percent of eighth grade students scored in the highest level of proficiency in science. In fact, the NAEP science results showed students performance worsened
the longer they were in school, with 72 percent of the fourth graders, 63 percent of the eight graders, and just 60 percent of the 12th graders scoring at or above the

the only countries that the U.S. ranked

The decline in STEM knowledge capital is reducing the
basic scientific research that leads to growth. The U.S. is no longer the Colossus of
Science, dominating the research landscape in the production of scientific papers, that it was 30 years ago. In 1981, U.S.
basic level. In an analysis comparing the NAEP math scores of advanced 8th graders with their counterparts overseas,
ahead of were Portugal, Greece, Turkey and Mexico.9

scientists fielded nearly 40 percent of research papers in the most influential journals. By 2009, that figure had shrunk to 29 percent. During the same period,

European nations increased their share of research papers from 33 percent to 36 percent, while research
contributed by nations in the Asia-Pacific region increased from 13 percent to 31 percent. China is now the
second-largest producer of scientific papers, after the U.S. with nearly 11 percent of the worlds total.10 American STEM
shortcomings mean crucial research and development that pushes the frontiers
of innovation is waning. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), almost 83 percent of
research and development was carried out in developed countries in 2002, but dropped to 76 percent by 2007. China was leading the pack of emerging nations with 1.4

Other nations are racing

to establish dominance in math and science. Russia is building an innovation city
outside of Moscow. Saudi Arabia has a new university for science and engineering with a $10 billion endowment. China is
creating new technology universities by the dozens and has replaced the U.S. as the worlds top high technology exporter.
Singapore has invested more than a billion dollars to make that country a medical science hub and attract the worlds best
million researchers. By 2009, for the first time, over half of U.S. patents were awarded to non-U.S. companies.11

talent. These nations and many others have rightly concluded that the way to win in the world economy is by doing a better job of educating and innovating.12

The STEM gap is costing Americans jobs and money. U.S. students fall behind 31 countries in math proficiency,
according to a 2011 Harvard study that concluded the U.S. could increase GDP growth per capita by enhancing its students math skills. Over an 80-year period,
economic gains from increasing the percentage of math proficient students to Canadian or Korean levels would increase the annual U.S. growth rate by 0.9 percentage
points and 1.3 percentage points, respectively. That increase could yield $75 trillion.13

STEM is key to global competitiveness

Gordon 14 [Bart, Chairman of the Committee on Science & Technology from 2007-2011, USA
Science and Engineering Festival: The Blog, Science blogs, April 19, 2014,
http://scienceblogs.com/usasciencefestival/2014/04/19/stem-education-key-to-americas-globalcompetitiveness/]-DaveD.
Our nation has a long and proud history as a global leader in the development of technological breakthroughs and

In recent years,
however, fewer young Americans are entering fields of science, technology,
engineering and math (STEM) and as a result, our global competitiveness is in
jeopardy. For the past six years, the majority of patents issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have
the development of revolutionary products that change and save lives around the world.

been awarded to international owners, and fewer American students are pursuing advanced science degrees and

We can and
must do better. At the same time, STEM occupations are poised to grow more
quickly in the future than the economy as a whole. More than half of our nations
economic growth since World War II can be attributed to development and adoption
of new technologies and this area holds the path toward sustainable economic
growth and prosperity for the next 50 years . A report from the Georgetown University Center on
Education and the workforce projected 2.4 million job openings in STEM fields by 2018. Only by developing
a generation of workers prepared for those opportunities can America secure its
continued global competitiveness. A critical component of solving this crisis is recognition on the part
the World Economic Forum ranks the United States 52nd in quality of math and science education.

of government leaders and the business community that public and private resources must be brought to bear.
During my time in Congress, we worked to create policies that made STEM education a national priority and

Training teachers, reaching

traditionally underrepresented populations and ensuring funding is available for the
groundbreaking research that goes on daily at Americas national labs and other
facilities are all investments that will pay tremendous dividends in the future .
Perhaps the most important element, however, is making science more and more
appealing to Americas youth. To that end, I am proud to be a part of the USA Science & Engineering
President Obama has continued that focus throughout his Administration.

Festival, the nations largest such effort, which will take place at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in
Washington DC on April 26th and 27th. The Festival was founded on a simple premise: society gets what it
celebrates. Now occurring for the third time in our nations capital, this Festival is poised to be the best yet. The
Festivals creator, Larry Bock, a highly successful serial entrepreneur, has assembled a tremendously diverse cast of
participants that will make the last week of April in Washington DC truly the Superbowl of STEM. The Festival will
present thousands of hands on, interactive, engaging programs for people of all ages and from science enthusiasts
to novices. Hundreds of thousands of participants will meet science celebrities and inventors, learn about new
technologies, and see for themselves the amazing feats of innovation. The unique assortment of the countrys
leading technology companies, colleges and universities, community groups, federal agencies and professional
societies is tremendous. The commitment on behalf of such varied participants underscores the importance of this
effort to our future. Earlier this year, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a resolution supporting the goals and
ideals of the Festival and designating the days it will take place as National Science Week. Such recognition of and
commitment to solving this crisis of competitiveness is heartening. Years from now, historians will look back to
these years as those that changed the tide and created a generation of inventors and explorers who will solve the
challenges of the future and keep America the innovation center of the world.

Educational Innovation K/T Heg

Innovative education is vital for preserving global leadership.
Barber et al., 12 (Michael, chief education advisor at Pearson, and Katelyn
Donnelly, managing director of Pearson Affordable Learning Fund, and Saad Rizvi,
SVP Efficacy @ Pearson, Oceans of Innovation, Institute for Public Policy Research,
August, http://www.policyinnovations.org/ideas/policy_library/data/01645)
There is much debate in academic and intellectual circles about whether we will see an Asian or a
Pacific century ahead, or whether the United States will emerge from the doldrums and lead in
the next century as it did in the past one. This paper takes a different perspective. We take as a point of departure

after 350 years of Atlantic leadership of the global economy, we will see the
Pacific rise. At the very least, the Pacific will share that leadership. The questions we focus on and the debates
we believe necessary are: What kind of leadership will the twenty-first century require ? To
what extent is the Pacific region ready to provide this leadership? And what are the implications of the answers
to these questions for public policy in the region and for education systems in particular? Our answers to
these questions emphasize the importance of innovation . Innovation drives
economic influence; economic influence underpins global leadership; and global
leadership requires innovation to solve the many problems facing
humanity in the next half century. If this is correct, and innovation is the key, then even the best
education systems in the world, many of them clustered around the Pacific, need to radically
rethink what they offer every student.
the fact that,

Plan => STEM

OSEA would engage students in STEM topics
Bidwell 13 (Allie, Education reporter for US News & World Report, Scientists Release
First Plan for National Ocean Exploration Program, US News & World Report, September
25, 2013. http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/09/25/scientists-release-first-plan-for-nationalocean-exploration-program. Nyy)

Expanding the nation's ocean exploration program could lead to more jobs, he adds,
and could also serve as an opportunity to engage children and adults in careers in
science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. "I think what we need
to do as a nation is make STEM fields be seen by young people as exciting career
trajectories," Schubel says. "We need to reestablish the excitement of science and
engineering, and I think ocean exploration gives us a way to do that." Schubel says
science centers, museums and aquariums can serve as training grounds to give
children and adults the opportunity to learn more about the ocean and what
opportunities exist in STEM fields. "One thing that we can contribute more than anything else is to let
kids and families come to our institutions and play, explore, make mistakes, and ask silly questions without being
burdened down by the kinds of standards that our formal K-12 and K-14 schools have to live up to," Schubel says.
Conducting more data collection and exploration quests is also beneficial from an economic standpoint because
explorers have the potential to identify new resources, both renewable and nonrenewable. Having access to those
materials, such as oils and minerals, and being less dependent on other nations, Schubel says, could help improve

Each time explorers embark on a mission to a new part of the ocean,

they bring back more detailed information by mapping the sea floor and providing
high-resolution images of what exists , says David McKinnie, a senior advisor for NOAA's Office of
national security.

Ocean Exploration and Research and a co-author of the report. On almost every expedition, he says, the scientists
discover new species. In a trip to Indonesia in 2010, for example, McKinnie says researchers discovered more than
50 new species of coral. "It's really a reflection of how unknown the ocean is," McKinnie says. "Every time we go to
a new place, we find something new, and something new about the ocean that's important." And these expeditions
can have important impacts not just for biological cataloging, but also for the environment, McKinnie says. In a
2004 expedition in the Pacific Ocean, NOAA scientists identified a group of underwater volcanoes that were
"tremendous" sources of carbon dioxide, and thus contributed to increasing ocean acidification, McKinnie says.
Research has shown that when ocean waters become more acidic from absorbing carbon dioxide, they produce less
of a gas that protects the Earth from the sun's radiation and can amplify global warming. But until NOAA's
expedition, no measures accounted for carbon dioxide produced from underwater volcanoes. "It's not just bringing
back pretty pictures," McKinnie says. "It's getting real results that matter."

AT: STEM = Patriarchy

White House STEM efforts to make STEM as inclusive of Womyn
as possible
White House 13 [The official United States Federal Government website, Women and Girls in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM),
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem_factsheet_2013_07232013.pdf, ] NN
In 2009,

President Obama set an ambitious goal: to move U.S. students from

the middle to the top of the pack in math and science achievement over
the next decade. The key to accomplishing this vision rests not only in raising the
number and performance of students currently excelling in STEM subjects, but also engaging girls and
other students who are historically underrepresented in these areas. Thats
why the Administrations $4.35 billion Race to the Top 2009 competition
focused not only on encouraging states to develop comprehensive strategies to improve achievement and
provide rigorous curricula in STEM subjects, but also to broaden the participation of women
and girls. To achieve this, states applying for these funds received competitive preference if they
demonstrated efforts to address any barriers to STEM careers for women,
girls, and other underrepresented groups. Launched in November 2009, the
Presidents Educate to Innovate campaign features among its three core
pillars a commitment to expand STEM education and career opportunities
for underrepresented groups, including women . Working with teachers, businesses,
philanthropists, foundations, non-profits, scientists, and engineers, the campaign has attracted
more than $700 million in financial and in-kind support and partnerships that will
help prepare more than 10,000 new math and science teachers.

