1ac joint degree aff

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1AC - Mexico Joint Degree Affirmative


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Contention 1: Solvency

Current student exchanges between the US and Mexico are devastatingly lowjoint

degree programs solve and promote long term economic and diplomatic relationsOppenheimer, the Latin American editor and foreign affairs columnist with The Miami

Herald, 2013(Andres, May 5, The Miami Herald, Andres Oppenheimer: Obamas big item in Mexico student

exchanges, http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/04/3379221/andres-oppenheimer-obamas-

big.html, accessed 9/29/13, CBC)

Forget all the headlines about immigration, security and drug issues during President Barack Obamas visit to Mexico last week: the most

important (and least noticed) result of his trip may have dealt with an entirely different topic student exchanges.Sounds boring, but its

potentially the most exciting thing that came out of Obamas visit: If the bilateral plan to dramatically increase student

exchanges becomes a reality, it could mark a turning point in the history of U.S.-Mexican relations,

and in the development of a vibrant North American economic bloc.Right now, despite the 1994North American Free Trade Agreement among the United States, Mexico and Canada, the level of

U.S.-Mexico academic exchanges is pathetic.Only 13,700 Mexican students are enrolled in U.S.

colleges,compared with 194,000 from China, 100,000 from India and 72,000 from South Korea, according to the Open Doors study of theInstitute of International Education.Even Vietnam, a poor Communist country with a smaller population than Mexicos, has more students in

U.S. colleges (15,000) than Mexico, the IIE figures show.Likewise, the number of U.S. students in Mexican colleges is

ridiculously low only 4,000compared with 33,000 U.S. students who are studying in the United Kingdom, 30,000 in Italy, 26,000in Spain and 15,000 in China, the IIE figures show.Obama and Mexican President Enrique Pea Nieto agreed to create a Bilateral Forum on

Higher Education, Innovation, and Research, led by the U.S. National Science Foundation and Mexicos CONACYT Commission, to rapidly

accelerate student and academic exchanges.We want more Mexicans studying in the United States, and more

American students studying in Mexico, Obama said. And were going to focus on science, technology, engineering andmath.Perhaps more importantly, Mexican officials say Mexico will unilaterally launch a plan before the end of the year to quadruple its

current number of students in U.S. colleges over the next five years.Mexicos under-secretary of Upper Education Fernando Serrano told me

in a telephone interview that the planned public and privately funded scholarship program will raise to between 40,000 and 5 0,000 thenumber of Mexican students in U.S. universities by 2017. The current number of student exchanges is very small, and

has remained virtually unchanged for the past fifteen years, Serrano said. We will correct that.In Mexico, Obamasaid he will also find ways to increase the number of U.S. students in Mexico as part of his 100,000 Strong in the Americas plan to more than

double the number of U.S. college students in Latin America over the next 10 years. The idea behind all of these plans as well as a similarly

massive study-abroad plan recently announced by Brazil is to replicate the European Unions highly successful Erasmus scholarship program,

whereby more than 1 million European college students have been able to earn university credits in other European countries since the

program started in the late 1980s.As Guillermo Hirschfeld, a professor at Spains Rey Juan Carlos University reminded me last week, the

Erasmus program in Europe did much more than allow students to get a more globalized education it played a big role in helping cement the

idea of Europe as an economic bloc.The most important thing about the Erasmus program was that it helped forge human relationships, to

bring down nationalist dogmas, and to destroy prejudices in a region that had been plagued by conflicts during much of the past ce ntury, says

Hirschfield, the author of a study calling for an Erasmus program for the Americas.My opinion: I totally agree. Its time to give a new

push to the two-decade-old NAFTA agreement, and one of the best ways of doing that will be to

increase student exchanges and bringing down nationalist prejudices that have prevented North

America from becoming a more economically-integrated region.If Washington and Mexico meettheir promises to hugely increase student and academic exchanges granted, a dose of skepticism is

warranted here, since the two countries launched a similar plan two decades ago that didnt go too

far it could be their most far-reaching agreement since their 1994 free trade agreement.They

shouldcarry it out, and simultaneously launch a plan to allow U.S. and Mexican universities to offer joint and

dual degrees.The European Union has been way ahead of the curve on this, too, with its decade-old Bologna Plan that allows students

from most European countries to automatically validate their degrees in each country .All of this could have a much bigger


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impact on the future of U.S.-Mexican relations and on North Americas prosperity than all the

current headlines about other issues of the day. And it may happen.

The plan would create collaboration that vastly increases student exchanges and

university research cooperation through joint degree programs

Wood 13[Duncan, Director of Mexico Institute at Wilson Center, Educational cooperation and exchanges: Anemerging issue, http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Wood_Edu_US_Mex.pdf]

To attain this goal, it makes sense to create a Binational Task Force on Educational Opportunities that

would include leading government officials; university presidents from the two countries; business

leaders from the two countries closely identified with higher education; and key educational

organizations .COMEXUS (Fulbright-Garca Robles Commission), the only truly binational education organization, could serve as a

secretariat.An ambitious agenda for educational exchange would include a series of public/private

partnerships to strengthen student exchange, create joint degree programs and fund strategic

partnerships between universitieson both sides of the border to develop common research and training

programs. This is the kind of exercise that would both interest and benefit the private sector, leading

educational institutions, and multiple levels of government. The goal would be to encourage

additional public and private funding for four sets of targeted educational exchange opportunities:

Increased funding for scholarships to study abroad in the other country via Comexus and other

scholarship-offering programs. This may need to privilege semester and year-abroad study rather than full two or five-yeargraduate programs in the other country, but the specific goals of the programs must be designed in consultation with universities, philanthropic

organizations and the private sector. The goal would be to first and foremost give students in the two countries a strategic exposure to the

educational resources in the other country, with only a secondary focus on funding full degree programs abroad. This would allow for

vastly increasing the numbers of students involved . In addition to these steps towards boosting exchanges, it will beimportant to develop mechanisms to encourage universities to start their own scholarship programs for semesters/years abroad in the other

country, building on existing efforts. Identifying leading institutions in both countries, universities that are already heavily committed to

international exchange and have a track record of success in this field, will be of considerable help. Furthermore, the Task Force should

work towards helping universities in creating binationaljoint Masters degree programs, involving a

semester in the other country.Ideally this would include the development of networks of graduate study programs to maximizechoice for students. In order to identify which programs would likely grow quickly, it is worth examining what the preferences of exchange

students are today. Mexican students travelling to the U.S. tend to focus their studies in two main areas: business and engineering, with 22%

and 17% of the total respectively. For US students opting to study in Mexico, there is a bias towards the social sciences that highlights their

curiosity for Latin American studies, history and culture. In order to foster stronger tiesnot only between students but also

between university researchers, it is imperative that seed funding is created to encourage university

to university partnerships on research.USAIDs TIES program pioneered this, but it was unilateral and then disappeared. A truly

binational approach, with competitive seed funding to encourage research partnerships, would be particularly exciting. The

implementation of these proposals would be facilitated by the existence of common standards

between the two countries for higher education. A number of Mexican university programs are

already accredited in U.S. systems(such as the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)). However,

another alternative would be to develop joint accreditation systems for university degrees, working withexisting accreditation organizations, governments and universities.

The creation of a forum will get public and private universities to remove barriers and

massively increase the number of US-Mexico student exchanges.

