Speaker 1

Round 1a: Arctic Science

1. The United States federal government should permanently prohibit fossil fuel activities in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge. 
2. The United States federal government should fund expeditions to explore the Arctic for new microorganisms.
3. For energy development in the arctic, the US should prioritize sustainability over profitability.
4.  In the Arctic, scientific exploration ought be preferred to environmental preservation.   
5. The Arctic is the world’s “last frontier.”

Speaker 2

Round 1b: Arctic Science

1. The United States federal government should substantially increase fossil fuel activities in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. 
2. The United States federal government should increase funding for Arctic insect research.
3. In the Arctic, indigenous cultural preservation should be prioritized over scientific discovery. 
4. Scientific cooperation with China and Russia  is the best way forward in the Arctic circle. 
5. It is too late for United States Arctic supremacy.

Speaker 1

Round 2: Antarctic Science

1.  The United States federal government should significantly increase funding for The United States Antarctic Program.
2. The United States should end one or more of its scientific endeavors in Antarctica. 
3. Domestic scientific research ought to be prioritized over Antarctic scientific research.
4. Antarctic exploration does more harm than good. 
5. China’s presence in Antarctica is legally valid. 

Speaker 1

Round 3: Polar Military 

1. The United States federal government should substantially expand the size of its polar class icebreaker fleet.
2. The United States federal government should substantially increase its military presence in the polar regions. 
3. National security ought be preferred to scientific discovery in the polar region.
4. The Arctic region has been militarized.
5. Antarctica has been militarized.  

Speaker 1

Bronze Round: Polar Treaties and Governance

1. The United States federal government should accede to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
2. The Arctic Council should expel the Russian Federation. 
3. The Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources should be renegotiated. 
4. Shared governance is preferable to sovereign claims in the Polar regions. 
5. The Antarctic Treaty System has outlived its usefulness. 

Speaker 1

Gold Round: Grab BAG   

1. The United States federal government should substantially increase funding for research into the history and traditions of indigenous cultures in the Arctic region.
2. The United States. should significantly increase offshore oil and natural gas drilling in the Arctic.
3. The United States should prefer leadership to cooperation in the Polar regions.
4. Tourism does more harm than good in Antarctica.
5.  “Marine Protected Areas” are insufficient to prevent the extinction of Emperor Penguins.