2022 Sept/Oct PF:
Best Sources
Every debater's worst nightmare: the new topic gets announced, and suddenly you're tasked with finding a mountain of evidence to both back up your cases and better understand the topic. Chances are neither you nor your teammates know anything about high-speed rails. There's only one solution: research. Luckily, we've compiled a list of sources to aid in your research and get you ahead of the competition.
First Steps
As with any other topic, the first step is simple: a Google search! In fact, when searching up "high speed-rail" on Google, the first result is a massive, eight-chapter long Wikipedia article with more than 150 sources embedded in it. This topic has had a robust history, and people have dedicated their entire lives towards this one field of study. The point? The internet is at your fingertips, and often a simple search is enough to point you in the right direction.
Pro Sources
First, we've compiled a list of useful resources that are an absolute must-read for the pro side. These articles tend to cover more general, short arguments in favor of the high-speed rail. They cover arguments like economic development, social benefits, air pollution, jobs, and more.
Benefits of High-Speed Rail for the United States
8 Benefits of High-speed Trains
High Speed Rail Development Worldwide
High-Speed Rail Benefits Small Towns and Large Cities
What Are The Benefits Of High-Speed Rail?
High-Speed Trains Provide Environmental, Social Benefits, Study Says
High-speed rail: Does its economic impact match its breakneck speed?
Ten reasons America needs high-speed rail
Public Transit and the Benefits of High-Speed Rail
Why the US needs to get on track with high-speed rail
Advantages of High-Speed Rail System
2021 Pros and Cons of High-Speed Rail in the U.S.
The Promise of High-speed Rail in New Cities
What Do High-Speed Rails Bring To Us?
Pros and Cons of High Speed Rail
High-speed rail’s many benefits
High-speed rail impact on urban economic growth
Does the opening of high-speed railways improve urban livability?
The influence of high-speed rails on urban innovation and the underlying mechanism
Investments in High-Speed Rail Continue to Lift California’s Economy
Is the High-Speed Rail Opening Environmentally Friendly?
Does high-speed railway reduce air pollution along highways?
High-speed rail project to work to improve air quality in California
Does High-Speed Rail Reduce Environmental Pollution?
Environment: High-speed rail networks help reduce China’s carbon emissions
Does High-Speed Rail Opening Affect the Health Care Environment?
Urbanization Through the Benefits of High-Speed Rail System
Literature Review of Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts of High-Speed Rail in the World
Lifecycle Environmental Impact of High-Speed Rail System in the I-45 Corridor
Con Sources
Next, we can move on to the con side, highlighting some key sources that argue against the high-speed rail. These sources lean towards arguments like environmental harms, legal barriers, and climate change.
Why Doesn’t The United States Have High-Speed Bullet Trains Like Europe And Asia?
A Summary Reality Check of Why High-Speed Rail is a Bad Idea
The California High-Speed Rail Project’s Negative Impacts on Minority Communities
High Speed Rail: Detriment or Benefit to the Environment?
Biden’s High-Speed Rail To Nowhere
Train to nowhere: can California’s high-speed rail project ever get back on track?
Environmental Footprints of High-Speed Railway Construction in China
Environmental balance of the high speed rail network in Spain
High-speed train could go through ‘irreplaceable’ land in Maryland
California High Speed Rail Will Increase Pollution
Is high-speed rail the fast track to transport decarbonization
What Would High-Speed Rail Do to Suburban Sprawl?
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