Obamas using womyn role models to expand STEM to the

unrepresentedplan provides more jobs for these womyn
White House 13 [The official United States Federal Government website, Women and Girls in Science,
Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM),
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/microsites/ostp/stem_factsheet_2013_07232013.pdf, ] NN

The President recognizes the need for more women champions and role
models in STEM fields as is evidenced by his appointment of many
talented women in senior STEM leadership positions. This includes Department of
the Interior Secretary Sally Jewel (an engineer), Director of the Defense Advanced
Research Projects Agency Arati Prabhakar, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration Acting Administrator Kathy Sullivan (a former
astronaut), and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg (a medical
doctor). Launched in the summer of 2011, the Obama Administrations Women in STEM
Speakers Bureau brings role models like these top officials one step closer
to their future successors, capitalizing on existing travel schedules to send these women into
communities across the country to meet and inspire girls in grades 6-12. In March 2013, the Office of
Personnel Management in partnership with NSF and Techbridge hosted a training session open to
these and other Federal STEM employees on how best to engage girls in STEM to ensure that Federal

staff responding to the Presidents call to volunteer in their communities would have the tools needed to serve as
role models to this particular population.

Solvency

Advocate/1AC Card
OSEA needs to be started.
Gonzalez 12 (Robert T. Gonzalez-Prolific writer for io9, The world's oceans need
their own NASA-style agency, blog, 10/17/12 6:35am,, http://io9.com/5952450/theworlds-oceans-need-their-own-nasa-style-agency, A.G)
The oceans of Earth remain largely unexplored, but not for lack of technological
innovation and certainly not for lack of interest. Biologists, geologists, physicists,
chemists, meteorologists nearly every conceivable scientific field benefits from
ocean research. But marine science, and deep sea science especially, is dying, due
in large part to ever-dwindling financial resources. In NOAA's FY2013 budget, the
Office of Ocean Exploration suffered a 16.5% percent cut, while education programs
lost over half their funding. Over at Deep Sea News, marine biologists Craig
McClain and Al Dove observe that the U.S. has been veering toward a course where
ocean exploration (and science in general) are becoming less and less of a priority
to our society. This is a sentiment shared by the vast majority of Americans. "How
did we get here?" ask Dove and McClain. And, more critically, how do we fix it? Dove
and McClain address both these questions in their thoroughly researched,
thoroughly interesting three-part post and the solution they offer up for saving
ocean science is a compelling one: ocean science needs its own independent
agency with a dedicated mission. An Ocean NASA, if you will. We've included an
excerpt of the post below, but you'll want to read the rest of it in its entirety over
at Deep Sea News.

US should take the lead on ocean exploration.

Pages and Kearney 4 | At the time of publication, Patrice Pages was a media relations officer for
the national academies. He holds an MS in Science and Tech Journalism from Texas A&M, a BS in Physics from the
Universit de Bourgogne, an MS in nuclear and particle physics from Universit Louis Pasteur and a Ph.D. in particle
physics from the same. < Exploration of the Deep Blue Sea: Unveiling the Ocean's Mysteries, Winter/Spring 2004.
InFocus Vol 4 No 1. TG>

Already a world leader in ocean research, the United States should lead a new
exploration endeavor by example. "Given the limited resources in many other countries, it would be prudent to
begin with a U.S. exploration program that would include foreign representatives
and serve as a model for other countries," said John Orcutt, the committee chair for one of the reports and deputy
director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego. "Once programs are established elsewhere, groups of
nations could then collaborate on research and pool their resources under international agreements." Using new
and existing facilities, technologies, and vehicles, proposed efforts to understand the oceans would follow two different approaches. One
component dedicated to exploration would utilize ships , submersibles, and satellites in new ways
to uncover the ocean's biodiversity, such as the ecosystems associated with deep-sea hydrothermal vents, coral reefs, and
volcanic, underwater mountains. A second component -- a network of ocean "observatories" composed of moored buoys
and a system of telecommunication cables and nodes on the seafloor -- would complement the existing fleet of
research ships and satellites. The buoys would provide information on weather and climate
as well as ocean biology, and the cables would be used to transmit information from sensors on fixed nodes about volcanic and
tectonic activity of the seafloor, earthquakes, and life on or below the seafloor. Also, a fleet of new manned and unmanned deep-diving vehicles would
round out this research infrastructure. Education and outreach should be an integral part of new ocean science efforts by bringing discoveries to the
public, informing government officials, and fostering collaborations between educators and the program's scientists, the reports say.

A centralized organization is key to better and more efficient

ocean coop
Barnes and McFadden, 07 (Cassandra, Program Analyst at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with a Ph.D., and Katherine W., Assistant Professor, Department of
Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology at Columbia University, Marine ecosystem approaches
to management: challenges and lessons in the United States. Science Direct. 1 November 2007.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X07000954
Nyy)

An institutional feeling of protectiveness or overlapping jurisdictions within a

geographic area has been a traditional problem for resource management. In addition,
the dynamic nature of ecosystems makes it difficult for rigid guidelines on either ecosystem classification or
boundary delineation. While scientists may define boundaries based on ecological criteria, the geopolitical or

An important component in
solving the problem of integrating social and natural science includes promoting
collaborations between internal and external partners . Survey respondents noted that
collaboration has been difficult to implement in an atmosphere of limited funding
and time, and within an organizational structure of employees spanning the United
States. Adding to this problem is the fact that multiple divisions within NOAA
overlap(s) on research projects without full exchange or dialogue. For example, harmful
management boundaries must also be taken into account in EAM [14].

algal blooms (HABs) may be studied by external researchers who are granted research funding from NOAA, while
there is currently no formal structure for communicating these results directly to NOAA's own internal HAB research.

Internal cooperation might be improved with greater level of centralized

coordination amongst management. Additionally, a better application of matrix management
may help streamline some of the barriers to organizational challenges. Strategic planning and matrix
management cross traditional organizational boundaries by the assembly of teams
to look at complex crosscutting issues for a more integrated organization.

US Tech Key
US has the best tech for ocean exploration
Manley 4 | At the time of publication, Justin Manley worked on the NOAAs Ocean Explorer program. He is
currently a senior member at the IEEE and is a member of the US IOOS Advisory Committee. <Technology
Development for Ocean Exploration, November 2004. MTTS/IEEE TECHNO-OCEAN Vol 3, No. 9-12. TG.>

OE's technology program included the use of laser line scan

imaging for habitat assessment, [4] and supporting the development of the Global Explorer ROV for arctic deployment from an ice-breaker. [5] As
OE has matured and refined its programs and vision a set of principles have evolved which guide the technology development program. Technical
excellence is a core value in the OE program . Strong ties to technology development labs
keep OE's technology program at the cutting edge of ocean engineering . OE works with
engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Institute for Exploration (IFE),
the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) and many other leading institutions . Defining a role for industry is an important
A. OE Technology Program Principles Some early examples of

opportunity for NOM. Ongoing significant commercial investments in marine technology must be leveraged for ocean exploration. In its science programs,

OE works to apply the latest industrial technology to exploration . One example is the deployment of
a commercially provided ROV, Sonsubs INNOVATOR, on the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown during the 2003 field season, Fig 1. [6] During 2004, OE
contracted with C&C Technology to use their AUV, Hugin, for exploratory geophysical surveys in the Gulf of Mexico and Straits of Florida. This project,

The OE technology program

works to keep industry's best tools in the hands of ocean explorers.
planned for late 2004, will provide scientists with the same high quality data used by offshore industry.

Note: OE refers to the NOAAs Ocean Explorer program.

Plan => Intl Coop

A revamped US ocean exploration program spills over to
international coop
Committee on Exploration of the Seas, 03 (National Research Council, Major
Ocean Exploration Effort Would Reveal Secrets of the Deep. The National Academies Press. Nov. 4
2003 http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=10844. Nyy)

A new large-scale, multidisciplinary ocean exploration program would increase the pace of
discovery of new species, ecosystems , energy sources, seafloor features, pharmaceutical products, and artifacts, as
well as improve understanding of the role oceans play in climate change , says a new
congressionally mandated report from the National Academies' National Research Council. Such a program should be run by a nonfederal organization and
should encourage international participation, added the committee that wrote the report. Congress, interested in the possibility of an international ocean
exploration program, asked the Research Council to examine the feasibility of such an effort. The committee concluded, however, that given the limited

it would be prudent to begin with a U.S. program that would include foreign
and serve as a model for other countries. Once programs are established elsewhere, groups of
nations could then collaborate on research and pool their resources under international agreements. "The United States should lead
resources in many other countries,
representatives

by example," said committee chair John Orcutt, professor of geophysics and deputy director, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California,

Vast portions of the ocean remain unexplored . In fact, while a dozen men have walked on the moon, just
The bottom of the
ocean is the Earth's least explored frontier, and currently available submersibles -- whether manned, remotely operated, or
San Diego.

two have traveled to the farthest reaches of the ocean, and only for about 30 minutes each time, the report notes. "

autonomous -- cannot reach the deepest parts of the sea," said committee vice chair Shirley A. Pomponi, vice president and director of research at Harbor
Branch Oceanographic Institution, Fort Pierce, Fla. Nonetheless, recent discoveries of previously unknown species and deep-sea biological and chemical
processes have heightened interest in ocean exploration. For example, researchers working off the coast of California revealed how some organisms
consume methane seeping through the sea floor, converting it to energy for themselves and leaving hydrogen and carbon dioxide as byproducts. The
hydrogen could perhaps someday be harnessed for fuel cells, leaving the carbon dioxide which contributes to global warming in the atmosphere in the
sea. Likewise, a recent one-month expedition off Australia and New Zealand that explored deep-sea volcanic mountains and abyssal plains collected 100

Most current U.S. funding for ocean

research, however, goes to projects that plan to revisit earlier sites or for improving understanding of known
previously unidentified fish species and up to 300 new species of invertebrates.

processes, rather than to support truly exploratory oceanography, the report says. And because the funding bureaucracy is discipline-based, grants are
usually allocated to chemists, biologists, or physical scientists, rather than to teams of researchers representing a variety of scientific fields.

