2022 Nov/Dec LD: Best Contentions

Many debaters' first instinct when a new resolution is announced is to think of some potential arguments to run. This process isn't easy - hence why this post exists. We're here to give you some options of the best contentions for the environment vs. economy topic, and we can guarantee you'll find at least a few that will be useful.

Affirmative Arguments

1) Emissions

This contention is a no-brainer. Pollution and China go hand-in-hand - China’s industry sector has developed rapidly and, while there have been undoubted economic benefits, this growth, combined with relatively weak regulations, has also led to a significant increase in emissions and water pollution. Over the past several years, China has made significant progress towards lowering emissions. While increasing regulations and upgrading factories has certainly been effective to an extent, there is still tension between the push toward economic growth and curbing pollution. Air pollution has been linked to a host of health problems, including heart disease and asthma, and the impacts of acid rain cause additional environmental harms and can even eat away at infrastructure. While China has been working on cutting emissions, some of the literature notes that China still uses carbon-intensive supply chains to build much of its infrastructure.

2) Climate Change

This contention is very logical, especially considering status quo environmental policy. With China recently signing on to the Paris Climate Agreement, it has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. This comes with a number of other goals, including increasing its good quality water in coastal regions and controlling soil pollution, as well as heavily polluted weather. While these are ambitious goals, there is some question within the global community about whether they are achievable given the current trajectory of China’s actions around addressing climate change. Meeting these goals will require a significant investment. Some projections estimate that China will need up to $17 trillion dollars to meet its climate goals. There has been a marked increase in green infrastructure projects in China’s Belt and Road Initiative; however, many are still worried about the impacts to biodiversity that this massive project will have.

3) Belt & Road Initiative

This contention is very flexible and versatile. Affirmatives can take advantage of the unique negative environmental impacts of the Belt & Road Initiative, or BRI, China's massive international infrastructure development project. For instance, affirmatives could argue that the BRI causes detrimental environmental impacts due to coal usage. Many studies support this. Another angle is to cite worker's rights abuses, especially in countries like Zambia and Cambodia. Yet another example could be the fact that the BRI causes debt trapping of smaller countries, such as in Guinea. Countries are burdened with unpayable debts, and thus, China takes control and poverty runs rampant. The list goes on.

Negative Arguments

1) Poverty

The most logical negative argument is that of poverty. With millions of people in China living in extreme poverty, it is the government's obligation to focus on these people prior to looking at other issues. There are tons of examples of poverty available just from a simple Google search. There are also lots of impacts negatives can use, ranging from healthcare, food stability, education, and more. The post-pandemic economy has created some unique conditions where additional economic growth could have a significant and lasting impact. Negatives looking to argue this should focus on the fact that poverty is a pressing issue that must be solved now before anything else is taken care of.

2) Global Economy

Another simple argument is on China's impact on the global economy. China is integral to the state of international markets, and negatives are uniquely positioned to take advantage of this. China’s economic growth has helped to support and sustain its influence around the world. China has used the strategy of economic diplomacy to help advance its policy agenda and to navigate geopolitical situations. China’s capital and exports have greatly increased its ability to influence countries on a global scale.

3) Housing Crisis

This contention could be used as a main argument or as a time-suck, since it can be emphasized heavily or thrown in quickly. Right now, China is in the middle of experiencing a housing crisis. The real estate industry makes up between twenty percent of China’s GDP. This means that slow downs in the real estate market would likely have impacts that spill into other sectors of the economy. The mortgage boycotts that have been happening within China show some of the tangible tension that is being felt around the housing situation. Debaters may find it helpful to explore some of the ways in which investment by the government and prioritizing economic growth could help resolve some of the negative effects of the housing crisis.

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