seeing Environment topic area holistically

[heller@urvax.urich.edu (lisa heller)]

I'd like to make the following observations on the Environmental  topic area
to be 
considered by the topic committee... 

Tim Mahoney mentions his concern that the topic may be too broad if the wording
describes simply "Environmental Pollutants" and he urges that we limit the
number
of pollutants to a few. 

I have a few concerns and comments about Tim's suggestion. First, I agree
with Doyle
Srader's comments regarding the way debaters shape and mold a debate topic
to their
own aim. We all know that happens: debaters define and redefining key words
in the
topic in order to include or exclude a set of ideas. I think Tim's wording
change would
merely encourage debaters to construct the same case a little more
creatively so as to
meet the new topic restrictions. It would also mean more of the same - it
would mean
we would be, essentially, debating Atmospheric problems EXCLUSIVELY. And while
global warming and ozone depletion are big problems, I myself am looking for
a little
more out of this problem area.

In my estimation, Tim's idea to limit the debate to a few environmental
pollutants
would just call for MORE topicality, but unlike the rich vein of topicality
debate that Doyle
points out, this topicality would simply be more of the banal "Plural"
versus "Singular" debate
that has put so many judges to sleep in recent years.

My second comment relates more to the discussion thus far on the environmental
topic area overall. While I too applaud the construction of the
Environmental topic
problem area paper, I think it is important that we include at least one
topic on the
August ballot that addresses some of the more contentious mindset
assumptions that
lead us to pollute in the first place. This approach would address the
concerns voiced
thus far on the L regarding:

1.THE PERCEIVED LACK OF NEGATIVE GROUND ON MANY ENVIRONMENTAL
TOPICS.
Very few people are willing to advocate that pollution is good, after all,
but they might be willing to say that it is important to tolerate at least a
little
bit of pollution in order to support the Capitalist ideas of growth and so
on. This
kind of mindset approach gets right to the heart of Environmental problems.
It is 
what many of the cutting edge Environmental theorists are currently concerning
themselves with. 


2. THE NEED FOR AT LEAST ONE TOPIC ON THE BALLOT THAT IS MORE
"VALUE" LADEN.
 A mindset topic of some sort would address this while still offering a
strong policy 
focus. Understanding the essential elements that drive us to pollute forces
us to grapple
with the values we currently hold. Being able to identify good solutions
would mean
understanding the values that result from embracing certain paths of action
as "solutions" 
to our problems.


3. HAVING TOPICS HAT ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO BECOME PERSONAL ADVOCATES 
OF IDEAS.
Discussing environmental regulation in terms of a few big atmospheric
pollutants might
get a few students interested in environmental issues, but it certainly
won't address the 
need for student activism as much as, say, a topic where a student can bring
in a discussion
of erosion run-off which has affected the drinking water at his school. 


Finally, I would encourage us all to look at the Environmental area more
philosophically
and holistically. This means thinking about ecosystems and biospheres, not
just COx 
pollution and NOx pollution. We will all benefit from such an approach - it
is time
that debaters get away from their reliance on "cards" and dates and huge
blow the world
up scenarios. There is much to be said for understanding through context.



"In wildness is the preservation of the world" - Henry David Thoreau

***************************
Lisa K. Heller
Dept. Speech/Theater/Dance
University of Richmond
Phone: (804) 289-8269
e-mail: heller@urvax.urich.edu
**************************

"In wildness is the preservation of the world" - Henry David Thoreau

***************************
Lisa K. Heller
Dept. Speech/Theater/Dance
University of Richmond
Phone: (804) 289-8269
e-mail: heller@urvax.urich.edu
**************************

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