Concentrated Effort Key

A well organized, funded, and professional organization has been
proven to allow quantum leaps in ocean development.
NRC 03 (National Research Council, The National Research Council is a private, nonprofit institution that
provides expert advice on some of the most pressing challenges facing the nation and the world. Their work helps
shape sound policies, inform public opinion, and advance the pursuit of science, engineering, and medicine.;
Exploration of the Seas: Interim Report; The National Academies Press, 2003, http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?
record_id=10630&page=20, p. 20; RJ)

To develop and foster collaborations among explorers and educators in ocean

exploration, it is critical that educators be an integral part of the planning and conduct
of exploration activities, whether ship- or shore-based. Development of these partnerships
should be a crucial responsibility of each nations ocean exploration program , and
could be accomplished through national scientific and educational professional
organizations. Examples in the United States include the National Science Teachers Association, the
National Marine Educators Association, the American Geophysical Union, the Centers for Ocean Science Education

The global ocean is teeming with undiscovered species

and resources in vast under-explored areas. Yet even as our dependence on healthy,
functioning marine ecosystems grows, our knowledge about the ocean and its role
in keeping Earths systems in balance remains constrained. Given the importance of
the global ocean in guaranteeing food security, providing resources, enabling
worldwide commerce, and reminding us of our history, it is shocking that we still
know so little about the ocean and the life it supports. While steady progress in
understanding of the ocean has been made possible by traditional hypothesisdriven research, a new program of exploration will permit us to make quantum leaps
in new discoveries. A well-organized, adequately funded program in ocean
exploration will allow us to plumb the depths of Earths last frontier and
provide the foundation for better understanding, and better stewardship, of
Earths ocean.
Excellence, and others. CONCLUSION:

Collaboration key to a strong ocean exploration program

NOAA 13 | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. < The Report of Ocean Exploration 2020,
September 2013. TG>

a national program of ocean exploration imply a network of universities,

government agencies working together in pursuit of
shared goals. Federaland in particular, NOAAleadership is essential to help design and maintain what might
be called an architecture for collaboration that convenes national and international ocean exploration stakeholders regularly
These characteristics of

nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and

to review and set priorities, to match potential expedition partners, to facilitate sharing of assets, and to help test and evaluate new technologies. The
program should facilitate the review and analysis of new and historical data and the synthesis and transformation of data into a variety of informa- tional

In this leadership role, NOAA would promote public engagement, and guide and strengthen the
national ocean exploration enterprise. A conventional federal government approach
wont work. In describing character- istics of the national ocean exploration program in 2020, participants used words including: nimble, flexible,
creative, innovative, and responsive. A program with these qualities just might ignite the ocean
exploration movement envisioned by the participants in the first gathering of the community of ocean explorers.
products.

Ocean Exploration solves Lots

It is time for the US to explore the Ocean, has potential to
revitalize industries
Diamandis 13 (Peter, Chairman, XPRIZE / Exec. Chairman & Co-Founder, Singularity University / CoFounder & Co-Chairman, Planetary Resources, A New Age of Ocean Exploration May Just Save Us, LinkedIn
Influencer, October 23, http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131023220148-994365-a-new-age-of-oceanexploration-may-just-save-us) NN

A renewed golden age of exploration in the 21 century might just be the

key to a healthy and valued planet. Although we have already ignited unprecedented advances
into space, there is still so much of our planet left unexplored. For starters, we know remarkably little about the

The time
is right to reignite the discovery of new places and new knowledge here on
ocean covering the majority of our planets surface: almost 95% of our ocean remains undiscovered.

Earth, as individuals are now empowered more than ever to do what was once only possible for governments and
large corporations. The history of ocean exploration reminds us that we have always longed to explore the
unknown, and that innovative and ambitious explorers will push those horizons no matter what. Yet with reduced
government spending, especially in comparison to space exploration, and the fact that the ocean is not owned by
one specific entity, there is a void. What will catalyze ocean exploration? Who will steward the
ocean and dive to its depths to uncover its mysteries? There was a long-held notion that audacious exploration
needed primary support from the government. When we launched the Ansari XPRIZE in 1996, many scoffed at the
idea that private citizens, using private financing, could build innovative spacecraft that successfully launch into
space. Their response to what we were attempting to achieve often makes me think of a quote, Some men see
things as they are and ask why. Others dream things that never were and ask why not. George Bernard Shaw.
Our proof is the new market that developed with the Ansari XPRIZE; private space transport is now a $1.5 billion
industry. Its clear that exploration in the 21 century is not just for government-supported programs anymore. With
the challenges we currently face, environmentally and economically, we cannot leave exploration of our blue planet
up to governments alone. Instead, quite the opposite: We need to crowdsource innovators from around the globe to
take up the charge of discovering the secrets our ocean holds, while working to preserve it. Consider

the

challenges facing the ocean: carbon dioxide absorbed from the

atmosphere has made the ocean 30% more acidic than it was just 200
years ago, with devastating consequences for corals, mollusks, fish, and
entire ecosystems. Pollution from plastics to fertilizers creates massive
dead zones and swirling gyres of garbage that further sicken the seas
upon which the health of the planet depends. Unabated overfishing has
shown that 90% of the big fish in the sea are now gone. How can we turn back this
tide of challenges affecting the health of our ocean unless we first value the ocean? And valuing it means not just
taking a personal interest, but taking the time to understand the challenges and creating real incentives,
particularly financial incentives, behind the sustainable use of our ocean. By

building industries that

have a vested interest in the ocean, we stand a much better chance of
protecting the health of the planet. This is the model of XPRIZE: to catalyze industries that not
only build economies based on new frontiers, but industries that become the leaders in serving humanitys needs
now and in the future. There

is a very real opportunity with our ocean to build

these industries. Because they remain unexplored, there is tremendous value still ready to be discovered.
Indeed, the opportunities for things like pharmaceuticals from deep-sea
creatures bring us new biochemical discoveries from nearly every deepsea mission. And with an estimated 91% of sea life still unknown, this gives us a literal ocean of opportunity
to discover more. By properly measuring and documenting the chemical and physical
characteristics of our seas, we can initiate whole new industries in ocean services the
type of data-driven information and forecasting that can be used by every company dependent on the ocean, from
tourism to trade to weather services. I believe

now is the critical time to ignite a new age

of ocean exploration.

At XPRIZE we recently launched our second ocean prize, the Wendy Schmidt
Ocean Health XPRIZE, to spur development of breakthroughs in pH measuring tools that explore the chemistry of
our seas. And we are, for the first time, committing to launch three additional ocean prizes by 2020. Because we
trust that by harnessing the power of innovation, and the dreams of explorers around the world, valuable new
discoveries can help us achieve a healthy ocean.

AT: Nations Say No

Countries open to S&T coop China proves
Colglazier 13 | William Colgazier is the Science and Tech advisor to the secretary of state. He holds a PhD
in theoretical physics from CalTech. < The Imperatives of Innovation and Cooperation, October 23, 2013.
http://www.state.gov/e/stas/2013/218703.htm?goMobile=0. TG>

U.S. and China regarding innovation. Our

governments participate in multiple discussions and support concrete collaborations in innovation. A
government to government dialogue -- the annual high-level session of the U.S.-China Innovation Dialogue -- is a
strategic science and technology and economic policy conversation between the worlds two largest
economies. The Dialogue was established in 2010, and has served as an important mechanism for our continued discussions about the proper
role of government in the innovation process. We had productive discussions in July 2013 on the role of government in financing innovation, and we
hope to continue to use this mechanism to make tangible progress on areas of mutual concern in the future. In addition,
our governments engage with representatives from think tanks, universities, companies at events like
Lastly, I would like to briefly review current collaborations between the governments of the

the Dialogue on Comparing U.S. and Chinese Approaches to Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Decision-Making, which the University of California,

Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology
(MOST) joined U.S. government officials and experts from outside government for discussions of how innovation policy is
San Diego hosted in August. Speakers from the

formulated in our two countries, the roles of the major players in that formulation, and the similarities and differences in our approaches to the role of
government

in encouraging innovation.

Intl Coop Solve Oceans

International ocean cooperation vital to preserve ocean
ecosystems.
Howard 14 (Brian, Writer, Editor, and Producer of National Geographic, Managing Editor of the
Environmental Magazine, "Global Ocean Commission Calls for Sweeping International Reforms",
National Geographic, June 24, 2014, http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/06/140624-globalocean-commission-report-high-seas-fishing-environment/) jml

An international panel of former heads of state, government ministers, and

prominent business leaders is calling for world leaders to protect the ocean by
adopting a sweeping "five-year rescue package."The report released Tuesday by the
Global Ocean Commission recommends that the United Nations and national
governments restrict fishing in international waters, eliminate fishing subsidies, step
up the fight against illegal fishing, reduce pollution, and establish greater
international cooperation on marine issues. Nations must "intervene to reduce
degradation of the ocean, and it must be forceful," commission co-chair Trevor
Manuel tells National Geographic. The independent, 17-member commission
launched in February 2013 by the Pew Charitable Trusts, the University of Oxford,
Adessium Foundation, and Oceans 5spent 18 months researching and drafting the
report. The commission's conclusions have been widely anticipated by policymakers
at the UN and in many nations, in part due to the political clout of the
commissioners. Members include Carol Browner, the former head of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; David Miliband, the former foreign secretary of
the United Kingdom; and Paul Martin, a former prime minister of Canada. Without
swift action to combat overfishing, pollution, and other problems, the commission
argues, the world's food supply and biodiversity are at great risk. The ocean, the
commission notes, provides half of the planet's oxygen, absorbs half of man-made
carbon emissions, and is the beginning of the food chain. "It's clearly important that
nations raise the bar on international cooperation around the ocean," says Manuel,
a veteran politician from South Africa who served as the country's minister of
finance for 13 years.

Exploration K/T Development

Exploration is vital to development policy.
McNutt 13 (Marcia, Ocean Exploration 2020 Executive Chair and editor-in-chief of Science,
Accelerating Ocean Exploration. Science. August 30, 2013. http://people.stfx.ca/rscrosat/trs14.pdf.
Nyy)

Last month, a distinguished group of ocean researchers and explorers convened in

Long Beach, California, at the Aquarium of the Pacific to assess progress and future
prospects in ocean exploration. Thirteen years ago, U.S. President Clinton challenged a similar group to
provide a blueprint for ocean exploration and discovery. Since then, the fundamental rationale has not changed: to
collect high-quality data on the physics, chemistry biology, and geology of the
oceans that can be used to answer known questions as well as those we do not yet
know enough to pose, to develop new instruments and systems to explore the
ocean in new dimensions, and to engage a new generation of youth in science and
technology. Recently, however, exploration has taken on a more urgent imperative:
to record the substantial changes occurring in largely undocumented regions of the
ocean. With half of the ocean more than 10 kilometers from the nearest depth
surrounding, ecosystem function in the deep sea still a mystery an no first-order
baseline for many globally important ocean processes, the current pace of
exploration is woefully inadequate to address this daunting task , especially as the
planet responds to changes in climate. To meet this challenge, future ocean
exploration must depart dramatically from the classical ship-based expeditions of
the past devoted to mapping and sampling. As a first step, future exploration should
make better use of autonomous platforms that are equipped with a broader array of
in situ sensors, for lower-cost data gathering . Fortunately, new, more nimble, and easily deployed
platforms are available, ranging from $200 kits for build-your-own remotely operated vehicles to long-range
autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), solar-powered autonomous platforms, autonomous boats, AUVs that
operate cooperatively in swarming behavior through the use of artificial intelligence, and gliders that can cross
entire oceans. New in situ chemical and biological sensors allow the probing of ocean processes in real time in ways

Exploration also would greatly benefit

from improvements in telepresence. For expeditions that require ships (very distant
from shore and requiring the return of complex samples), experts on shore can now
"join" through satellite links, enlarging the pool of talent available to comment on
the importance of discoveries as they happen and to participate in real-time
decisions that affect expedition planning. This type of communication can enrich the
critical human interactions that guide the discovery process on such expeditions .
not possible if samples are processed later in laboratories.

