Junior即兴辩论备稿辩题解析为你助力！

各位国赛Junior组别的小辩手们：

2024 WSDA全国总决赛即将拉开帷幕，同学们紧张的国赛备赛之路也已进入倒计时。在这最后的冲刺阶段，不知你是仍投身于高密度的信息海洋之中，不断充实自己的知识与案例储备呢？还是开始对已有的论点与论据进行复习梳理，希望能够提高对自己材料的熟悉度、温故而知新呢？

不论你现在对于国赛是紧张还是期待、自信还是迷茫，“WSDA裁判说”都将为你最后几日的国赛备赛之路助力！本期“裁判说”，老师为大家邀请到了WSDA曾经的冠军辩手、现赛事裁判&营地Lab Leader Michael，让我们一起来看看他对国赛Junior即兴辩论备稿辩题之一有什么独到的见解吧！

孟祥达Michael

密涅瓦大学在读；

多次担任WSDA各项赛事裁判及营地Lab Leader；

2020 WSDA北京区域赛PF冠军；

2019 WSDA南京区域赛PF冠军；

2018 WSDA全国总决赛PF八强；

2017 WSDA全国总决赛PF十六强。

Resolved: "Colonizing Mars is essential for the survival of humanity."

殖民火星对人类的生存至关重要。

Topic Overview

Mars colonization presents both opportunities and challenges. With recent technological advancements—such as the Chang’e-6 mission returning with moon soil samples and SpaceX’s plans to launch rockets to Mars—space civilization is becoming increasingly plausible. Many scientists are optimistic, predicting that Mars colonization could be achievable by 2050.

While the technological advancement might seem far-fetched for a junior debate, debaters can watch related movies like“The Martian” to gain an abstract understanding of Mars’environment and the challenges of space colonization.

Background

Before diving into the topic, let’s cover some basic facts about Mars.

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and is about half the size of Earth. Its surface is covered in iron oxide dust, which gives it a reddish appearance. Mars features the largest volcano in the solar system and an extensive canyon system.

With a thin atmosphere mostly composed of carbon dioxide and average temperatures around minus 27 degrees Celsius, Mars presents a harsh environment. However, evidence of liquid water suggests it may have once supported life, making it a key target for studying potential habitability and future human colonization.

DefinitionColonize

Different dictionaries offer varying definitions of“colonize” regarding the extent of space colonization—some define it as establishing a habitat, while others suggest it means having the entire planet under human control. In a typical junior debate with limited time, this term can generally be understood as setting up a human habitat on Mars.

Essential

While the literal meaning of“essential” is“important”,debaters can strategically use this word in their final focus to emphasize their points. They can challenge the judge to consider what is most crucial for humanity’s survival: finding an alternative home in space or seeking new resources elsewhere to address Earth’s pressing issues.

Arguments for PRO

01、Survival-related Problems

One of the most compellingPROarguments is the need for a backup plan in case of a catastrophic disaster that could wipe out humanity on Earth. Colonizing Mars acts as a fire extinguisher—something we hope to never use, but must have ready. Disasters like giant asteroid impacts or severe climate change could result in massive loss of life, potentially leading to human extinction.

Establishing a colony on Mars provides a safeguard, ensuring that humanity would not be entirely eradicated by a sudden catastrophe. The impact of such a plan is immense, as it secures the long-term survival of our species against unforeseen disasters.

02、Addressing Earth Problems

In addition, Colonizing Mars offers a solution to Earth’s overpopulation problem. As our planet’s population continues to grow, the strain on resources and living space becomes increasingly unsustainable. Establishing a human presence on Mars would provide an alternative habitat, alleviating the pressure on Earth’s resources and reducing overcrowding.

By moving a portion of the population to Mars, we can better manage Earth’s environmental and social challenges, ensuring a higher quality of life for everyone. This argument has a strong impact as it addresses one of the most pressing issues facing our planet today.

However, there are also drawbacks for the two arguments above: debaters should avoid predicting the future too much. (While fortune-telling might work in some areas, it doesn’t hold in a debate where logical reasoning and solid arguments are keys.) The chance of a catastrophe large enough to wipe out all humanity is minimal, and it’s a probability game no one can control. Moreover, establishing a self-sustaining Mars colony is still a long way off, which weakens the impact of this argument.

