The Willow Project is a large-scale oil drilling project in Alaska proposed by ConocoPhillips on the North Slope of Alaska, in the U.S. federal government's National Petroleum Reserve. The project has been criticized for escalating the climate crisis and is expected to generate up to 278 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) over 30 years.
In detail, the project will open three drilling sites with a maximum of 199 wells. As a policy move by President Joe Biden, the Willow Project is funded by the US government to the tune of $8 billion and aims to reduce the US's dependence on fossil fuels, especially oil. The main reason the US government approved the project's construction is that it is also expected to create jobs and boost the US economy.
The US government's approval of the Willow Project has its pros and cons. Among environmentalists, the Willow Project has the potential to exacerbate the effects of ongoing climate change. Since Biden's approval on March 13, environmentalists and young people have rallied on social media to block the willow project. However, Alaskans and the federal government see the drilling as a potential economic and business boon for the state.
According to a report by U.S. News and World Report, Alaska's economy is the worst among all U.S. states, which is one of the reasons for Alaska's indigenous people to approve the willow project. The Alaska region is prime habitat for polar bears and waterfowl. Despite criticism from climate activists, Alaskans support the development because it will bring economic benefits to the region.Â
According to The Hill, the Alaska state government will not receive oil royalties from Willow, but local governments on the North Slope will receive royalties in the range of $150 million per year. Most Alaskans find the Willow Project too lucrative to turn down.
A few months ago, 3.7 million people signed a petition on change.org urging the Biden administration to stop the Willow Project. People on TikTok use the hashtag #StopWillow as a form of protest to criticize the construction of the project. In addition to criticism from activists, Democratic Senator from Oregon Jeff Merkley tweeted on his personal Twitter account, "Wrong on every level". Jeff Ordower, director of environmental organization 350.org North America, said in a statement, "This decision betrays Biden's climate promises."
The Willow Project is predicted to release a lot of carbon dioxide into the air, which will potentially exacerbate the effects of global climate change. But the decision of the Alaskan people to continue this development is based on economic needs, so the policies of the relevant governments and companies that invest in the project must rethink how the Project area will impact the global climate change.