Words such as "crowd sourcing," "crowd funded," and "citizen scientist" are nowhere to be found in the President's
Ocean Exploration Panel report of 2000, but at the Long Beach meeting ,

intense excitement revolved

around growing public engagement in many aspects of ocean exploration through
mechanisms that did not exist 13 years ago. However, there is not yet a body of
experience on how to take advantage of this new paradigm on the scale of a
problem as large as ocean exploration. For example, what tasks are most suitable for citizen
scientists, and how can they be trained efficiently? Can the quality control of their work be automated? Can crowdsources tasks be scheduled to avoid duplication and gaps? Should any region of the ocean receive priority?

southern oceans are still largely unexplored, and coral reef hot spots for
biodiversity are gravely imperiled by ocean warming and acidification , there was much
support by Long Beach participants for prioritizing the Arctic, a region likely to experience some of the most
extreme climate change impacts. An ice-free ocean could affect weather patterns, sea
conditions, and ecosystem dynamics and invite increases in shipping, tourism,
Although the

energy extraction, and mining. Good decisions by Arctic nations on Arctic stewardship, emergency
preparedness, economic development, and climate change adaptation will need to be informed by good
science. Exploration of this frontier needs to provide a useful informational baseline
for future decisions.

AT: OFF CASE

Topicality

AT: Non Military

We Meet Civilian
Extend McClain 12 from the 1AC the plan is staffed with
civilians.
McClain 12

(Craig, Dr. Craig McClain is the Assistant Director of Science for the National Evolutionary
Synthesis Center, created to facilitate broadly synthetic research to address fundamental questions in evolutionary
science. He has conducted deep-sea research for 11 years and published over 30 papers in the area; We Need an
Ocean NASA Now Pt. 3; October 16, 2012, http://deepseanews.com/2012/10/we-need-an-ocean-nasa-now-pt-3/; RJ)

OSEA would need a mission dedicated to basic

research and exploration of the >;90% of the worlds oceans that remain
unexplored. High risk with the potential for high impact would be the norm.
Pioneering knows no other way to achieve those truly novel and impactful gains. To
achieve these goals, OSEA would need substantial infrastructure and fleet including
international and regional class research vessels, a submersible, remotely operated
vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles. Funding would need to be secure on
decadal cycles to insure both the longevity and permanence of this mission but
allow for oversight to ensure OSEA was meeting its mission and financial
responsibilities. An ocean exploration center would be staffed with a vibrant
community of researchers, engineers, and administrators, postdoctoral fellows,
graduate students, and visiting experts with a strong interacting and supportive
community working toward uncovering the mysteries of the oceans. Research would
be funded internally from a broad OSEA budget, not externally, freeing scientists
and engineers to actually do science and engineering as opposed to the only
current option, which is writing grants to other agencies with a less than 10%
chance of funding. OSEA would also be a resource both for the research community
and the public by being dedicated to open science, i.e. making scientific research,
data and dissemination accessible to all levels of an inquiring society, amateur or
professional. Publications, data, software, and engineering would be freely available
and open to all. All internal processes would be transparent. The mission of OSEA in the spirit of open science
would be equally dedicated to public outreach. For too long have science and society been
disconnected. OSEA would involve the public as the ultimate funders of our work. A
What Does an OSEA look like? At the core

novel and cutting edge education and outreach group would develop a strategic plan to involve children and adults

Citizen
scientists would be essential components, allowing adults to take a residence and
contribute to OSEA and become life long ambassadors long after their residence.
in the mission. There would be multiple opportunities for anyone to be involved including the public.

Although parts of OSEA are realized in other government and private organizations, they do not meet the full
mission nor can such a distributed structure be expected to meet the challenges of this pivotal moment. For
example, NOAA fills a much-needed role but its mission is largely applied. NOAAs mission statement is Science,
Service, and Stewardship. To understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans, and coasts, To share that
knowledge and information with others, and To conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and
resource. Contrast that to NASAs simple mission, to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery
and aeronautics research. In an agency with a chiefly applied mission, those programs that are purely exploratory
must eventually invent an applied focus or face the axe. For example, even under NURP, exploration often focused
on corals and fish of considerable economic and conservation importance rather than those species of greatest
novelty or knowledge deficit. The current situation at NOAA also highlights how less applied scientific programs are
likely to be lost. Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute also provides another model that comes close to OSEA
but is heavily reliant on private funding that can often be significantly reduced during recessions as endowments
shrink. Moreover, a private foundation is unlikely to meet the full financial burden to support the full mission of an
OSEA or provide a resource to the ocean science community as whole. This is not meant to criticize either NOAA or
MBARI, indeed both supported our own research and have made immense contributions to ocean science and
exploration, but neither do they fully realize our vision for OSEA. As John F. Kennedy stated, We must be bold. It is
time for a great national effort of the United States of America, time for us to renew our commitment to uncovering

We need a NASA-style Ocean Science and

Exploration Agency (OSEA). to explore and research the greatest depths of
oceans with a community of scientists, engineers, and citizens.
the mysteries of the blue planet we live on.

That proves we are nonmilitary.

Oxford Dictionaries 14

(Oxford Dictionaries, Nonmilitary, 2014;

http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/nonmilitary, RJ)

Nonmilitary Syllabification: nonmilitary Pronunciation: /nnmilter

characteristic of, or involving the armed forces; civilian:

/ ADJECTIVE

Not belonging to,

Disadvantages

Politics

GOP Supports STEM

The GOP supports education, especially STEM education
GOP 12 [The Official GOP Website, The GOPs views, RENEWING AMERICAN VALUES, http://www.gop.com/2012-republicanplatform_renewing/#] NN

More money alone does not necessarily equal better performance . After years of trial and error, we know what does work, what has
actually made a difference in student advancement, and what is powering education reform at the local level all across America: accountability on the part of administrators, parents and teachers;
higher academic standards; programs that support the development of character and financial literacy; periodic rigorous assessments on the fundamentals, especially math, science, reading,
history, and geography; renewed focus on the Constitution and the writings of the Founding Fathers, and an accurate account of American history that celebrates the birth of this great nation;
transparency, so parents and the public can discover which schools best serve their pupils; flexibility and freedom to innovate, so schools can adapt to the special needs of their students and hold

We support the innovations in education reform occurring at the State level based
upon proven results. Republican Governors have led in the effort to reform our countrys underperforming
education system, and we applaud these advancements. We advocate the policies and methods that have proven
effective: building on the basics, especially STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and math) and phonics; ending social promotions; merit
teachers and administrators responsible for student performance.

pay for good teachers; classroom discipline; parental involvement; and strong leadership by principals, superintendents, and locally elected school boards. Because technology has become an
essential tool of learning, proper implementation of technology is a key factor in providing every child equal access and opportunity .

Midterms

Latinos Support Plan

Latino voters care about the environment theyd back the
plan.
Schaller 14 [Thomas, Professor of Political Science at University of Maryland, Latino Support for
Environmental Protection and Climate Change Action, Latino Decisions, March 29,
http://www.latinodecisions.com/blog/2014/03/29/latino-support-for-environmental-protection-and-climate-changeaction/] NN

Latinos care about immigration politics, of course. As an aspirational community, they also care about jobs and schools. But
what may come as a surprise to those unfamiliar with the attitudes of American Latinos is how deeply concerned they
are about protecting the environment. In conjunction with the National Resources Defense Council, Latino Decisions came to
Washington this week to discuss a new poll revealing how concerned Latinos are about environmental protection and climate change. At a
Monday, March 24 press event held in the Cannon Office Building on Capitol Hill, NRDC senior attorney and Latino Outreach Director Adrianna

Latino Americans
exhibit very strong support for environmental protection and, more specifically, that Latinos want
government to be active in addressing environmental issues. The survey of 800 Latino registered voters reveals that
more than half of Latinos want government are concerned about the challenges posed by climate
change, and fully three-quarters said they believe it is very or extremely important for the
government to address climate change. These are remarkably high levels of support, said Barreto. His comments echoed
Quintero and Latino Decisions co-founder Matt Barreto discussed the LD poll results. Both trumpeted the fact that

sentiments Quintero recently expressed on her NRDC blog. Weve seen it before and this poll again dramatically emphasizes the point, writes
Quintero. In fact, 9 out 10 Latinos want action against climate change. Thats a compelling margin of support.
Support for climate change action is not only strong but relatively uniform: among young and old, among foreign or U.S-born, across ethnicities
or countries of origin, among those with high school or college degrees. Indeed, as Barreto explained only immigration reform ranks with climate
change in its level of support among Latino for government action, eclipsing issues including tax policy, gun buyer background checks and

(78 percent) of Latinos would view members of

Congress either somewhat or much more favorably were they to support a carbon tax. By
similar margins, Latino registered voters favor the president taking action to curb carbon
production. Perhaps most interestingbut hardly surprisingis the key motivation behind Latino attitudes: el futuro. Latino support
is rooted in their desire to protect of natural resources and environmental quality for their children
and future generations.
abortion policy. In term of specific preferences, more than three-quarters

GOP Needs Minorities

GOP needs minority support
Witcover 14 (Jules, veteran american journalist, author, and columnist of Politics Today,
Baltimore Star, Washington Star, Los Angeles Times, and Washington Post, winner of the Sigma Delta
Chi Award for Washington Correspondence from Society of Professional Journalists, "GOP still needs to
fix its minority voter deficit", June 26, 2014, http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/tms-politicswitcover-columnist,0,2181696.columnist) jml