03、Technologies for Earth Development

Space exploration and colonization can lead to significant technological advancements that benefit Earth, potentially fostering international collaboration. For instance, technologies developed for space colonization, such as space breeding, could greatly increase crop yields and help address global hunger.

Additionally, innovations aimed at solving water and oxygen supply issues in space can be adapted for use on Earth, improving resource management and sustainability. The investment in space colonization technology contributes significantly to scientific progress on Earth, benefiting humanity and enhancing our chances of long-term survival.

04、Resources

Additionally, Mars colonization also opens up the potential for extracting valuable resources. For example, Mars is rich in minerals like iron, nickel, and possibly even rare elements like platinum and gold. These resources could be mined and transported back to Earth, helping to alleviate resource scarcity.

Furthermore, water found in the form of ice on Mars can be used to support human life and potentially be split into hydrogen and oxygen for fuel and breathable air. By tapping into these Martian resources, we can reduce the strain on Earth’s limited supplies and support the development of new technologies and industries.

This argument emphasizes the tangible benefits of Mars colonization in addressing Earth’s resource challenges.

However, it’s important to consider the topicality of the resource and technology argument. Debaters should explain why these technologies could only be developed through Mars colonization, as similar benefits might be achieved through broader space exploration without committing to a single planet (which is something theCONside could argue).

This approach could offer the same technological advancements with less effort and lower costs. Strengthening the link between Mars colonization and the development of these technologies is crucial for this argument.

Arguments for CON

01、Space Germs

A majorCONargument involves the potential risk of bringing space bugs, or microbes, back to Earth from Mars. As humans explore and potentially colonize Mars, there’s a real danger of transporting Martian microbes to Earth. These organisms could pose unknown health risks, possibly causing new diseases for which humans have no immunity or treatment.

This cross-contamination threatens Earth’s biosphere and public health, highlighting the need for careful biosecurity measures. The impact of this argument is significant, as it emphasizes the risks of introducing potentially harmful extraterrestrial organisms to our planet, which could have serious and unpredictable consequences for life on Earth.

02、Pollution

Meanwhile, the extraction and transportation of Martian resources back to Earth come with significant environmental costs. The process of mining on Mars and the frequent launches required to transport these resources could contribute to increased space debris and pollution.

This not only poses a risk to space missions but also adds to Earth’s environmental burden. The fuel used in rocket launches releases greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change. Furthermore, the potential for accidents during transportation could result in contamination of both Earth and Mars, leading to unforeseen ecological consequences.

03、Space Militarization

In addition, space militarization could be another potential problem for Mars colonization. Currently, some countries are already having wars and taking over territories from each other, and it would be easy to imagine how human are going to try and claim as much advantage as they could when occupying the land on Mars.

In addition, while the technology advancement might lead to benefits, they might also be used to develop more destructive weapons that wipes out the humanity.

The harms are self-explanatory, when human beings try to start a war on each other to take as much resources from Mars as possible, the impact of such war might mean heavy loss of human lives and if nuclear weapons were used, it would result in severe damage to the environment, both on Mars and the Earth.

Once again, these CON arguments have its shortfalls just like what I mentioned under pro’s arguments: many of these concerns remain a probability, and in the status quo whereby Mars colonization is still a future tense, we are uncertain how likely they would occur.

Therefore, the con side should convince the judge why these problems are likely (or must) happen in the future should humanity decide to colonize Mars.

Last Words

Overall, both sides should aim to convince the judge why colonizing Mars is (or isn’t) an essential action for humanity. The pro side could argue that Mars colonization would bring benefits crucial for humanity’s survival and may help solve pressing issues on Earth. They can highlight how these benefits could address problems like resource scarcity and environmental degradation.

Conversely, the con side could argue that Mars colonization is not the most effective way to tackle pressing issues such as pollution and hunger on Earth. They might point out that colonizing Mars could introduce additional drawbacks and that focusing on solving Earth’s problems directly is a more practical approach.

The con side can also strategically acknowledge the potential benefits of Mars colonization but argue that the process is long-term, uncertain, and not worth pursuing at the present moment. But who knows, we might even discover aliens on Mars who are willing to help us