Boz 13[James, May 3, one of the foremost Latin American foreign policy bloggers on the Web , Contributor to

Southern Pulse, Writes for Woodrow Wilson Center and Conficker Working Group, Spoke at


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Parliamentary Forum on SALW ,Fixing the problems in US-Mexico student exchanges,

http://www.bloggingsbyboz.com/2013/05/fixing-problems-in-us-mexico-student.html]

One of the announcements that the US and Mexican governments want to highlight from President Obama's trip is the creation of the United

States-Mexico Bilateral Forum on Higher Education, Innovation, and Research. The vaguely worded vannouncement promises to "encourage

broader access to quality post-secondary education for traditionally underserved demographic groups, especially in the science, technology,

engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. They will also expand educational exchanges, increase joint research on education and learning,

and share best practices in higher education and innovation." This is important as education exchanges between the US and

Mexico havestagnated or fallen for the past decade. What the presidents didn't say yesterday is that this is something

that needs to be fixed because it is a real problem. The numbers and quality of student exchanges between the two countries

are quite poor and have been for some time . The number of Mexican university students in the US holds steady around13,000 to 14,000, and that number has barely increased over the last decade (it was 12,500 in 2002). The opposite direction is worse. The

number of US students studying in Mexico peaked in 2006 over 10,000. However, security concerns caused numerous US university programs

to pull out of the country. By 2011, the number was only 4,100 US students in Mexico. That's less than the number of US students studying in

Costa Rica and Argentina and is only slightly above Brazil, Chile and Ecuador. To reachPresident Obama'sgoal to doublethe

number of student exchangesin the hemisphere, including 100,000 US students in Latin America, the numbers for US-

Mexico student exchanges will need to be at least 20,000 and probably 25,000, students traveling in each direction.

We're nowhere near that number and the trend lines are not looking good , thus the need for this initiative.

There areat least four areas where this forum can helpimprove the numbers: admissions, tuition, credit

transfer and security. On admissions, universities need confidence that the exchange students are qualifiedand students need relief from burdensome paperworkthat some of these programs demand. Usually, this is fixed

by one-off agreements between individual universities. This forum could help create a larger system

agreed to by multiple universities that could ease this process and open up additional opportunities

for students in both directions . Tuition needs to be more transparent for students, so they know how much they are spending and

where that money goes when they enter an exchange program. Government encouragement and regulations can help

empower students on this front and make exchange programs more affordable. Students can't go on

exchange programs if the credits don't transfer and it requires an additional semester of university to

graduate. Universities need to communicate and collaborate to better understand how classes and

prerequisites overlap and how they can count towards credits. This is one area that should be easier in

STEMthan it is in the social sciences and humanities. On security, US universities need encouragement to allow theirstudents to travel to Mexico. Unlike the media, universities should be able to look beyond the hype and

recognize that some areas of the country, including the capital, are relatively safe. Even a city that is

less safe, like Monterrey, has some great universities and students should be able to make informed

decisions about whether they would like to attend. Perhaps surprising to some US citizens, Mexican universities also need a

bit of encouragement on the security issue after all the coverage of school shootings in the US.This is a

dialogue that needs to go in both directions. Of course, governments can only encourage these goals.The reason this

is a "forum" is that it needs the voluntary cooperation of public and private universities to be a

success.Governments (at least governments that aren't China) cannot force students to study abroad, nor are they going to provide

significant additional resources. The hope is that the forum can get universities, civil society and the private sector

talking.

U.S and Mexico both want student exchange and its benefits

Custer 13, Sara. "US, Mexico Announce Bilateral HE Forum." The PIE News. The PIE News 2013, 14 May2013. Web. 03 July 2013. .

Mexico ranks 9th in places of origin of international students to the US, considerably lower than other large trade partners China, ranked 1st,

and Canada, ranked 5th. As part of the 100,000 Strong in the Americas initiative, Presidents Obama andPea Nieto announced a

Bilateral Forum on Higher Education, Innovation, and Research to create more collaboration between
http://www.bloggingsbyboz.com/2013/05/fixing-problems-in-us-mexico-student.htmlhttp://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/05/208579.htmhttp://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doorshttp://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/fs/2013/207847.htmhttp://www.state.gov/p/wha/rls/fs/2013/207847.htmhttp://www.iie.org/en/Research-and-Publications/Open-Doorshttp://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/05/208579.htmhttp://www.bloggingsbyboz.com/2013/05/fixing-problems-in-us-mexico-student.html


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STEM students and educators in both countries. Lets do more together in education so our young people have the

knowledge and skills to succeed, said Obama speaking in Mexico City earlier this month. Just imagine how much the students

of our two countries could do together and learn from each other. Obama said the partnership will

focus ondisciplines in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), echoing immigration reform efforts in the US to

boost economic growth through support for students in these subjects. In a statement, the White House confirmed the forum

will start this year, bringing together government, academia and civil society todevelop a shared vision on

educational cooperation and propose concrete short-term and mid-term initiative to promote

bilateral collaboration and policy coordination. Its part of my broader initiative called 100,000 Strong in the Americas,said Obama. We want 100,000 students from the United States studying in Latin America, including Mexico. And we want 100,000 Latin

American students including Mexicans like you to come study in the United States. President Pea Nieto expressed his

support adding: Higher education is the platform to trigger economic development potential that our

two nations possess. Mobility between the two trade partners is suprinsingly low. Open Doorsdata shows that Mexico sent just13,893 students to US institutions last year, coming in 9th behind Vietnam, responsible for 15,572. Meanwhile the number of US students in

Mexico fell by 41% to 4,167 students in 2010-2011, compared with 33,000 in the UK. Speaking with the Miami Herald, Mexicos under-

secretary of Upper Education Fernando Serrano said the privately funded scholarship programme aims to increase the number of Mexican

students in the US to between 40,000-50,000 in the next four years. Launched in March 2011, the 100,000 Strong in the Americas programme

works directly with foreign governments, HE institions, the private sector and NAFSA to increase international exchange between students in

the western hemisphere.

Plan: The United States federal government should increase its economic engagement

toward Mexico by creating a Binational Task Force on Educational Opportunities that

encourages the implementation and development of joint degree programs between

Mexico and the United States.


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Contention 2: Bilateral Cooperation

USMexico cooperation is at an all time lowrelations are tenseMadhani, White House Correspondent, 2013(Aamer, May 29, National Journal, With U.S.-Mexican Relations Tense, Calderon and Obama

Talk, http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/with-u-s-mexican-relations-tense-

calderon-and-obama-talk-20110303, accessed 07/05/13, CBC)

With relations between their two nations at their most fraught in recent years, Mexican President

Felipe Calderon and President Obama willsit down at the White House today for talks. Calderons visit

comes a little more than two weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agentJaime Zapata

was gunned downon a highway in northern Mexico. The relationship had already been muddled by U.S.

diplomatic cables unearthed by WikiLeaks showing American officials lacking confidence in Calderons

handling of Mexicos interminable drug war.And before Calderons visit was announced by the White House

last week, the Mexican president vented his frustrationwith efforts by the Drug Enforcement Administration,

CIA, and, ICE to stymie Mexicos drug trade. "The reality is that they don't coordinate with each other,

they're rivals," Calderon said in an interview last week with El Universal, a Mexico City newspaper.

Student Exchanges promote bilateral cooperation that leads to better relations

Sonenshrine, Tara 2012Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs. "The Impact ofInternational Student Exchanges: Changing Minds, Changing Lives." U.S. Department of State. U.S.

Department of State, 10 Sept. 2012. Web. .

Our exchanges are one of the best ways we can do that. Study abroad for American students puts our own young people into direct andmeaningful contact with those populations. It allows them to form lifelong ties and form enduring networks. That vibrant flow of

exchange students creates a bridgebetween our country and other nations. That is the essence of

people to people diplomacy. Why is that beneficialto you? Because it enhances your ability to build global

skillsan essential tool for the interconnected 21st century. It helps you become more competitive

an important attribute for your own futures. And it helps our country: The more competitive you are, the more

competitive America is. International students coming to the U.S. help us too.Regardless of the country oforigin, students are fascinating and fascinated with learning about one anothers lives and cultures. So, for those American students who

cannot go abroad, having international students on our campuses enriches our classrooms, campuses, and our communities with new

perspectives. There are other reasons to build relationships through our exchanges. When we have

formative experiences with our counterparts abroad, we are more likely to pursue investment

projects in each otherscountriescreating mutual prosperity. More likely to createsports partnerships

that foster greatercultural understanding. More likely to collaborate on scientific projects that cureillnesses or solve social problems or work for peace, tolerance, and democratic freedoms.