The alleged "raid" on the Republican senatorial primary in Mississippi, wherein black
Democratic voters were said to have crossed over to vote for longtime incumbent
Thad Cochran, has outraged his tea-party challengers. It sounds like a version of the
old Dixie lament that "those people" should stay with their own kind. The real culprit
is the Magnolia State itself, for holding an open primary law that allows voters to
participate in a runoff regardless of party. And it's another reminder of the basic
Republican problem of being branded as hostile or just unaccommodating to
minority voters and their interests. The Cochran strategists are being credited with
having beaten the bushes in heavy African-American precincts to boost turnout. But
the power of minority participation was already demonstrated in the 2012
presidential election, wherein Mitt Romney was buried by black, Hispanic and other
minority votes. Establishment Republicans of Cochran's ilk are rejoicing over what they see as another stake in the heart of
the tea party, somewhat countering its shocking success in ousting House Minority Leader Eric Cantor in his Virginia primary. Yet the
intramural GOP fight will go on in November's midterm congressional elections and the 2016 battle for the presidency. In all this, the
Grand Old Party takes considerable solace in the current distress of President Obama, whose popularity has fallen to 41 percent in
latest polls, despite the fact that Republicans in Congress are rated even lower. But as they bask in Obama's slippage, they have a
glaring dilemma of their own. Two years from the next presidential election, they have no obvious nominee in sight. The political
cupboard is so bare that Texas Gov. Rick "Oops" Perry appears to be suiting up for another bid, as does another also-ran, Rick
Santorum. This is happening in a party that traditionally has had its next nominee waiting in the wings for "my turn." In the past,
patient party leaders have gone at least once around the presidential track or have bided their time, recognizing that loyalty can be
rewarded. Losers Richard Nixon, George Bush Sr., Bob Dole and John McCain all eventually won the GOP presidential nomination,
their boosters arguing it was owed to them. Looking at the current potential roster for 2016, no likely heir apparent jumps out other
than former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who would be a first-time presidential aspirant, or perhaps Rep. Paul Ryan, the 2012 losing vicepresidential nominee. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky has the look, in racetrack terminology, of an early pacesetter but is still generally
regarded a libertarian outsider. The current crop of Republican governors offers more ambition than public recognition, with the
exception of New Jersey's Chris Christie, whose initial high profile has been tarnished by that bridge backup fiasco that smacks of
both incompetence and stupidity. Neither quality has been known as a recommendation for national office. In light of the internal
split between the tea-party insurgents and old establishment party figures like Cochran, McCain, House Speaker John Boehner and
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, what's lacking, alas, is a political star of the magnetism of Ronald Reagan. Casting about
among the other potential stars, only former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg would be appear to have the stature right now to
generate the needed national support for a presidential campaign. But Bloomberg is a one-time Democrat who ran as a Republican
to get on the ballot in New York and then declared himself an Independent. Generally regarded as a liberal in his conspicuous
leadership of a national campaign against gun violence, he would be a fish out of water as the GOP presidential nominee.

Whichever White House aspirant manages to emerge from the current fog will need
more of that same minority voter support that was Romney's undoing -- and
appears to have been Cochran's salvation in Mississippi -- to reach the Oval Office in
2017. And so, for all of the GOP's high expectations for taking control of Congress
this fall and the presidency beyond, breaking the minority-vote barrier remains a
critical challenge.

China DA

US/China Coop Resilient

Too many areas of cooperation prevent a relations collapse.
China wants to work with us on science.
U.S. Department of State 12 (United States Department of State: Office of the
Spokesperson, U.S.-China Cooperation in the Asia-Pacific Region; July 12, 2012;
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2012/07/194891.htm, RJ)

On the occasion of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the United States and China
underscored the benefits to the United States and China, the Asia-Pacific region,
and the international community of building a U.S.-China cooperative partnership
based on mutual respect and mutual benefit and fostering a new type of
relationship between major countries. Toward this end, through regular and substantive dialogue and consultation, the
United States and China are developing cooperative activities throughout the AsiaPacific region. At this years ARF, the two countries pledged to enhance and initiate collaborative efforts in the region, including in the areas of
science and technology, climate change, disaster warning and response, energy policy, forest management, fisheries management, disease detection and

Recent accomplishments in U.S.-China cooperation in the

Asia-Pacific include: Disaster relief: The United States and China co-hosted the
ASEAN Regional Forum Seminar on the Laws and Regulations on Participation in
International Disaster Relief by Armed Forces in Beijing, June 10-12, 2012. Disaster
response: The United States and China jointly funded and participated in an urban
search and rescue (USAR) training exercise aimed at improving USAR capacity of
Indonesia and other Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member
states. The International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) Asia Pacific Regional Earthquake Response Exercise, jointly funded by USAID
control, and wildlife protection and conservation.

and the China Earthquake Administration, was hosted by the Government of Indonesia National Search and Rescue Agency and held in Padang, West

The United States and China decided to sign a

Letter of Intent for a Collaborative Oceanographic Scientific Research Pilot Project
for the Development of South Sea Real-Time Tsunami Forecasting Capabilities
between the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) and
Chinas National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center in the State Oceanic
Administration (SOA). Science and technology: The United States and China signed
the Framework Plan for Ocean and Fishery Science and Technology Cooperation
between NOAA and SOA. Climate change: The United States and China are
developing the Indian Ocean Southern Climate Observation, Reanalysis, and
Prediction (ISOCORE) Program. Energy policy: The United States and China are
participating as partners in the Asia-Pacific Energy Regulatory Forum (APERF) to
facilitate sharing of information on energy regulatory and policy practice and
experience in the Asia-Pacific Region, with China to attend the U.S.-hosted APERF
meeting in Washington, D.C., in August 2012. Wildlife protection: The United States
and China participated in a Special Investigations Group meeting led by the ASEAN
Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN) in Nanning, China, in June 2012. Forest
management: The United States and China are strengthening cooperation and
exchange through the Asia-Pacific Network for Sustainable Forest Management and
Rehabilitation (APFnet). Wildlife conservation: The United States and China are
collaborating on wild tiger conservation, including in the Asia-Pacific. Disease
detection and control: The United States and China intend to expand collaboration
between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Chinas CDC
to strengthen disease detection and control capabilities and networks in the AsiaPacific. Fisheries management: The United States and China reaffirmed their
Sumatra, Indonesia, May 29-June 1, 2012. Disaster warning:

commitment to expand cooperation on fisheries management and jointly support

the creation of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission.

NASA Tradeoff DA

Turn Mission
Turn NASA is wasteful spending. Prioritizing OSEA solves
space benefits more efficiently.
Conathan 13 (Michael Conathan is the Director of Ocean Policy at American Progress. Prior to joining
American Progress, Mike spent five years staffing the Senate Committee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and
Coast Guard. He holds a master in marine affairs from the University of Rhode Island and a BA in English Literature
from Georgetown University. Space Exploration Dollars Dwarf Ocean Spending, 6/25/2014. The Reference Shelf.
http://people.stfx.ca/rscrosat/trs14.pdf Nyy)
Star Trek would have us believe that space is the final frontier, but with apologies to the armies of Trekkies, their

Though we know little about outer space, we still have plenty

of frontiers to explore here on our home planet. And theyre losing the race of
discovery. Hollywood giant James Cameron, director of mega-blockbusters such as Titanic and Avatar,
brought this message to Capitol Hill last week, along with the single-seat submersible that he used to become the
third human to journey to the deepest point of the worlds oceansthe Marianas
Trench. By contrast, more than 500 people have journeyed into space including Senator
Bill Nelson (D-FL), who sits on the committee before which Cameron testified and 12 people have
actually set foot on the surface of the moon. All it takes is a quick comparison of the
budgets for NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or
NOAA, to understand why space exploration is outpacing its ocean counterpart by
such a wide margin. In fiscal year 2013 NASAs annual exploration budget was
roughly $3.8 billion. That same year, total funding for everything NOAA does
fishery management, weather and climate forecasting, ocean research and
management, among many other programswas about $5 billion, and NOAAs
Office of Exploration and Research received just $23.7 million. Something is wrong
with this picture. Space travel is certainly expensive. But as Cameron proved with
his dive that cost approximately $8 million, deep-sea exploration is pricey as well.
And thats not the only similarity between space and ocean travel: Both are dark,
cold, and completely inhospitable to human life. Yet space travel excites Americans
imaginations in a way ocean exploration never has. To put this in terms Cameron may be
oracle might be a tad off base.

familiar with, just think of how stories are told on screens both big and small: Space dominates, with Star Trek,
Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, and 2001 A Space Odyssey. Then there
are B-movies such as Plan Nine From Outer Space and every- thing ever mocked on Mystery Science Theater
2000. There are even parodies: Spaceballs, Galaxy Quest, and Mars Attacks! And lets not forget Camerons

Part of this incongruity comes from access. No matter

where we live, we can go outside on a clear night, look up into the sky, and wonder
about whats out there. Were presented with a spectacular vista of stars, planets,
meteorites, and even the occasional comet or aurora. We have all been wishing on
stars since we were children. Only the lucky few can gaze out at the ocean from
their doorstep, and even those who do cannot see all that lies beneath the waves.
When it comes to the ocean, we have 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Sponge
Bob Square Pants, and Camerons somewhat lesser-known film The Abyss. And
thats about it. This imbalance in pop culture is illustrative of what plays out in real life. We rejoiced along with
own contributions: Aliens and Avatar.

the NASA mission-control room when the Mars rover landed on the red planet late last year. One particularly
exuberant scientist, known as Mohawk Guy for his audacious hairdo, became a minor celebrity and even fielded
his share of spontaneous marriage proposals. But when Cameron bottomed out in the Challenger Deep more than
36,000 feet below the surface of the sea, it was met with resounding indifference from all but the dorkiest of ocean

As a result, the facts about ocean exploration are pretty bleak .

Humans have laid eyes on less than 5 percent of the ocean, and we have better
maps of the surface of Mars than we do of Americas e xclusive economic zonethe
nerds such as myself.

undersea territory reaching out 200 miles from our shores. Sure, space is sexy. But the oceans are too. To those

Scientists estimate that we still have not

discovered 91 percent of the species that live in our oceans . And some of them look pretty
outlandish. Go ahead and Google the deepsea hatchetfish, frill shark, or Bathynomus giganteus. In a time of
shrinking budgets and increased scrutiny on the return for our investments, we
should be taking a long, hard look at how we are prioritizing our exploration dollars.
intrigued by the quest for alien life, consider this:

If the goal of government spending is to spur growth in the private sector, entrepreneurs are far more likely to find

The ocean already provides us

with about half the oxygen we breathe, our single largest source of protein, a wealth
of mineral re- sources, key ingredients for pharmaceuticals, and marine
biotechnology. Of course space exportation does have benefits beyond the cool factor of putting people on
inspiration down in the depths of the ocean than up in the heavens.

the moon and astronaut-bards playing David Bowie covers in space. Inventions created to facilitate space travel
have become ubiquitous in our lives cell-phone cameras, scratch-resistant lenses, and water-filtration systems,
just to name a fewand research conducted in outer space has led to breakthroughs here on earth in the

the only
tangible goods brought back from space to date remain a few piles of moon rocks.
The deep seabed is much more likely source of so-called rare-earth metals than
distant asteroids. Earlier this year the United Nations published its first plan for management of mineral
technological and medical fields. Yet despite far-fetched plans to mine asteroids for rare metals,

resources beneath the high seas that are outside the jurisdiction of any individual country. The United States has
not been able to participate in negotiations around this policy because we are not among the I85 nations that have
ratified the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, which governs such activity. With or without the United States
on board, the potential for economic development in the most remote places on the planet is vast and about to leap
to the next level. Earlier this year Japan announced that it has discovered a massive supply of rare earth both within
its exclusive economic zone and in international waters. This follows reports in 2011 that China sent at least one
exploratory mission to the seabed beneath international waters in the Pacific Ocean .

