Each year since 1925, students from around the country engage in debates informed by the National Forensic League’s (NFL) yearly national debate topic. This year’s debate topic focuses on the exploration and development of the Arctic.

The Arctic. Shared natural resource? Strategic military destination? The United States has always had a presence in the Arctic, but recent climatic and geopolitical changes have raised the question of whether U.S. involvement in the Arctic should be increased, or decreased, or remain unchanged. Among the important considerations is whether the benefit of further economic exploration, or the potential strategic military value of increased presence in the Arctic, outweighs the benefits of maintaining Arctic territory for the primary use/management of Indigenous people, or as a haven for wildlife. This debate draws on important issues involving climate change, equity towards Indigenous populations, the value/cost of military buildup, and the level of investment that Americans are willing to commit to the petroleum industry given the tremendous negatives involved with petroleum exploration and harvesting.

Through samples of the best and most recent journalism and popular writing on the chosen topic, The Reference Shelf provides an essential guide for students, teachers, and others interested in taking a deeper look at some of the most pressing and popular controversies in this current moment of American history.