Exchanges have national security implications too in a holistic, preventive way.

USMexico relations key to heg

Pastor, former US national security advisor, 2012


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(Robert, July/August 2012, The American Interest, Beyond the Continental Divide,

http://www.the-american-interest.com/article.cfm?piece=1269, accessed 7/10/13, CBC)

The best strategy to compete against China, double our exports and invigorate our economy is to

deepen economic integration with our neighbors and to do it together rather than apart.

Unfortunately, the latter approach has prevailed since NAFTA. The three leaders mostly meet one-on-one in separate bilateral forums. The three North American leaders met as a group in Guadalajara in

August 2009 and pledged to meet annually, but they missed the next two years. On April 2, 2012,

Obama hosted Harper and Calderon in Washington. Their Joint Statement emphasized deep

economic, historical, cultural, environmental, and societal ties, but their initiatives remained packaged

in two separate bilateral compartments. The Presidents of the United States and Mexico and the Prime

Minister of Canada should seek to construct a North American Community that would invigorate their

economies and improve the regions competitiveness with Asia and Europe, enhance continental and

public security, address more effectively the new transnational agenda, and design lean but effective

trinational institutions for the 21st century. Such a Community would advance the principal goals of

each country. For Mexico, it would narrow the development gap and lift its people to First-World

status. For Canada, it would create institutions that would bind the three nations to agreed standards.

For the United States, it would create a new style of leadership more aligned with long-term goals

than with short-term special interests. For all three countries, it would allow a more cooperative and

effective approach to transnational issues like transportation, infrastructure, immigration, anti-

narcotics policies and the environment.

U.S. heg prevents power vacuums that would cause terrorism, economic turmoil and

multiple nuclear wars.

Ferguson, Stanford Universitys Hoover Foundation Senior Fellow, 4 *Niall, July 2004, Foreign Policy, A World Without Power,

https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/afp/vac.htm, accessed 7-7-13, MSG]So what is left? Waning empires. Religious revivals.Incipient anarchy. A coming retreat into fortified

cities. These are theDark Age experiences that a world without a hyperpower might quickly find itself

reliving. The trouble is, of course, that this Dark Age would be an altogether more dangerous one than

the Dark Age of the ninth century. For the world is much more populous-roughly 20 times more--so

friction between the world's disparate "tribes" is bound to be more frequent. Technology has

transformed production; now human societies depend not merely on freshwater and the harvest but

also on supplies of fossil fuels that are known to be finite. Technology has upgraded destruction, too, so

it is now possible not just to sack a city but to obliterate it. For more than two decades, globalization--

the integration of world markets for commodities, labor, and capital--has raised living standards

throughout the world, except where countries have shut themselves off from the process through

tyranny or civil war. The reversal of globalization--which a new Dark Age would produce--would

certainly lead to economic stagnation and even depression. As the United States sought to protect itself

after a second September 11 devastates, say, Houston or Chicago, it would inevitably become a less

open society, less hospitable for foreigners seeking to work, visit, or do business. Meanwhile, as

Europe's Muslim enclaves grew, Islamist extremists' infiltration of the EU would become irreversible,

increasing trans-Atlantic tensions over the Middle East to the breaking point. An economic meltdown

in China would plunge theCommunist system into crisis, unleashing the centrifugal forces that

undermined previous Chinese empires. Western investors would lose out and conclude that lower

returns at home are preferable to the risks of default abroad. The worst effects of the new Dark Age


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would be felt on the edges of the waning great powers. The wealthiest ports of the global economy--

from New York to Rotterdam to Shanghai--would become the targets of plunderers and pirates. With

ease, terrorists could disrupt the freedom of the seas, targeting oil tankers, aircraft carriers, and cruise

liners, while Western nations frantically concentrated on making their airports secure. Meanwhile,

limited nuclear wars could devastate numerous regions, beginning in the Korean peninsula and

Kashmir, perhaps ending catastrophically in the Middle East. In Latin America, wretchedly poor citizens

would seek solace in Evangelical Christianity imported by U.S. religious orders. In Africa, the great

plagues of aids and malaria would continue their deadly work. The few remaining solvent airlines would

simply suspend services to many cities in these continents; who would wish to leave their privately

guarded safe havens to go there? For all these reasons, the prospect of an apolar world should frighten

us today a great deal more than it frightened the heirs of Charlemagne. If the United States retreats

from global hegemony--its fragile self-image dented by minor setbacks on the imperial frontier--its

critics at home and abroad must not pretend that they are ushering in a new era of multipolar harmony,

or even a return to the good old balance of power. Be careful what you wish for. The alternative to

unipolarity wouldnot be multipolarity at all. It would beapolarity--a global vacuum of power.And far

more dangerous forces than rival great powers would benefit from such a not-so-new world disorder.

Hegemony solves nuclear terrorism, which would lead to US retaliation and extinctionKagan, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace senior associate, 7(Robert, Senior Associate at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and Senior Transatlantic

Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, 7-17-7, End of Dreams, Return of History, Hoover Institution, No.

144, August/September,http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/6136,Accessed 7-

11-13, AFB)

Throughout all these efforts, whose success is by no means guaranteed and certainly not any time soon,

the United States and others will have to persist in fightingwhat is, in fact, quite accurately called the

war on terrorism.Now and probably for the coming decades, organized terrorist groups will seek to

strike at the United States, and at modernity itself, when and where they can. This war will not and

cannot be the totality of America s worldwide strategy. It can be only a piece of it. But given the highstakes, it must be prosecuted ruthlessly, effectively, and for as long as the threat persists. This will

sometimes require military interventions when, as in Afghanistan, states either cannot or will not deny

the terrorists a base. That aspect of the war on terror is certainly not going away. One need only

contemplate the American popular response should a terrorist group explode a nuclear weapon on

American soil. No president of any party or ideological coloration will be able to resist the demands of

the American people for retaliationand revenge, and not only against the terrorists but against any

nation that aided or harbored them. Nor, one suspects, will the American people disapprove when a

president takes preemptive actionto forestall such a possibility assuming the action is not bungled.
http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/6136http://www.hoover.org/publications/policy-review/article/6136


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Contention 3: Climate Change

An increase in student exchanges is key to develop the human capital necessary to

expand Mexicos renewable energy developmentWood 10Duncan Wood Environment, Development and Growth: U.S.-Mexico Cooperation in Renewable

Energies May 2010.

(http://www.statealliancepartnership.org/resources_files/USMexico_Cooperation_Renewable_Energies

.pdf)

The second general policy recommendation is to enhance current programs designed to build human

capital in renewable energy. Through the Mexico Renewable Energy Program, the work oftheUSAID and through the USMexico

TIES program, investments in human capital are bringing long term benefits to Mexicos renewable

energy sector, and more should be done in this regard, both through facilitating more and closer

collaboration between university level programs and through support for Mexicobased trainingprograms in the issue area. Renewable energy stands out as one of the most positive items on the

bilateral agenda between Mexico and the US today. Whereas the media coverage of Mexico is dominated by drugs,

migration and violence,the potential for Mexican renewable energy to contribute to development,

employment and growth there, as well as helping to satisfy growing demand for clean energy in the

US, should be seen as a truly positive example of what can be achieved through sustained and

wellthoughtout bilateral cooperation. With continued attention from agencies and firms on both sides of the border, the

Mexican renewable energy sector holds enormous potential to contribute even more in the future.