There is a real
opportunity for our nation to lead in this area, but we must invest and join the rest
of the world in creating the governance structure for these activities. Toward the
end of last week's hearing, Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), who chairs the Subcommittee
on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, hypothetically asked where we
would be today if we had spent half as much money exploring the oceans as we
have spent exploring space. Given the current financial climate in Congress, we
won't find the answer to his question on Capitol Hill. But there may be another way. Cameron is
currently in preproduction on the second and third "Avatar" films. He says the former will be set on an ocean planet.
No one except he and his fellow producers at 20th Century Fox really know how much the first installment of the '

approximately $250 million-or I0 times NOAAs Ocean

Exploration program. Since the original "Avatar grossed $2 billion at the box office worldwide, if NASA
isn't willing to hand over a bit of its riches to help their oceanic co-explorers, maybe
Cameron and his studio partners can chip a percent or two off the gross from
"Avatar 2" to help fill the gap. Come to think of it, if the key to exploring the oceans
hinges either on Hollywood giving up profits or Congress increasing spending,
maybe we are more likely to mine asteroids after all.
movie series cost, but estimates peg it at

Ocean Exploration is more beneficial than Space Exploration

Nnamani 11 (Sally Nnamani is Research Assistant at Ewald & Wasserman Research
Consultants, LLC, previously International Development grad student at The New School. Government
Should Fund NOAA and Marine Research, Not NASA Space Research. Policy.mic, October 31, 2011,
http://mic.com/articles/2218/government-should-fund-noaa-and-marine-research-not-nasa-spaceresearch, nyy)

In the midst of the ongoing debt and budget crises, politicians and voters continue
to engage in the contentious debate regarding the faulty prioritization of U.S.
government spending. Most Americans remain concerned with the recklessness of

large government spending in what they consider lesser priority areas. Operating on
a $3.7 trillion budget for fiscal year 2012, Congress awarded $18.7 billion to NASA,
encouraging the administration to reinvigorate its traditional role of innovation,
technological development, and scientific discovery. On the other hand, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) received $4.5 billion, $1 billion less
than their requested amount. This large discrepancy between the dollars allocated
to these agencies is a clear-cut example of the growing concern among Americans
regarding profuse government spending. Given that 95% of the underwater world
remains unexplored and the space program has experienced little to no progress in
recent years, should the space program remain a priority? The last half of the 20th
century was marked by the ideological and technological warfare between the U.S.
and the Soviet bloc. The Cold War morphed itself in several arenas from proxy wars
to political conflict to economic and technological competition such as the Space
Race. The Space Race is synonymous with the arms race, where one of the main
frontiers where the Cold War was waged. As a result, accomplishments and
developments made in these areas not only enhanced American power, but were
also received with a strong sense of national pride. However, the backbone of the
Information Age lies in developing innovative science and technology that will
enable us to explore new worlds and increase our understanding of the earth. Space
exploration has contributed largely to this effort as a result of relentless government
support and a strong lobbyist backing. Lawmakers from Alabama, Maryland, and
Utah, where NASA and the corporations typically awarded its contracts operate,
invest heavily in lobbyists and PACs to push their agendas forward in Washington.
On the contrary, although oceans are exploited for economic activities such as
mineral extraction, dumping, commercial transportation, fisheries, and aquaculture,
oceanic exploration has lagged behind due to insufficient support from the U.S.
government. According to NOAA, "one of every six jobs in the United States is
marine-related and over one-third of the U.S. GNP originates in coastal areas, the
ocean is key to transportation, recreation, and its resources may hold the cures to
many diseases." Since its potential contribution to human sustainability stands at
equal footing with space research, government should apportion the necessary
capital needed to explore the deep-sea frontier. Moreover, since its establishment in
1957, NASA has always faced attack from social activists accusing the agency of
wasting resources that could be used here on earth . Given the daunting issues in
the country today such as poverty, unemployment, lack of access to health care, a
broken education system, and many others, many believe that the large amount of
money poured into space research could be used to tackle these issues. Moreover,
due to our limited understanding of oceanic activities and processes, we continue to
remain subject to the implications of natural disasters stemming from the ocean.
Investing in oceanic research may help discover preventive mechanisms against
catastrophic earthquakes, tsunamis, and oil spills. The historical link between the
American military complex and the space program may be the reason behind
continued government support to the space agency. Arguably, the War on Terror has
recreated tension similar to the Cold War era, forcing government to pour
investment towards maintaining military supremacy in its fight against terrorism.
The pronounced favoritism towards space research could therefore be attributed to
the U.S. governments traditional preference for hard power politics over soft power

politics. While there is no doubt about the contributions of the space program to
technological developments in numerous areas, one cannot help but question its
relevance in a post-Cold War world. Possessing jurisdiction over 3.4 million square
miles of ocean, there lies enormous potential to realize the benefits of the ocean
while ensuring its sustainability for future generations.

AT: Space Colonization Impact/Private Sector

*NOTE* - Dont read this card if there is a Private Sector CP in
the debate.
Tag 1 No tradeoff. The private sector will fill in the gap for
space exploration.
Tag 2 Turn: Ocean exploration solves extinction better than
space colonization.
Mangu-Ward 13

(Katherine Mangu-Ward is managing editor of Reason magazine and a Future

Tense fellow at the New America Foundation, Is the Ocean the Real Final Frontier?. Future Tense,
9/2013,
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/09/sea_vs_space_which_is_the_real_final_fr
ontier.html nyy)
We shall not cease from exploration and the end of our exploring shall be to return where we started and know the
place for the first time That tidbit of T.S. Eliot is stolen from Graham Hawkes, a submarine designer who really,

rockets are pointed in the wrong goddamn

direction! at anyone who suggests that space is the Final Frontier. The deep sea, he contends, is where
we should be headed: The unexplored oceans hold mysteries more compelling, environments more
challenging, and life-forms more bizarre than anything the vacuum of space has to offer. Plus, its cheaper to
go down than up. (You can watch his appealingly arrogant TED talk on the subject here. Is Hawkes right?
really loves the ocean. Hawkes is famous for hollering, Your

Should we all be crawling back into the seas from which we came? Ocean exploration is certainly the underdog, so
to speak, in the sea vs. space face-off. Theres no doubt that the general public considers space the sexier realm.
The occasional James Cameron joint aside, theres much more cultural celebration of space travel, exploration, and
colonization than there is of equivalent underwater adventures. In a celebrity death match between Captain Kirk
and Jacques Cousteau, Kirk is going to kick butt every time. In fact, the rivalry can feel a bit lopsidedthe chess
club may consider the football program a competitor for funds and attention, but the jocks arent losing much sleep
over the price of pawns and cheerleaders rarely turn out for chess tournaments. But somehow the debate rages on
in dorm rooms, congressional committee rooms, and Internet chat rooms. Damp ocean boosters often aim to borrow
from the rocket-fueled glamour of space. Submersible entrepreneur Marin Beck talks a big game when he says, We
can go to Mars, but the deep ocean really is our final frontier , but he giggles when a reporter calls
him the Elon Musk of the deep sea, an allusion to the founder of the for-profit company Space X who is rumored
to be the real-life model for Iron Mans Tony Stark. Even Hawkes admits that he grew up dreaming of aircraft
though he means planes, not spaceshipsbut then I got to look at this subsea stuff and I saw this is where aviation
was all those years ago. The whole field was completely backwards, and thats why I jumped in. 35,802 ft (10,912
m) At the deepest point of the trench (and the deepest point on earth) the pressure is over 8 tons per square inch,
or the equivalent of an average-sized woman holding up 48 jumbo jets. At 35,802 feet, the deepest point of the
trench (and the deepest point on earth), the pressure is more than 8 tons per square inch, or the equivalent of an
average-sized woman holding up 48 jumbo jets. While many of the technologies for space and sky are the similar,
right down to the goofy suits with bubble headsthe main difference is that in space, youre looking to keep
pressure inside your vehicle and underwater youre looking to keep pressure outtheres often a sense that that
sea and space are competitors rather than compadres. They neednt be, says Guillermo Shnlein, a man who
straddles both realms. Shnlein is a serial space entrepreneur and the founder of the Space Angels Network.
(Disclosure: My husbands a member.) The network funds startups aimed for the stars, but his most recent venture
is Blue Marble Exploration, which organizes expeditions in manned submersibles to exotic underwater locales.
(Further disclosure: I have made a very small investment in Blue Marble, but am fiscally neutral in the sea vs. space
fight, since I have a similar amount riding on a space company, Planetary Resources.) As usual, the fight probably

The typical American believes that NASA is eating up a significant

portion of the federal budget (one 2007 poll found that respondents pinned that figure at one-quarter of
comes down to money.

the federal budget), but the space agency is actually nibbling at a Jenny Craigsized portion of the pie. At about $17
billion, government-funded space exploration accounts for about 0.5 percent of the federal budget. The National
Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationNASAs soggy counterpartgets much less, a bit more than $5 billion for

this zero sum

mind-set is the result of a relatively recent historical quirk: For most of the history of human
a portfolio that, as the name suggests, is more diverse. But the way Shnlein tells the story,

exploration, private funding was the order of the day. Even some of the most famous examples of state-backed
explorationChristopher Columbus long petitioning of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, for instance, or Sir Edmund
Hillarys quest to climb to the top of Everestwere actually funded primarily by private investors or nonprofits. But
that changed with the Cold War, when the race to the moon was fueled by government money and gushers of
defense spending wound up channeled into submarine development and other oceangoing tech. That does lead to
an either/or mentality. That federal money is taxpayer money which has to be accounted for, and it is a finite pool
that you have to draw from against competing needs, against health care, science, welfare, says Shnlein. In

the last 10 to 15 years, we are seeing a renaissance of private finding of exploration ventures.
On the space side we call it New Space, on the ocean side we have similar ventures. And the austerity of
the current moment doesnt hurt. The private sector is stepping up as public falls down . Were
really returning to the way it always was. And when its private dough, the whole thing stops
being a competition. Instead, it depends on what individuals with deep pockets are pumped aboutor what
makes for a good sell on a crowdfunding site like Kickstarter. Looking for alien life forms? You probably think youre
a natural space nerd, but youre wrong. If the eternal popularity of Is There Life on Mars? stories is any indication,

We really have no idea whats hanging out at

the bottom of the Mariana Trench, but there are solid reasons to think the prospects for biological
novelty (and perhaps even companionship for humanity) are better down there than they are
in Mars Valles Marineris. Want a fallback plan for when that final environmental catastrophe
occurs? Underwater or floating habitats may offer fewer challenges than space
colonies if youre looking to quickly build a self-sustaining place to live when things cool down,
an awful lot of people are just hoping for some company.

warm up, dry out, or otherwise return to fitness for human habitation. If youre just looking for wide open spaces,
the vastness of space may ultimately prove your final frontier, but Shnlein has a very human take on the question:

go with the oceans. Humanity has millennia to

explore the cosmos. But I have only decades ordepending on who you believecenturies. And theres
For myself, he says, Id probably

plenty to discover down there to fill my lifetime.

