Water Knowledge
What percentage of the world's water resources are freshwater?
2.5%
Name the 4 parts of a 1AC.
Inherency
Plan Text
Advantages
Solvency
What is the role of the negative?
To prove that the affirmative is a bad idea.
State the purpose of constructives and rebuttals.
Constructives: build up your arguments, expand the debate, present evidence
Rebuttals: condense the debate, pick your strongest offense, tell a story to the judge about why you win
Where does DC drinking water come from?
the Potomac river
Provide a definition of "environmental justice" and either a current or historical example.
EPA definition:
"Environmental justice (EJ) is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies."
Possible examples:
- Warren, NC landfill
- Lead poisoning in Flint, Jackson, Newark, etc.
- Oil pipelines through native lands
What are the 2 advantages of the Fracking aff?
Climate change and green leadership
What makes a good 1nc?
Possible answers
- a mix of offense and defense
- on-case and off-case
- more than 1 possible 2nr strategy
What is line by line and why is it important?
Line by line is answering arguments in the order they appear on the flow, using "they say... we say"
It's important for organizing the debate and making sure you don't drop arguments.
What is one action you can take locally to protect water resources in the DMV?
Possible answers
- volunteer with an environmental justice group
- conserve water in your home with rain barrels, raingardens, water efficient appliances, etc.
- write/call your elected officials
- talk to your community about how to prevent water pollution
- use less single-use plastic
Explain how fracking works and some of its risks.
Water, sand and chemicals are blasted into shale rock to break it and expose natural gas.
Risks:
- uses a crazy amount of water
- the chemicals and sand can get into aquifers and contaminate drinking water
- the extraction process and burning natural gas emits greenhouse gases and contributes to climate change
How do you answer a counterplan?
Permutation
Offense
Solvency Deficits
Theory
What is a net benefit, and why does a counterplan need it?
A net benefit is a disadvantage to the affirmative that the counterplan avoids.
Since the role of the negative is to prove the aff is a bad idea, a net benefit is needed to generate offense against the aff.
What are 3 important things to remember when flowing?
- leave space between arguments
- use a different piece of paper for each off-case
- don't give up!
- flow the tag, author and warrants
- use shorthand
Why did DC have a lead water crisis in the early 2000s?
The city added a new chemical to the water treatment process that was supposed to make it cleaner, but it actually corroded the lead pipes and released lead into the water supply.
Name 2 important pieces of federal water legislation, and what they do.
Clean Water Act - requires states to make their own water quality standards, and the EPA enforces those standards. Goal is to make waters fishable and swimmable.
Safe Drinking Water Act - sets maximum limits for dangerous contaminants in drinking water.
Give a short case overview for the Fracking aff.
Good answers
- explain what the aff does
- explain the advantages
- emphasize the impact
Explain the "story" of the Federalism DA
Link: plan is federal overreach into state water policy and disrupts the balance of power
Internal Link: Federalism key to democracy
Impact: Democracy prevents wars
What should you do if the other team drops an argument?
1) decide if it's important for the round
2) if yes, point it out
3) briefly re-explain the argument
4) explain why it matters for the round
When it rains in DC, rainwater flows into the storm drains. Where do the storm drains lead to?
Directly into the Anacostia or Potomac river.
(the area that drains into these rivers is called a watershed)
Give an example each of point-source pollution and non-point source pollution.
Point-source: where the source is easily identified
- construction site
- industrial site
- animal feedlot
Non-point source: where the source is diffuse
- agricultural runoff
- stormwater pollution from urban streets
- lawn fertilizers
How would you impact turn the federalism DA?
Say that federalism is bad
Or
Say that democracy is bad
Interpretation
Violation
Standards
Voters
Use impact calculus to explain why global warming outweighs economic collapse.
correct answer will address magnitude, time frame and probability
How will climate change affect the DMV area?
Answers:
- sea levels rising
- rising temperatures
- increased rainfall/flooding
- land subsidence
- more humidity