A transition to renewable energy is key to solving climate changefossil fuels are themain cause of global warming

EREC, European Renewable Energy Council, 2004(The EREC, Renewable Energy The Solution to Climate Change,

http://www.erec.org/fileadmin/erec_docs/Documents/Publications/ClimateChangeBriefing.pdf,

accessed 9/29/13, CBC)

Climate change is arguably one of the greatest environmental threats the world is facing.The impacts

of disruptive change leading to catastrophic events such as storms, droughts, sea level rise and floods

are already being felt across the world. While the Kyoto Protocol, which aims to reduce greenhouse

gas emissions is slowly impacting on energy markets, scientists are increasingly advising policymakers

that carbon emission reductions of beyond 60% are neededover the next 40-50 years. How will weachieve such a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions? At the heart of the issue is an energy system

based on fossil fuels, that is mainly responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. On the contrary,

renewable energy provides one of the leading solutions to the climate change issue.By providing

carbon-neutral sources of power, heat, cooling and transport fuels, renewable energy options such as

wind, solar, biomass, hydro, wave and tidal offer a safe transition to a low carbon economy. The

concept of a transition to a carbon-free economy has become broadly understood and been outlined by

many actors from G81 , the United Nations, the International Energy Agency, Governments and


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industry alike. In the long run, renewables are the only energy source that provide a sustainable

carbon neutral energy supply. This briefing outlines the role that renewable energy can play in

reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon and methane. It highlights the success to date

andthe activity already happening across Europe and the rest of the world. It assesses its potential,

and identifies how renewable energy is central to climate change policy and delivering large carbon

dioxide reductions.

Cooperation with Mexico on climate change gets modeled globally

Selee, Vice President for Programs and Senior Advisor to the Mexico Institute, and Wilson, associatewith the

Mexico Institute,2012(Andrew and Christopher, November, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, A New

Agenda With Mexico,

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/a_new_agenda_with_mexico.pdf,accessed 7-6-13, EB)

Over the past few years, the U.S. and Mexican governments have expandedbeyond the bilateral agenda to

work closely together onglobal issues, from climate changeto international trade and the economic crisis. The U.S.

government should continue to take advantage of the opportunities this creates for joint problem-

solving. Mexicos active participation in the G-20,which it hosted in 2012, and in the U.N. Framework on

Climate Change, which it hosted in 2010, have helped spur this collaboration, and the recent accession of Mexico into theTrans-Pacific Partnership negotiations provides one obvious avenue to continue it. The two countries also coordinate more extensively than

ever before on diplomatic issues, ranging from the breakdown of democratic order in Honduras to Irans nuclear ambitions. Mexico is

likely to play an increasingly active role on globaleconomic and environmental issues, areas where the country has

significant expe - rience, and through cooperative effortsthe U.S. can take advantage of Mexicos role as a

bridge between the developed and developing worlds, and between North America and Latin

America.

The continued rate of CO2 emissions will lead to extinctionocean acidification

Payet et al. 10 (Janot Mendler de Suarez, Biliana Cicin-Sain, Kateryna Wowk, Rolph Payet, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg Global Forum onOceans, Coasts, and Islands Global Oceans Conference 2010 May 3-7, 2010, Ensuring Survival: Oceans, Climate and Security Prepared by Janot

Mendler de Suarez is a founding member of the Pardee Center Task Force, Games for a New Climate, serves on the Council of Advisors for the

Collaborative Institute on Oceans Climate and Security at the University of Massachusetts-Boston, and chairs the Global Oceans Forum Working

Group on Oceans and Climate. Mendler de Suarez was instrumental in the design, testing and development of the GEF International Waters

Learning Exchange and Resource Network, or GEF-IW:LEARN. Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (born 26 September 1959, in Sydney, Australia), is the

inaugural Director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland, and the holder of a Queensland Smart State Premier

fellowship (20082013). He is best known for his work on climate change and coral reefs. His PhD topic focused upon the physiology of corals

and their zooxanthellae under thermal stress. Hoegh-Guldberg is a professor [4] at the University of Queensland. He is a leading coral biologist

whose study focuses on the impact of global warming and climate change on coral reefs e.g. coral bleaching.[5] As of 5 October 2009, he had

published 236 journal articles, 18 book chapters and been cited 3,373 times.[6] Dr. Biliana Cicin-Sain (PhD in political science, UCLA,

postdoctoral training, Harvard University) is Director of the Gerard J. Mangone Center for Marine Policy and Professor of Marine Policy at the

University of Delawares College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment. Rolph Payet FRGS is an international policy expert, researcher and speaker

on environment, climate and island issues, and was the first President & Vice-Chancellor of the University of Seychelles, He was educated at

the University of East Anglia (BSc), University of Surrey (MBA), University of Ulster (MSc), Imperial College London, and the John F. KennedySchool of Government at Harvard University. He received his PhD from Linnaeus University in Environmental Science, where he undertook

multidisciplinary research in sustainable tourism.)

The global oceans play a vital role in sustaining life on Earth by generating half of the worlds oxygen, as

the largest active carbon sink absorbing a significant portion of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2 ),regulating climate and

temperature, and providing economic resources and environmental services to billions of peoplearound

the globe. The oceansof our planet serve as an intricate and generous life-support system for the entire

biosphere. Ocean circulation, in constant interaction with the earths atmosphere, regulates global climate and temperatureand through
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multiple feedback loops related to ocean warming, is also a principal driver of climate variability and long-term climate change. Climate change

is already affecting the ability of coastal and marine ecosystems to provide food security, sustainable livelihoods, protection from natural

hazards, cultural identity, and recreation to coastal populations, especially among the most vulnerable communities in tropical areas. There is

now global recognition of the importance of forests and terrestrial ecosystems in addressing climate change. An emerging understanding,

through ecosystem-based management, of the complex and intimate relationship between climate change and the oceans offers new hope for

mitigating the negative impacts of global warming, and for building ecosystem and community resilience to the climate-related hazards that

cannot be averted. Ecosystem-based ocean and coastal management also generates co-benefits ranging from food security and health to

livelihoods and new technologies that contribute to progress in equitable and environmentally sustainable development towards a low-carbon

future. Recent observations indicate that impacts of our changing global climate on oceans and coasts especially in the Arcticnow far exceed

the findings of the 2007 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Moreover, we know that increasingly

ocean acidification (a consequence of rising atmospheric CO2) is impacting on coral reefs, marine

invertebrates and as a consequence changing the structure and nature of ocean ecosystems.The

oceans offer an important key to avertingsome of the potentially far-reaching, devastatingand long-lasting humanitarianand environmental consequences of climate change. With good governance and ecosystem- based management, the worlds oceans and coastal

regions can play a vital role in transitioning to a low-carbon economy through improved food security, sustainable livelihoods, as well as natural

protection from threats to human health, hazards and extreme weather events. Out of all the biological carbon captured in the world, over half

is captured by marine living organisms, and hence the term blue carbon. In a 2009 report produced by three United Nationsagencies, leading

scientists found that carbon emissions equal to half the annual emissions of the global transport sector are being captured and stored by

marine ecosystems such as mangroves, salt marshes and seagrass meadows. A combination of reducing deforestation on land, allied to

restoring the coverage and health of these coastal ecosystems could deliver up to 25 percent of the emissions reductions needed to avoid

dangerous climate change. But the report warns that instead of maintaining and enhancing these natural carbon sinks, humanity is damaging

and degrading them at an accelerating rate. It estimates that up to seven percent of these blue carbon sinks are being lostannually or seven

times the rate of loss of 50 years ago (UNEP 2009). Oceans and coasts must be integrated into the UNFCCC negotiating text in order toappropriately address both the critical role of oceans in the global climate system, and the potential for adaptive management of coastal and

marine ecosystems to make significant contributions to both mitigation and adaptation. Ecosystem-based approaches generate multiple co-

benefits, from absorbing greenhouse gas emissions to building resilience to the significant and differential impacts that coastal and island

communities are facing due to global climate change. While the international community must redouble its efforts to adopt major emissions

reduction commitments, at the same time, there is a need to focus on the scientifically supported facts about natural solutions through

ecosystem-based approaches that contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation, to human health and well-being, and to food security. This

policy brief provides an overview of the latest facts and concerns on the synergy between oceans and climate, highlights climate change

impacts on ocean ecosystems and coastal and island communities, and presents key recommendations for a comprehensive framework to

better integrate vital ocean and coastal concerns and contributions into climate change policy and action. 1. The Oceans Have a Vital Role in

