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The Minneapple Speech Tournament

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2023 Discussion Tasks

MINNEAPPLE SPEECH TOURNAMENT

DISCUSSION TASKS
 

DISCUSSION TASKS WILL NOT BE RELEASED

 PRIOR TO THE START OF THE TOURNAMENT.
 

PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE JUST BEFORE EACH ROUND TO VIEW THE TASK. 

 


 

 

ROUND 1

 

Round 1

You are a group of campaign advisors to a politician that is running for election. The subject of genetically modified crops has become a hot button issue in the district. A group of organic farmers in the district are upset at industrial farmers in the district that produce a large quantity of modified crops with hardly any genetic diversity.  They say that this practice threatens regional biodiversity and risks creating superweeds that could wipe out the organic farmers’ livelihoods. The industrial farmers say that genetically modified crops are better for the environment and are perfectly safe. First, your group should consider the validity of the points made by both sides of the dispute. Second, discuss if there is any compromise that would likely satisfy both groups. Finally, your group should determine what recommendation you should provide to the politician for when they inevitably get asked to weigh in on this dispute.

 

ROUND 2

Round 2

Grazing lands are vital to a strong environment and economy. They provide food, protect clean water and habitats, and store carbon in the soil, but they are amongst the least protected habitats on earth. What are some of the threats that US grazing lands currently face? How can the US improve management of these lands to protect the environment and rural economies?

 


 

ROUND 3

Round 3

The United Nations Environment Programme, or UNEP, recently determined that reducing farming-related methane emissions are essential in the fight against climate change. Agriculture is the biggest source of methane emissions and only threatens to increase as global population and consumption rise. Methane has 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a twenty-year period, which is especially troubling considering the short timeframe the world has for addressing global climate change. Your group is tasked with identifying strategies for reducing methane, while also ensuring there’s an adequate supply of food for all.

 

 

SEMIFINAL ROUND & 

NOVICE FINAL


 

Semi Finals Varsity / Novice Finals

Jurassic Park has been a mainstay in pop culture for three decades. The novels and films are about a ruinous attempt to develop a theme park of cloned dinosaurs. While this franchise is science fiction, there are now a number of real genetic engineering companies trying to bring back extinct species like wooly mammoths, dodos, and Tasmanian tigers. What are some of the ways that species resurrection technology could help protect the environment? Is it a good strategy to address the high rates of species extinction? Are there any ethical concerns concerning species resurrection?

 

 

FINAL ROUND

 

Varsity Finals

Landfills are used for the disposal of waste that can’t be recycled or reused. They are a major part of waste management in the United States. You are members of a town council in an area where there was a recent landfill fire that’s created concern among your constituents. Fortunately for your town, the damage of the fire was contained, but it was a very costly undertaking. Your group must determine how serious of a concern landfill fires are for the future, whether it is desirable or even feasible to reduce reliance on landfills, and what, if any, action the town should take in response to the recent fire.

 
 
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