By Avery Im, 9th Grade
Newsweek: Protesters fight back in front of the White House.
As of Monday, March 13th, the Biden Administration has formally approved The Willow Project. Facing sharp opposition by over 50,000 petition signatures and millions of outraged citizens globally, the Alaskan oil project is an $8 billion proposal from ConocoPhillips (COP.N) that seeks to drill oil and gas in the largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States.
Strong controversy has arisen regarding the environmental impacts of the Willow Project, which include the production of over 600 million barrels of crude over 30 years and release of 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution annually. Not only will the Willow Project contradict all the global efforts to mitigate climate change, it will also worsen the situation by burning over 280 million metric tons of carbon emissions. This will likely result in severely impacted neighboring communities and ecosystems.
Supporters of the Willow Oil Project, including Alaska Native Congresswoman Mary Peltola, labor unions, and residents of the North Slope argue that the project would generate $17 billion for the federal government and open new job opportunities. In contrast, the opposition emphasizes President Biden’s hypocrisy regarding the United States’ movement away from fossil fuels. The International Energy Agency has also stated that “governments must stop approving new oil, gas and coal projects if the planet is to avert the most catastrophic impacts of climate change, according to the New York Times.
As a remedy to the severe environmental concerns presented by the public, the Biden Administration announced restrictions on the Willow Project. These entail limitations on future oil releases in the region (including the entire Arctic Ocean), protecting more than 13 million acres in the region from future drilling, and extended protection to habitats important to several Arctic species, as stated by Impact.
Now, the Biden Administration faces a surge of criticism and opposition from U.S citizens who urge for action to prevent climate change. Both the Biden Administration and Conoco Phillips have not yet released any further announcements.
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