Combating Climate Change The oceans are the blue lungs of the planet breathing in CO2 and exhaling oxygen. The oceans have also absorbed

over 80 percent of the heat added to the climate system (IPCC 2007), and act as the largest active carbon sink on earth. Ocean absorption of

CO2 reduces the rate at which it accumulates in the atmosphere, and thus slows the rate of global warming (Denman 2007). Over the last 250

years, oceans have been responsible for absorbing nearly half of the increased CO2 emissions produced by burning fossil fuels (Laffoley 2010)

as well as a significant portion of increased greenhouse gas emissions due to landuse change (Sabine et al. 2004). A combination of cyclical

processes enables the ocean to absorb more carbon than it emits. Three of the oceans key functions drive this absorption: first is the solubility

pump, whereby CO2 dissolves in sea water in direct proportion to its concentration in the atmosphere the more CO2 in the atmosphere, the

more will dissolve in the ocean; second is water temperatureCO2 dissolves more easily in colder water so greater absorption occurs in polar

regions; third is mixing of CO2 to deeper levels by ocean currents. Convergence of carbon-enriched currents at the poles feed into the so called

ocean conveyor belt, a global current which cycles carbon into ocean depths with a very slow (about 1500 years) turnover back to the surface.

The biological pump begins with carbon captured through photosynthesis insurface water micro-organisms, which make up 80-90 percent of

the biomass in the ocean. These tiny plants and animals feed carbon into the food chain, where it is passed along to larger invertebrates, fish,

and mammals. When sea plants and animals die and part of their organic matter sinks to the ocean floor, it is transformed into dissolved forms

of carbon. The seabed is the largest reservoir of sequestered carbon on the planet. However the efficiency of the oceans abi lity to capture

carbon relies on the structure and health of the upper layer marine ecosystem (Williams 2009). Increasing oceanic

concentrations of CO2 influencethe physiology, development and survival of marine organisms, and the basic functioning

and critical life support servicesthat ocean ecosystems provide will be different under future acidified ocean conditions (UNEP2010). Increased atmospheric CO2 has already increased the acidity of the ocean by 30 percent, making the ocean more acidic than it has been

in the last 650,000 years, and affecting marine life, such as corals, microscopic plants and animals. Increased ocean acidity is likely

to not only affect the biological pump and ocean food webs, but is also likely to influence the globalcarbon cycle leading to an increase in global warming(Williams 2009). Ocean Acidification: Facts, Impacts and Action

Ocean acidification is happening nowat a rate and to a level not experienced by marine organisms

for about 20 million years(Turley et al. 2006; Blackford and Gilbert 2007, Pelejero et al. 2010). Mass extinctions have

been linked to previous ocean acidification eventsand such events require tens of thousands of years for the ocean torecover. Levels of CO2 produced by humans have decreased the pH (i.e. increased the acidity) of the surface ocean by 0.1 units lower than pre-

industrial levels, and are predicted to further decrease surface ocean pH by roughly 0.4 units by 2100 (IPCC 2001). Decreases in calcification and

biological function due to ocean acidification are capable of reducing the fitness of commercially valuable sea life by directly damaging their

shells or by compromising early development and survival (Kurihara et al. 2007, Kurihara et al. 2009, Gazeau et al. 2007). Many ecosystems

such as coral reefs are now well outside the conditions under which they have operated for millions of years (Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2007,


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Pelejero et al. 2010). Even if atmospheric CO2 is stabilized at 450 parts per million (ppm), it is estimated that only about eight percent of

existing tropical and subtropical coral reefs will be surrounded by waters favorable to shell construction. At 550 ppm, coral reefs may dissolve

globally (IAP 2009). Climate change is adversely impacting marine and coastal ecosystems and biodiversity. Further, acidification of the

oceans can impact food security both directly and indirectlythrough impacts on marine ecosystems and food webs, andalso threatens the oceans ability to continue providing important ecosystem services to billions of people around the world (Worm et al. 2006).

The bottom line is that no effective means of reversing ocean acidificationcurrently exists at a scale

sufficient to protect marine biodiversity and food webs. There are no short-term solutions to oceanacidification. Substantial perturbations to ocean ecosystems can only be avoided by urgent and rapid

reductions in global greenhouse gas emissionsand the recognition and integration of this critical issue into the global climatechange debate (UNEP 2010).


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Contention 4: Science Diplomacy

The plan facilitates US science diplomacy

Stine 09(Deborah, Specialist in Science and Technology Policy, June 29, 2009, Science, Technology,and American Diplomacy: Background and Issues for Congress,

http://www.policyarchive.org/handle/10207/bitstreams/20035.pdf)An April 2008 House Committee on Science and Technology Subcommittee on Research and Science Education hearing examined global and

domestic benefits from cooperation in science and technology.27 One fundamental questionasked during the hearing was why

the United States should support international science diplomacyrather than invest in domestic R&D. For the

United States to be competitive, according to Bush Administration witnesses, it needs to know where the frontier

of science is occurring. As other countries increase their investmentin higher education and R&D, the top science

and engineering research and facilities may not be in the United States, but in other countries. This increases the importance of

U.S. investmentin international S&T diplomatic activities, said Bush Administration witnesses, including federal programs

that support U.S. scientists collaborations with foreign scientists, and access to thebest research

facilities in the world, as well as enhancing the international connections of U.S. science andengineering students and leaders.In addition, U.S. science and engineering higher education and research helps developingcountries by enhancing their human resource capacity, and as a result, their ability to achieve long-term development. These international

connections can be important, said Bush Administration witnesses, not just for those countries, but in helping the U.S. respond to global

challenges such as infectious diseases such as avian flu. Further, according to a Bush Administration witness, international

cooperative activitiesat their agency in almost all instances are conducted on a no exchange of funds basis with

U.S. funding supporting U.S. scientistsand engineers, not those in the cooperating country.28 The degree to

which the Obama Administration agrees with this position is not known at this time. A National Science Board(NSB) report

recommends that the United Statescreate a coherent and integrated international science and engineering strategy, balance

U.S. foreign and R& policy, and promote intellectual exchange.In addition, it recommends reestablishing the NSTC Committee onInternational Science, Engineering, and Technology, and appointing a high-level international S&T policy official in OSTP. Congress, according to

NSB, should amend the Government Performance and Results Act to require Federal agencies to address international S&T partnerships.

Further, Congress should direct the Department of Commerce, OSTP, DOS, and the Department of Homeland Security to balance U.S. security

policies with international science and engineering (S&E) needs. The report alsocontends it is important to facilitatebraincirculation as opposed to brain drain, by supporting study abroad opportunities for American students, (and)

streamlining the visa process for foreignscientists, engineers and students,and identifying and increasing the use of U.S.and international facilities for collaborative research.

Combining Mexico and the US in scientific research guarantees science diplomacy

Global models prove that combining scientific communities works best

Quevedo 7/1/2013 (Fernando, director of the ICTP, The Importance of International ResearchInstitutions for Science Diplomacy,http://www.sciencediplomacy.org/perspective/2013/importance-

international-research-institutions-for-science-diplomacy)

One of the major scientific discoveries of the past decades was announced on July 4, 2012. On thisday, the world learned of the discovery of a new fundamental particle that may be the long-sought Higgs

particle, the only component of the standard model of particle physics yet to be discovered. This was a great triumph for

science and could mark a turning point in ourmost basic understanding of nature and the early universe.

