Resolved: The United States federal government should substantially increase alternative energy incentives in the United States.
The race for alternative energy here in New Mexico has officially started. A few days after national qualifiers, the beginnings of arguments for next year are starting to appear, at least here in Los Alamos.
Next year’s resolution follows the trend of the last two years: Broad. What is defined as “alternative energy” is debate enough. For example, if “alternative” simply means “available as another possibility” as it does in Oxford’s English Dictionary, wouldn’t that make drilling for new oil topical? If we simply have to find energy that is another possibility, then aren’t different oil sites topical?
While “alternative”, “energy”, and the combined phrase “alternative energy” are assured to be debated for the entire year, the resolution also adds a new trick: incentives. Are negative incentives topical? Can we penalize oil companies? Even if negative incentives aren’t topical, can’t we still claim that they are because they are a reason to use alternative energy? Using the stick as the carrot, so to speak. Oxford defines an incentive as: “a thing that motivates or encourages one to do something.” Key word there? “motivates or encourages one to do something.” Wouldn’t that rule out the affirmatives that seem to be completely topical on first glance, such as incentives to the general public to buy a hybrid car? Or is “the general public” “one”?
This resolution contains even more good news for Los Alamos debaters who like insane topically definitions: Biopower is back! While it was harder to argue using sub-Saharan Africa, there is much less of a question with this topic. Direct government intervention into a free market, the power to give incentives the power to take them away, the government interfering with the power supply of the country… Yes, the biopower links are strong and many.
Empty your expandos, grab a highlighter, destory a few more trees with your school’s Xerox machines, and let the debate begin.