No Link: Exp vs Test

NASA only uses the Ocean to test their space equipment not
exploration.
Wall 6/11 (Michael D. Wall is a Senior Writer for Space.com, NASA 'Aquanauts' to Test Space
Exploration Tech on Ocean Floor, Space.com, 6/11/14, http://www.space.com/26201-nasa-aquanautsneemo-space-tech-missions.html nyy)

NASA is heading back to the ocean floor twice in the next three months to test out
techniques and technologies that could improve astronauts' lives in orbit and help
them explore an asteroid down the road. Teams of "aquanauts" will live and work at
a research facility 62 feet (19 meters) beneath the waves off the coast of Florida in
two missions staged by the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations
program, or NEEMO. The first of the two stints, known as NEEMO 18, starts on July
21 and lasts for nine days. The seven-day NEEMO 19 mission begins on Sept. 7. " It
is both challenging and exciting for our astronaut crews to participate in these
undersea missions in preparation for spaceflight ," Bill Todd, NEEMO project manager
at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, said in a statement. "It is critical that
we perform science applicable to NASAs exploration goals in a high-fidelity space
operational context," he added. "The extreme environment of life undersea is as
close to being in space as possible." NEEMO 18 will primarily investigate astronaut health issues and
behavioral health and performance, while NEEMO 19 is designed to evaluate "telementoring" operations for the
European Space Agency (ESA), NASA officials said. (In telementoring, an astronaut is given instructions via voice or

Both missions will also include extravehicular activities (EVAs),

simulated spacewalks that send the aquanauts out into the ocean for a variety of
purposes. "These EVAs will focus on evaluating man-machine work systems and EVA
tools and techniques for exploration tasks in varying levels of gravity ranging from
that of asteroids to the gravity of Martian moons and Mars itself ," NASA officials
wrote in a description of the upcoming missions. Both NEEMO 18 and NEEMO 19 will be based at
video by an offsite expert.)

Florida International Universitys Aquarius Reef Base, which lies 6.2 miles (10 kilometers) off the coast of Key Largo,
Florida. Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide will command NEEMO 18, which also includes NASA astronauts Jeanette
Epps and Mark Vande Hei and ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet. NEEMO 19 will be led by NASA astronaut Randy
Bresnik. Other crewmembers are Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, ESA astronaut Andreas
Mogensen and Herve Stevenin, ESAs head of extravehicular activity training at the European Astronaut Center in
Cologne, Germany.

Counter Plans

Private Sector

Perm Solvency
Perm do both match private money with government
programming.
Ocean Exploration 2020 Forum 13 (A national forum of more than 110 ocean
explorers cohosted by NOAA and Aquarium of the Pacific. The Report of Ocean Exploration 2020: A
National Forum. NOAA and Aquarium of the Pacific. July 19-21 2013.
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/oceanexploration2020/oe2020_report.pdf. Nyy)
PLATFORMS In 2020, a greater number of ships, submersibles, and other platforms are dedicated to ocean
exploration. There is a critical need for new ships and other platforms. The need for autonomous underwater

A national program
requires a mix of dedicated and shared ocean exploration assets. Participants agreed that
ocean exploration should take advantage of all sources of available and relevant data. For example, cabled
observatories, recoverable observatories, the various ocean observation networks,
and satellites are all important in a national program of ocean exploration.
TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT By 2020, private sector investments in exploration specifically
for the dedicated national program of exploration exceed the federal investment ,
but federal partners play a key role in testing and refining new
technologies. Forum participants agreed that a top priority for a national ocean
exploration program of distinction is the development of mechanisms to fund
emerging and creatively disruptive technologies to enhance and expand exploration
capabilities. In addition to the significant federal government investment in ocean
exploration technology development-whether by the U.S. Navy, NASA, NOAA, or
other civilian agencies-many felt strongly that increased investment would come from the private sector to
vehicles and remotely operated vehicles is greater than for human occupied vehicles.

achieve the kind of program they envisioned. Participants also felt that national program partners should continue
to play a key role in fitting and refining these technologies as well as working to adapt existing and proven
technologies for exploration.

Perm/USFG Key
USFG enacting the plan first is key for private sector funding
Gaffney II 13 (Paul G. Gaffney II, Vice Admiral of the US Navy (Ret.), President Emeritus,
Monmouth University, U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. First Principles for a Maritime Nation. NOAA.
July 19-21 2013. http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/oceanexploration2020/oe2020_report.pdf nyy)
The U.S. Ex Ex," a creation of Congress (PL 24-24), a voyage of discovery 175 years ago, was a deliberate step by a
tentative nation with an eye on becoming a world power. A six Navy ship flotilla, manned by 346 military and
civilian scientists was charged by government to explore the vast Pacific, top to bottom. Called "The U.S. Exploring
Expedition," it sought to discover the natural characteristics of the great Pacific, extend U.S. presence by
connecting to new peoples and collect data useful to U.S. seaborne commerce and naval operations. Fast forward to

America, no longer a tentative nation, now the greatest maritime nation

in world history. Its place in the middle of the great ocean system enables
prosperous trade and a unique security situation. Yet, that ocean system is still
largely unexplored. A world power unavoidably dependent on the ocean still does
not understand the oceans full range of opportunities and dangers. A world
maritime power-The World Power, The United States-cannot afford to be surprised
by the very natural features that characterize her as a maritime nation . Exploration
2 1st century

projects in the high Arctic have found unexpected (previously undiscovered) ocean bottom variability and changes

Now that is important to defense, especially safe U.S.

submarine operations. It also gives a hint about past climate fluctuations so we can
get a better idea of the ocean's and Arctic's role in climate excursions. Arctic
exploration discoveries will also help America argue for rights to minerals of its
northern coast. There are a few, scattered ocean exploration efforts within our
nation. Federal agencies do make new discoveries incidental to their separate
missions. And, privately funded citizen explorers are getting excited about the
ocean. While this collection of small efforts survives, each for its own purpose, the
Congress expected more. The nation needs more to ensure maritime strength. A broad,
coordinated national program envisioned by Congress in PL 111-11 could help
prioritize cross-agency oceanographic campaigns , strain from mission and researchdriven expeditions and private excursions those bits of information that are of newdiscovery-quality and guarantee that it will be archived within government and
shared with an increasingly excited group of American citizen explorers. It is
government's role to set the nation's priorities, create and maintain the information backbone, and
in water temperature structure.

carry out comprehensively over the long term a program to understand the opportunity and dangers in an ocean

Only after it has demonstrated this commitment

to leadership can it fully leverage investments from the private sector.
system in whose middle America sits.

Solvency Deficit
Federal leadership is key need centralized collaboration.
Ocean Exploration 2020 Forum 13 (A national forum of more than 110 ocean
explorers cohosted by NOAA and Aquarium of the Pacific. The Report of Ocean Exploration 2020: A
National Forum. NOAA and Aquarium of the Pacific. July 19-21 2013.
http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/oceanexploration2020/oe2020_report.pdf. Nyy)

characteristics of a national program of ocean exploration imply a network of

universities, nongovernmental organizations, the private sector, and government agencies working
together in pursuit of shared goals . Federal-and in particular, NOAA-leadership is essential
to help design and maintain what might be called an 'architecture for collaboration'
that convenes national and international ocean exploration stakeholders regularly to
review and set priorities, to match potential expedition partners, to facilitate sharing
of assets, and to help test and evaluate new technologies. The program should
facilitate the review and analysis of new and historical data and the synthesis and
transformation of data into a variety of informational products. In this leadership role, NOAA
These

would promote public engagement, and guide and strengthen the national ocean exploration enterprise. A

In describing characteristics of the national

ocean exploration program in 2020, participants used words including: nimble,
flexible, creative, innovative, and responsive . A program with these qualities just
might ignite the ocean exploration movement envisioned by the participants in the
first gathering of the community of ocean explorers.
conventional federal government approach wont work.

Kritiks

Anthropocentrism

Bio-Medical Use Turn

Framing biodiversity in terms of medicine is key- any other
framing results in continued violence against animals- this
turns the criticism.
McNeely 9 [Jeffrey, Scientist, Life Support: Human Health and the Environment, World
Conservation, 4-?-2009, http://cmsdata.iucn.org/downloads/wc_issue1_2009_en.pdf]-DaveD.

The actions that we take today will affect our health tomorrow and in the future.
Environmental degradation from habitat loss, over-exploitation and climate change
all have implications for human health, particularly through the loss of medicinal
biodiversity the subset of biodiversity that supports human health and well-being.
This loss will affect us allrich and poor, young and old and everyone in between.
Looking at biodiversity through a human health lens can provide new perspectives
on conservation. It can take biodiversity out of the unique realm of ministries of
environment and put its conservation at the heart of efforts to tackle poverty, food
security, climate change and many other global challenges. A broad suite of
measures are needed to safeguard medicinal biodiversity at all levels (local to global) and by
all stakeholders. Support is needed for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) provisions on sustainable use of
medicinal biodiversity and for the other international conventions that deal with biodiversity conservation, notably
the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) which addresses medicinal species of animals
(such as rhinos and tigers) and plants (such as Hoodia or devils claw). Climate change has far-reaching implications
for both human health and biodiversity and these must be addressed together under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change. To date, health issues have received inadequate attention by the Parties to the
climate convention. And actions taken in one Convention should complement and build on those taken in others.

Medicinal species Reps spur pragmatic green agenda.

McNeely 6 (et al; Jeffrey A McNeely Chief Scientist IUCN. Gland. Switzerland from the chapter
The Future of Medicinal Biodiversity a section from the book: Conserving Medicinal Species
Securing a Healthy Future available at: https://portals.iucn.org/library/efiles/edocs/2006-022.pdf)
Looking at biodiversity through the lens of human health can help provide new perspectives on policy and practice

Demonstrating biodiversity's links

to human health takes biodiversity out of the unique realm of ministries of
environment and instead, puts conservation at the very centre of humanitarian
concerns. Such links can help to influence public opinion in support of efforts to
conserve genes, species and ecosystems.
of biodiversity conservation with a view to supporting human health.

Advantages in the making?