More importantly, theJuly 4th Higgs announcement is a prime example of effective international science

diplomacy. The Higgs particle was discoveredat the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), an organization

formed to build the foundations for European science after World War II by bringing togetherformer adversaries. Besides strong

partnerships within Europe, CERN also includes participation ofscientists from the United States and many other
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countries.CERN illustrates the importance of science and international research institutions in uniting

nations to pursue a single noble goal.Along with CERN, the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in

Trieste, Italy, is one of the oldest international research institutions. It also exemplifies how international research institutions

can play an important role in bridging the worlds political and developmental divides by focusing on

large-scale scientific challenges that require collaboration between countries. After decades of operation, bothICTP and CERN have proven that their well-defined missions and strict emphasis on maintaining the highest international scientific standards

create a successful and sustainable formula that strengthens scientific ties and ensures continuous support from funding sources. As the dividesof the twentieth century heal and new ones emerge or reemerge, these large multinational institutions have had to adapt to the geopolitical

and developmental realities of the twenty-first century by expanding their scientific and geographical reach. With more countries

practicing and investing in science, these institutionshave needed to include, and in fact take advantage of,

growing scientific communities. ICTP and CERN can draw from these Cold War lessonsa mission based on high quality andambitious science, politically neutral siting of the physical facilities, and an inclusive organizational management and membership structureto

serve as models for new or future research institutions. The vision of ICTPs founders, most notably Nobel laureate Abdus Salam, was to create

an institution with a truly global nature at a time when the world was divided by the Cold War. The founders chose Trieste because of its great

cultural diversity, which flows from its rich historythe city oscillated between the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, and the former Yugoslavia

and for a brief period was a free independent state under the United Nations after World War II. Its key location on the border between

Western and Eastern Europe during the Cold War made it strategic for an international organization. Exhibiting what may be one of the earliest

examples of science diplomacy success, ICTP in the 1960s was essentially the only place in the West where scientists from both sides of the Iron

Curtain could meet and share their scientific results and knowledge of physics and mathematics. Whatever the research subjects, ICTP brings

together scientists from literally all over the world. Since its beginning in 1964, the center has received visitors from more than 185 countries.

These scientists regularly get together, teach each other, start collaborations, learn about each other's cultures,and share their views not only about science but about other subjects including politics, religion, art,

music, and food. In a world with many divides, whether it is east and west or north and south, ICTP is one of the few places that offers apossibility of dialogue among civilizations (of diverse and sometimes contrasting views and opinions). Like CERN, ICTP operates under the belief

that science is a truly international activity; it transcends cultural, religious, national, and ethnic

differences among its practitioners, unifyingin a particular way all of mankind. The many programs offered at ICTP to

support scientists from developing countries provide a holistic and sustainable approach tothe goal of reducing

the scientific gapbetween industrialized and developing countries. Contrary to most efforts on international cooperation that usuallyaddress only near-term issues without a clear follow-up strategy, ICTP creates strong ties with its visitors that are maintained throughout their

whole career. CERN scientists also share many of these duties because of the increasing international impact and reach of the laboratory.

CERN's initiatives to expand to non-European countries have taken a few different directions. First, it has been able to involve non-member

states in the construction of its experiments as well as in scientific collaborations, which now include members from many countries on all

continents. It has been organizing schools, such as the CERN Latin American school on accelerator physics and, more recently, it has joined ICTP

and other institutions to organize African schools in fundamental physics. At these schools, local scientists and students can attend lectures on

subjects as diverse as early universe cosmology, the physics and engineering aspects of accelerators, data analysis, and medical applications.

CERN has also played a leading role in initiatives to have networks of scientists from developing countries join one of its experiments, such as

the former European Union project known as HELEN (High-Energy Physics Latin-American-European Network). CERN's history of

bringing together international scientistsalso serves as a model forcurrent and planned international

experimental facilitiessuch as the International Linear Collider; Iter in France; the Square Kilometer Array (SKA), which will be mostly basedin South Africa and neighboring countries; and ANDES (Agua Negra Deep Experiment Site) in South America. In particular, SKA will be the

world's biggest radio telescope, which will not only bring much needed scientific activity to the region, but also benefits for the local community

deriving from being involved in a world-class effort. ANDES may play a similar role in South America as a truly Latin American big experimental

project. Other countries, such as Brazil, India, and China, are now in a position to host international scientific centers and support the

development of science in neighboring countries. Other countries, such as Brazil, India, and China, are now in a position tohost

international scientific centers and support the development of science in neighboring countries.In 2011 the ICTP-SAIFR (South American Institute for Fundamental Research) opened in So Paulo, Brazil, with the goal of promoting science in the region

following the ICTP model. Similar institutions are being planned for other key areas of the world to strengthen scientific collaboration within a

given region and with the rest of the world. Clearly, CERN and ICTP are key role models of international science diplomacy. For CERN,the resultswhich would not have been possible without bringing together the worldsbest physicists

and engineersacross political divideshave included the possible discovery of an important missing piece to the Standard Model puzzleas well as the creation of the World Wide Web, a tool so ubiquitous today that few can imagine a life without it. ICTP's successes are more

subtle but no less important: the building of solid, sustainable science foundations in less-advantaged parts of the world to ensure that

budding scientists, no matter what the economic and political situation of their native countries, have the opportunity to

nurture their ambitions in an environment conducive to the highest levels of scientific knowledge and

discovery. Working through the universal language of science, both have demonstrated the importance of a global approach to address


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the challenges of our time. They probably represent the best examples of how international scientific institutions can play a

crucial role in uniting countries and cultures with the goal of benefiting not just a single country or

region, but the world as a whole. The right to pursue science, like the rights declared more than two hundred years

ago by America's founding fathers, should be universal, regardless of a country's economic or technological

status. The global nature of science makes this possible.This is science diplomacy at its best.

Science Diplomacy spills overAlbornoz et al. 10(Mario Albornoz, Mariano Matos Macedo, Claudio Alfaraz, United NationsEducational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO SCIENCE REPORT 2010,

http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/science-technology/prospective-studies/unesco-

science-report/unesco-science-report-2010/)

If more countries are participating in science, we are also seeing a shift in global influence.China is a hairsbreadth away from counting more researchers than either the USA or the European Union, for instance, and now publishes more scientific

articles than Japan. Even countries with a lesser scientific capacity are finding that they can acquire , adopt andsometimes even transform existing technology and thereby leapfrog over certain costly investments, such as in infrastructure like land lines

for telephones. Technological progressis allowing these countries to produce more knowledge and

participate more activelythan before in international networks and research partnerships with countries in both North and South.

This trend is fostering a democratization of science worldwide. In turn, science diplomacy is becoming akey instrumentof peace-building and sustainable development in international relations. On a political level, there

has also been greater government interest in promoting a science cultureand citizen participation. Latin

America has been no stranger tothe trend towards democratization of knowledge.Many surveys of the public

perception of science have been conducted in recent years, as a result of the creation of a network within which academics

and officials of national S&T organizations in Latin American countries have been working togetherto build a consensus on methodology(Box 2).

Scientific diplomacy and cooperation allows for the development of biotechnology

Matthiessen, European Commission Executive Secretary of the EC-US

Task Force on Biotechnology Research, 2010(Line, European Commission, EC-US Task Force on

Biotechnology Research, http://ec.europa.eu/research/biotechnology/eu-us-task-

force/pdf/interviews/line_matthiessen_en.pdf, accessed 9/29/13, CBC)

The establishment of the Task Force in 1990 came at a time when the world was changing dramatically.

The rapid advances in global computing and communications that altered every aspect of daily life

presented new opportunities for scientific coordination and collaboration.The genomics revolution,

which allowedscientists to investigatethe structure and function of organisms on a genome-wide

scale, was also marked by an increasing international cooperation, initially because of the sheer scope

and cost of the fi rst projects. The European Commission and the White House Office of Science and

Technology acknowledged in the late 1980s that the emerging area of biotechnologywould become amegascience and seized the new opportunities for international cooperation by establishing a forum

for policy makers and scientistsfrom European Union and the United States to exchange ideas and

spur the full development of biotechnology to the benefit of society. The Task Forces stated aim is

to promote information exchange and coordination between biotechnology research programmes

funded by the European Commission and the United States Government. However, the Task Force has

also developed into a unique think-tank for science policy makers and scientists on biotechnology

research. For 20 years, the Task Force has looked to the future aiming to anticipate the needs of
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tomorrows science, today, hoping to stimulate new interdisciplinary scientific communities to form

across the Atlantic. For example, in 1997, the Task Force sponsored a workshopThinking Small in a

Global Scale, and as a result of the workshop, the field of nanobiotechnology was born.

