The Monmouth University Debate Hawks are gearing up for the new Debate season! Starting with the online tournament hosted by Missouri State, the Debate Hawks will begin their preparations for a year of debating the topic resolution: “The United States Federal Government should adopt a clean energy policy for decarbonization in the United States, including a market-based instrument.”
Each year the C.E.D.A, or Cross Examination Debate Association, comes up with a debate topic, or resolution, that will be the subject of debate at their associated competitions throughout the year. Usually, the topics are relevant to actual concerns that plague the United States or the International community, as to get some creative ideas flowing about what can be done with these issues. This year’s topic is very relevant to many of the issues currently facing the globe at large, Climate Change.
The United States is one of the leading polluters in the world, releasing more than 5 Billion metric tons of CO2 into the atmosphere each year, making up nearly 14% of the world’s total Carbon Dioxide emissions. Acts like the Paris Climate Accords are in place to gradually reduce the world’s carbon emissions, but there is always something more that can be done to ensure that it’s not too late to halt the potentially catastrophic effects of Climate Change. That’s where the creative minds of the debaters come into play.
Debate is far more than just an academic sport. It is a chance for participants to engage in real-time critical thinking exercises with groups of their peers. It is an opportunity for creative clash, allowing for a refining of ideas and plans over the full debate year. It brings people closer together while allowing for intellectual discussion at length, and maybe most importantly, it shines a light on issues that are otherwise potentially overlooked or overshadowed by what is going on in the media currently. If anything in this article piques your interest, stop by Bey Hall 226, or contact Dr. Joseph Patten, jpatten@monmouth.edu, for further information.