Adv- Warming

Oceans K/T Solve

Ocean key to understanding climate change
ScienceDaily 13 (National University of Ireland, Galway, "Exploring the
saltiness of the ocean to study climate change." April 30, 2013,
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130430131343.htm ) jml
Details are emerging from a recent research expedition to the Sub-Tropical North Atlantic. The objective of the
expedition was to study the salt concentration (salinity) of the upper ocean. Scientists aboard the Spanish research
vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa, including National University of Ireland Galways Dr Brian Ward with two of his PhD
students, Graig Sutherland and Anneke ten Doeschate, explored

the essential role of the ocean in the

global water cycle. This oceanographic research campaign is aimed at understanding the salinity of the
upper ocean, which is a much more reliable indicator of the water cycle than any land-based
measurement. How the water cycle evolves in response to global warming is one of the
most important climate change issues. The experiment was located in the North Atlantic
Salinity Maximum, which has the highest salt concentration of any of the worlds oceans. Dr Ward explains: It is not
the depths of the ocean which is its most important aspect, but its surface. Everything that gets exchanged
between the ocean and atmosphere, such as water, must cross the air-sea interface. We are trying to better
understand how small scale turbulence is responsible for the air-sea exchange of freshwater. What is surprising is
that these small-scale processes can affect large-scale patterns over the North Atlantic, and we are trying to
connect the dots. The initial part of this ocean field campaign was to conduct a survey of the area to map out
horizontal and vertical distribution of salinity using an instrument that was towed behind the ship. We found quite
a lot of fresher water intermingled with the background salty water, but it is moving around quite a bit due to ocean
currents, and when we returned to the fresh patch, it had moved. We were currently hunting for this freshwater, as
one of the objectives is to understand the spatial inhomogeneity of the upper ocean salinity, explains Dr Ward.
Studying the processes at the ocean surface requires specialized instrumentation, as most measurements miss
the upper few meters. The National University of Ireland Galways AirSea Group are measuring the salinity,
temperature, and turbulence of the upper 10 meters of the ocean with very fine detail using their Air-Sea
Interaction Profiler (ASIP). The torpedo-shaped device, which is deployed into the water to gather data
autonomously, is unique and the only one of its kind. Dr Ward explains: The ocean surface has been the focus of
my research for several years, but there was no easy way to measure what is going on here as there were no
instruments available, so we built our own. The ability to make these unique measurements has resulted in
international recognition for the research being conducted at National University of Ireland Galway. Dr Wards
Research Group is the AirSea Laboratory, which is affiliated with the Ryan Institute and resides in the School of
Physics at the National University of Ireland Galway. The main objective of the AirSea Laboratory is to study the
upper ocean and lower atmosphere processes which are responsible for atmosphere-ocean exchange. This
experiment is concerned with air-sea exchange of water, but other studies that the AirSea Laboratory have been
involved with were looking at how carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas, is transported between the air and sea.
Dr Ward explains: The

ocean and atmosphere are a coupled system and therefore need

to be studied in unison. A major part of our research is to determine how this system affects
and is affected by climate and environmental change. This Irish and Spanish collaboration is part of a
bigger international effort called SPURS - Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study. There was also an
American research ship in the area participating in the SPURS study, and the Spanish ship was visited by Dr Ray
Schmitt from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).Dr Ward collaborates extensively with the WHOI
scientists: The WHOI scientists have autonomous gliders with microsensors attached, similar to our ASIP. During
our measurements, they directed their gliders to the same area as ASIP, and we provided them with data to groundtruth their measurements. This was an excellent opportunity to enhance our links with WHOI, who are the largest
oceanographic research institution in the USA. One of the biggest motivators for SPURS was the recent launch of
two satellites for measuring ocean salinity: the European Space Agencys Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS), and

with the combination of the in-situ

measurements, satellites, and computer models, we can improve our estimates of
global climate change and the water cycle. These data will also be used to improve
weather forecasting, and we worked with the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting
NASAs Aquarius mission. Dr Ward explains: It is envisioned that

during this field experiment.

Intl Coop K/T Solve

International scientific cooperation key to solving warming
Frstenau 14 [Marcel, Writer and news analyst at Deutsche Welle, Climate experts sound the alarm,
Deutsche Welle, April 13, 2014, http://www.dw.de/climate-experts-sound-the-alarm/a-17564117] NN

the global community has not been successful in reducing its

climate-damaging carbon dioxide emissions. Quite the opposite: emissions of
greenhouse gases between the years 2000 and 2010 grew more than in any decade since 1970.
In spite of all efforts,

The findings are part of the newest report from the United Nations' expert Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC), which has been released in Berlin. In spite of the dire outlook, the authors have named their report
"Mitigation of Climate Change". With that, the authors, including German scientist Ottmar Edenhofer, wanted to
emphasize that it was still possible to turn the situation around. The analysis and recommendations for action,
which have now been submitted to politicians, are the third part of a comprehensive account on climate change.
The first part was made public in Stockholm last year, the second report a few weeks ago in Yokohama.

According to the international team of authors, a mix of political and

technical measures is needed to limit the increase in global warming to a
maximum of two degrees Celsius. In the view of the climate experts, more severe natural
disasters like floods and droughts, which are already being noticed today, could be confined only if the threshold

to avoid dangerous
disturbances to the climate system, we cant go on as we have done
before," climate researcher Edenhofer said. A minimum 40-percent reduction in CO2 by 2050. The goal of
level of two degrees is not overstepped. "The scientific message is clear:

keeping the rise in global temperatures to no more than two degrees Celsius will only be reachable if greenhouse
gases emissions can be reduced by 40 to 70 percent in comparison with 2010 by the middle of this century,
according to the experts of the IPCC. They've said that for a livable future to remain possible for people and the
environment, there should be almost no further greenhouse gases emissions by the end of the 21st century.
Climate scientist Ottmar Edenhofer says action must be taken quickly to mitigate climate change. To achieve such
an ambitious mitigation of climate change, the experts recognize that it has to involve more than the sheer
reduction of CO2 output. Ottmar Edenhofer, along with Cuban Ramon Pichs-Madruga and Youba Sokona from Mali

the world
community must quickly take action on a wide range of measures if it
wants to restrict dramatic global warming to a maximum of two degrees Celsius. The
also see a carbon dioxide free atmosphere as essential. The three authors leave no doubt that

process begins with the modest goal of stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases, so as not to let them
increase any more. In the opinion of the climate experts, to succeed in that would mean the concurrent reduction of
emissions in all areas of economic and personal life, foremost the production and the use of energy, the
manufacture of consumer goods and food, transport and living.

The key to success: international

cooperation

The scientists see much potential in the areas of energy efficiency and re-forestation. Lowcarbon technologies could work out beneficially in terms of costs, which must be spent to reduce climate change,
explained Pichs-Madruga. The economical and considerate exploitation of land areas is a further key component.
Reducing deforestation and at the same time planting new trees could, according to the scientists, stop the rise of
CO2 emissions or even reverse them. Even more, through well-directed re-forestation, the greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere could be reduced. The scientists pledge the same effect from a combination of biomass and the storing
of carbon dioxide underground. However, they also advise of the hazards of such procedures. Malian climate expert
Sokona summed up the core challenge as "to disconnect the output of greenhouse gases from economic and
population growth". His German colleague Edenhofer added that

key to mitigate global warming."

"international cooperation is the

CO2 K/T Warming

CO2 is the primary driver of climate change outweighs all alt
causes
Vertessy and Clark 12[Rob, Acting Director of Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and Megan, Chief
Executive Officer at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, 3-13-2012, State of the
Climate 2012, http://theconversation.edu.au/state-of-the-climate-2012-5831]-DaveD.
Carbon dioxide (CO2)

emissions account for about 60% of the effect from anthropogenic

greenhouse gases on the earths energy balance over the past 250 years. These global CO2
emissions are mostly from fossil fuels (more than 85%), land use change, mainly associated with tropical
deforestation (less than 10%), and cement production and other industrial processes (about 4%). Australia
contributes about 1.3% of the global CO2 emissions. Energy generation continues to climb and is dominated by
fossil fuels suggesting emissions will grow for some time yet. CO2 levels are rising in the atmosphere and ocean.
About 50% of the amount of CO2 emitted from fossil fuels, industry, and changes in land-use, stays in the
atmosphere. The remainder is taken up by the ocean and land vegetation, in roughly equal parts. The extra carbon
dioxide absorbed by the oceans is estimated to have caused about a 30% increase in the level of ocean acidity

The sources of the CO2 increase in the atmosphere can be

identified from studies of the isotopic composition of atmospheric CO2 and from
oxygen (O2) concentration trends in the atmosphere. The observed trends in the isotopic (13C, 14C)
composition of CO2 in the atmosphere and the decrease in the concentration of
atmospheric O2 confirm that the dominant cause of the observed CO2 increase is the
combustion of fossil fuels.
since pre-industrial times.

Adv - Fishing

Ocean Pollution Kills Fishing Industry

Multiple threats to ocean sustainability will cause a ban on
industrial fishing.
Sneed, 14 (Annie, science journalist and editorial intern @ Scientific American,
Oceans likened to worlds biggest failed state, Scientific American, 6/25/14,
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/2014/06/25/oceans-are-equivalentto-the-worlds-biggest-failed-state/)
Overfishing and pollution have pushed life in the high seas to the brink of
collapse, according to a new report from the Global Ocean Commission. The
oceans are a failed state, David Miliband, co-chair of the commission, told
Reuters. The commission has implored governments to set a five-year deadline to
deal with threats to the health of the high seas, which are marine waters outside
national coastal zones; these seas cover almost half the globe. Fishermen catch
around ten million tons of fish from the high seas every year, with a value of $16
billion dollars. Its a vast ocean of resources only recently made accessible by
advances in fishing technology. The report warns that a combination of technology
and big fuel subsidies have enabled industrial fishing fleets to heavily exploit 87% of
the fish species there. Eighteen countries hand out billions of dollars in subsidies;
the United States bestows fleets with $137 million for a catch worth $368 million.
Pollution, largely from plastics, also endangers ocean health. The abundance of
plastics in the marine environment has risen tenfold every decade in some
locations, and poses a hazard to sea life when they eat it or get entangled in it.
Habitat destruction, climate change, ocean acidification, and biodiversity loss also
pose a danger to ocean ecosystems. The commission has said that if governments
cant clamp down on these threats soon then it may be necessary to ban
industrial fishing in parts of the ocean. Many countries have already established
marine reserves and imposed off-limits zones to industrial fishing, although these
areas are not always well protected.

Adv Deep Sea Mining

DSM Inevitable
Deep sea mining is inevitable.
Yeats, 12 (Chris, research program leader at Australias CSIRO and an ore deposit
geologist with more than 20 years experience in base and precious metal
exploration and research, Deep sea mining: exploration is inevitable, 7/11/12,
http://www.scidev.net/global/earth-science/opinion/deep-sea-mining-exploration-isinevitable.html)
Global demand for metals continues to grow, fuelled largely by increasing
populations and the industrialisation and urbanisation of China and India. To meet
this demand, the international minerals industry has had to search new areas of the
globe for additional resources. As Africa the last underexplored continent
becomes more developed, it is inevitable that the oceans, which cover threequarters of our planet, will be explored and exploited for their mineral wealth. It is
a question of when and how, not if.