Biotechnology is key to avoid otherwise inevitable food shortages

Ahmad 12Professor in the department of botany, University of Kashmir, India. (Parvaiz, Biotechnology as an Aid for CropImprovement to Overcome Food Shortage, 2012, http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-94-007-4116-4_9, HW)

Worlds population has crossed 6.5 billion with majority of human beings living in developing or under

developing countries. Clearly, food security in such countries will be a primary concern over the next

few decades. However, options for increased food production to meet this population pressure are

limited because most arable land is already under cultivation, and in many areas land use cannot be

further intensified without a risk to the long-term productivity. Agricultural land use has been especially intense in

recent years because of rapid urbanization and increasing environmental pollution. The ultimate need is to use newer

technologies which could help us to curb this food insecurity. Biotechnology is globally recognized as a

rapidly emerging, complex and far reaching new technology.It has revolutionized all the fields of life. Recent

discoveries and technical innovations in the field of genomics and biotechnology are revealing the full

complement of genes in crops, the ability to define genetic variation and use DNA markersto followchromosome segments with known functions through breeding programmes are leading to new efficiencies in breeding. The

abilityto isolate and redesign genes and transfer them into different plants also offers the breeder solutions to several key

limitations.The convergence of advances in biology-genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and information technologies is driving the

emergence of a new bio-economy. By the usage of this technology we have achieved remarkable success in

increasing crop productivity, improving crop quality as well as overcoming food shortage.Additionally thegenetically engineered crops have shown a remarkable potential to tackle some of the worlds most challenging socioeconomic problems which

are more prevalent in the developing world than in the industrialized nations.

Famine causes extinction

George Plumb, Environmental Activist, Was Malthus just off a few decades? 5/18/2008,http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AI

D=/20080518/FEATURES05/805180310/1014/FEATURES05Once again the world's food situation is bleak. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations, the price of wheat is more than 80 percent higher than a year ago, and corn prices are up by 25 percent. Global cereal stocks

have fallen to their lowest level since 1982. Prices have gone so high that the United Nations World Food Program, which aims to feed 73

million people this year, reported it might have to reduce rations or the number of people it will help. Food riots are happening

in many countries and threaten to bring down some countries as starving people demand better

from their government. However, this time the problem will not be so easy to solve. There are some 75million more people to feed each year! Consumption of meat and other high-quality foods mainly in China and India has boosted

demand for grain for animal feed. Poor harvests due to bad weather in this country and elsewhere have

contributed. High energy prices are adding to the pressures as some arable land is converted

from growing food crops to biofuel crops and making it more expensive to ship the food that is

produced. According to Lester Brown, president of the World Policy Institute, "This troubling situation is unlike any

the world has faced before. The challenge is not simply to deal with a temporary rise in grainprices, as in the past, but rather to quickly alter those trends whose cumulative effects

collectively threaten the food security that is a hallmark of civilization. If food security cannot be

restored quickly, social unrest and political instability will spread and the number of failing states

will likely increase dramatically, threatening the very stability of civilization itself."


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Biotechnology solves bioterror

Bailey, Science Correspond for Reason Magazine, 1[Ronald, award-winning science correspondent for Reasonmagazine and Reason.com, where he writes a weekly science and technology column. Bailey is the author of the book Liberation Biology: The

Moral and Scientific Case for the Biotech Revolution (Prometheus, 2005), and his work was featured in The Best American Science and Nature

Writing 2004. In 2006, Bailey was shortlisted by the editors of Nature Biotechnology as one of the personalities who have made the "most

significant contributions" to biotechnology in the last 10 years. 11/7/1, The Best Biodefense, Reason,

http://reason.com/archives/2001/11/07/the-best-biodefense]

But Cipro and other antibiotics are just a small part of the arsenal that could one day soon be deployed in defending America against

biowarfare. Just consider whats in the pipeline now that could be used to protect Americans against

infectious diseases, including bioterrorism. A Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Research Association survey found 137

new medicines for infectious diseases in drug company research and development pipelines, including 19antibiotics and 42 vaccines. With regard to anthrax, instead of having to rush a sample to a lab where it takes hours or even days to culture,

biotech companies have created test strips using antibody technologies that can confirm the presence

of anthrax in 15 minutes or less, allowing decontamination and treatment to begin immediately. Similar test

strips are being developed for the detection of smallpox as well. The biotech company EluSys Therapeutics is working on an

exciting technique which would "implement instant immunity." EluSys joins two monoclonal antibodies chemicallytogether so that they act like biological double-sided tape. One antibody sticks to toxins, viruses, or bacteria while the other binds to human red

blood cells. The red blood cells carry the pathogen or toxin to the liver for destruction and return unharmed to the normal blood circulation. In

one test, the EluSys treatment reduced the viral load in monkeys one million-fold in less than an hour.The technology could be applied to a number of bioterrorist threats, such as dengue fever, Ebola and

Marburg viruses, and plague. Of course, the EluSys treatment would not just be useful for responding to bioterrorist attacks, but

also could treat almost any infection or poisoning. Further down the development road are technologies that could

rapidly analyze a pathogens DNA,and then guide the rapid synthesis of drugs like the ones being developed by

EluSys that can bind, or disable, segments of DNA crucial to an infectious organism's survival. Again, thistechnology would be a great boon

for treating infectious diseases and might be a permanent deterrent to future bioterrorist attacks . Seizing Bayerspatent now wouldnt just cost that company and its stockholders a little bit of money (Bayer sold $1 billion in Cipro last year), but would

reverberate throughout the pharmaceutical research and development industry. If governments begin to seize patents on the pretext of

addressing alleged public health emergencies, the investment in research that would bring about new and effective treatments could dry up.

Investors and pharmaceutical executives couldnt justify putting $30 billion annually into already risky and uncertain research if they couldnt be

sure of earning enough profits to pay back their costs. Consider what happened during the Clinton health care fiasco, which threatened to

impose price controls on prescription drugs in the early 1990s: Growth in research spending dropped off dramatically from 10 percent annually

to about 2 percent per year. A far more sensible and farsighted way to protect the American public fromhealth threats, including bioterrorism, is to encourage further pharmaceutical researchby respecting drug

patents. In the final analysis, Americas best biodefense is a vital and profitable pharmaceutical and

biotechnology industry.

That solves Extinction

Steinbrenner, Brookings Institute Senior Fellow, 97(John Steinbrenner, Senior FellowBrookings, Foreign Policy, 12-22-1997, Lexis, 6-31-13)

Although human pathogens are often lumped with nuclear explosives and lethal chemicals as potential weapons of

mass destruction, there is an obvious, fundamentally important difference: Pathogens are alive, weapons are

not. Nuclear and chemical weapons do not reproduce themselves and do not independently engage in

adaptive behavior; pathogens do bothof these things. That deceptively simple observation has immense implications. Theuse of a manufactured weapon is a singular event. Most of the damage occurs immediately. The aftereffects, whatever

they may be, decay rapidly over time and distance in a reasonably predictable manner. Even before a nuclear warhead is

detonated, for instance, it is possible to estimate the extent of the subsequent damage and the likely level of

radioactive fallout. Such predictability is an essential component for tactical military planning. The use of a pathogen, by contrast, is

an extended process whose scope and timing cannot be precisely controlled. For most potential biological

agents, the predominant drawback is that they would not act swiftly or decisively enough to be an effective weapon. But for a few

pathogens - onesmost likely to have a decisive effect and therefore the ones most likely to be
http://reason.com/archives/2001/11/07/the-best-biodefensehttp://reason.com/archives/2001/11/07/the-best-biodefense


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contemplated for deliberately hostile use - the risk runs in the other direction. A lethal pathogen that

could efficiently spread from one victim to another would be capable of initiating an intensifying

cascade of disease that might ultimately threaten the entire world population. The 1918 influenza

epidemic demonstrated the potential for a global contagionof this sort but not necessarily its outer limit.


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Other Cards

The US and Mexico need to encourage university level exchanges between them to

grow their bilateral relationship

Wood, Director of Mexico Institute at Wilson Center, 2013(Duncan, Wilson Center, Educational cooperation and exchanges: An emerging issue,

http://www.wilsoncenter.org/sites/default/files/Wood_Edu_US_Mex.pdf, 9/27/13, CBC)

At a time when the Mexican and United States governments are looking for an opportunity to

diversify the bilateral agenda and strengthen the economic relationship, there is an urgent needto

focus on the long term challenges of competitiveness and human capital in the region. Questions of

infrastructure, standards, border procedures and energy are all crucial to this equation, but an

emerging issue that has been little discussed in the public sphere is that of educational cooperation.

Several experts and government officials have long recognized this as a potential growth area in the

bilateral relationship, but there are now greater opportunities than ever to further develop

educational collaboration. Mexico urgently needs to build its human capital to move from a middle

income to high income country. Indeed, the Pea Nieto government's first major legislative effort

has been a constitutional reform of the K-12 system to improve the quality of education. However, a

second area that requires major attention is undergraduate and graduate education, especially in

STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and innovation. At the same time,

the United States needs to develop the cultural and linguistic capacities that would allow Americans

in professions ranging from nursing to teaching to business to better communicate with the growing

Spanish-language population in the United States and to take advantage of commercial and

investment opportunities in the Western Hemisphere. There exists, therefore, a powerful logic for

the two governments to work together to seek mutually beneficial solutions to their educational

needs. One excellent way of doing so would be to encourage higher levels of university-level

exchanges between them.

Stronger student exchange programs would increase cultural and economic

connections and deepen the US-Mexican trade relationship

Lara 12[Tania, July 19, Master candidate of Global Policy Studies at The University of Texas at Austin with a vast

experience working as a journalist in Mexico and the U.S. http://politic365.com/2012/07/19/nafta-

fumbles-on-u-s-mexico-student-exchange-programs/]

Mexico is now the third largest trade partner for the U.S. after 18 years of signing the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

However, Mexico and the U.S. have barely managed to prepare a bi-national pool of professionals abletodeeply understand the socioeconomic reality of both countries. The number of Americans studying

abroad in Mexico and the number of Mexicans coming to American institutions is far distant from the

economic ties ofboth neighbor countries.Mexican students rank ninth in the number of foreign students in Americaninstitutions,behind China, India, South Korea, Canada, Taiwan, Saudi Arabia, and even Vietnam, according to the Institute of International

Education (IIE). When studying abroad, Mexico is the eighth destination chosen by American college and graduate students. Therefore, few

Mexican and American professionals have a deep understanding of the realities and challenges of their neighbor country. The importance of

student exchange programs to foster economic relationships has been recognized byPresident Obamas 100,000 Strong initiative, which

seeks to increase the number of American students in China. A similar initiative should be launched to increase the

flows of Mexican and American students in both countries. One example of the lack of bi-national professionals is
http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.htmlhttp://www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-11-14-Open-Doors-International-Studentshttp://www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-11-14-Open-Doors-International-Studentshttp://www.state.gov/p/eap/regional/100000_strong/index.htmhttp://www.state.gov/p/eap/regional/100000_strong/index.htmhttp://www.state.gov/p/eap/regional/100000_strong/index.htmhttp://www.state.gov/p/eap/regional/100000_strong/index.htmhttp://www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-11-14-Open-Doors-International-Studentshttp://www.iie.org/Who-We-Are/News-and-Events/Press-Center/Press-Releases/2011/2011-11-14-Open-Doors-International-Studentshttp://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/top/dst/current/balance.html


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theshortage of attorneys who are able to understand the legal limitations and regulations on both sides of the Southwest border. There is

currently only one joint program between the U.S. and Mexico intended to prepare attorneys to practice law in both countries. After 18 years

of the NAFTA signing, firsthand experiences have shaped the understanding between both countries. Mexicans are the largest legal and

undocumented immigrant population in the U.S. and the same happens south of the border with Americans being the largest foreign-born

population in Mexico, according to the Mexican Census office INEGI. When on vacation,Mexico is the top destination abroad for American

tourists while the opposite is true for Mexicans. Large numbers of Mexicans work for American transnational corporations, watch American

films and TV series, and enjoy American music. Their contact with American tourists, and imported products have

also crafted perceptions of the United States in Mexico. At the same time,immigrants from Mexico,newsfrom the border,the growing presence of Tex-Mex and Mexican food, beer, and Spanish-language in the U.S. has shaped

American perceptions of Mexico. However, perceptions based on vacation trips and other cultural

influences can hold stereotypes or outdated information. In the latestPew Global Attitudes poll, 47% of Mexicans saidthey dislike Americanways of doing business, and 56% responded that it is bad that American ideas and customs spread in Mexico. When asked

in 2006, Americans agreed that Mexico is important to the future of their country but they

harboreddeep suspicions about their neighbor,according to a Zogby poll. Universities in the U.S. are the top destination for

Mexican seeking degrees overseas, however, more Mexicans could be taking the advantage of enrolling in some of

the worlds best universitiesas their Chinese counterparts are doing. Studying in the U.S. is one of the best ways

to gain great insights in American business culture. Stronger student exchange programs between

Mexico and the U.S. would not only help Mexicans and Americans to improve their language skills but

also help them to get a sophisticated knowledge of both countries and benefit the trade relationship

between both countries in the long term.

Economic integration is mutually beneficial and ensures massive growth in all sectors.

Deeper bilateral ties are key to the future of trade and the auto industry.

Wilson 11[Wilson, Christopher E. Working Together: Economic Ties Between The United States and Mexico. Rep.

Mexico Institute, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Nov. 2011. Web.

.]

The integration of the United States and Mexican economies has transformed the nature of the

bilateral relationship from one of competition to partnership. U.S. jobs, competitiveness and economic

growth have all benefited from the nations relationship with Mexico. As the second largest destinationfor U.S. exports and third largest source of imports, 6 million U.S. jobs depend on trade with Mexico.1 That

means one in every twenty-four workers in the nation depend on U.S.-Mexico trade for their

employment.2 Beyond the $393 billion in bilateral merchandise trade each year is another $35

billion in services trade and an accumulated total of $103 billion in foreign direct investment

holdings.3 As important as the intensity of U.S.-Mexico economic integration is its quality. Most people think of imports and exportsas goods made by one country and then purchased by another, but for the U.S. and Mexico, cross border trade often occurs in the

context of production sharing. Manufacturers in each nation work together to create goods, and regional

supply chains crisscross the U.S.-Mexico border.Many imports and exports are therefore of a temporary nature as

an item is being produced. Carsbuilt in North America, for example, are said to cross the United States borders

eight times during production, integrating materials and parts developed in Mexico and Canada.

Several other U.S.industries, including electronics, appliances and machinery, all rely on the assistance

of Mexican manufacturersas well. In fact, a full 40% of the content of U.S. imports from Mexico was

originally made in the United States, and it is likely that the domestic content in Mexican imports from the United

States is also very high.4 That meansdespite an Hecho en Mxico or Made in Mexico label, a large portion of the money

U.S. consumers spend on Mexican imports actually goes to U.S. companies and workers. The

same cannot be said for Chinese imports, which have only 4% U.S. content , or for goods coming fromany other country in the world, with the exception of Canada, where U.S. content is 25%.5 Taken together, goods from Mexico and

Canada represent a full 75% of all the domestic content that returns to the U.S. as imports.6 This is because only Mexico, Canada and

the Caribbean Basin have production processes that are deeply integrated with the United States. The Southwest Border states are

especially integrated with Mexico, and the Mexican market accounts for a quarter to more than a third of all exports for Texas, New
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