Say “No” to the Willow Project
The Willow Project is an oil venture proposed by ConocoPhillips in late 2021 at the end of the Trump administration. This venture would give the private oil company full reign over vast oil and gas reserves in Alaska. ConocoPhillips proposed extracting a 23 million-acre area on the state’s North Slope, conveniently the largest tract of undisturbed public land in the United States. The extraction would result in CO2 emissions that are 99.7% higher than any other industrial site, meaning the negative impact this extraction will have on its environment is unfathomable.
Upon its initial proposal, the Trump administration passed the venture. The former President believed it would help to revitalize the U.S. economy by producing numerous jobs and helping reduce inflation rates; however, the former president did not indicate an understanding of the ecological fallback this would have in making this decision, most likely because ConocoPhillips didn’t touch on the environmental backlash.
Despite the green light given by the Trump administration, several Alaskan judges took it upon themselves to review the decision, resulting in a reversal that instantly halted any production that would have commenced. This decision came after reviews showed the information given by ConocoPhillips was inaccurate; the ecological analysis done by the company was flawed, grossly under-projecting the carbon emissions and the environmental backlash in places such as the nearby Arctic.
Recently, ConocoPhillips brought its proposal back to Congress and is trying to reinstate its 2021 venture. This proposal is set to be approved as early as this week; in fact, it could happen on the Mar. 6 or 13.
The demand for this re-proposal has increased due to the shutdown of the Russian oil pipeline for U.S. usage. This has put pressure on the Biden administration, and they stand divided on what to do. The most prominent advocate for the project is a Republican senator from Alaska, Senator Lisa Murkowski. Murkowski has continually urged the Biden administration to proceed with the decision, saying it will create jobs and boost domestic energy production, and she is not alone: many senators stand with her on this decision, believing this will help reinvigorate the country. However, they stand against many.
The reason for continual pushback on voting on the proposal comes from the public outcry to halt this project before it begins again. This outcry is the immediate result of the attention this project has received online, namely from TikTok and websites like “Change.org.” People are begging to halt this project on various social media apps, believing that it will result in complete environmental ruin.
The ecological consequences this venture will have on Alaska’s environment are already evident through projects done by ConocoPhillips within the last decade; the company has set up small extracting sites around towns and tribes within Alaska. Though this provided many citizens with jobs, it had devastating consequences on their health: there has been an unprecedented rise in cancer and respiratory illness within these small villages, which has been traced back to the increased rates of CO2 secretion.
However, the CO2 amounts secreted during these incidents are insignificant compared to the portions this 23 million-acre extraction will secrete. It’s currently unfathomable what worldwide consequences this will have, but the local effects it’s been having will only worsen if this is passed.
The best way to show these senators that the people do not want or need this added is to show your disapproval of the project online; currently, the most effective of which is posting to spread awareness or signing a petition.
Anyone interested in signing a petition can go to https://www.change.org/p/joseph-r-biden-biden-administration-and-conocophillips-say-no-to-the-willow-project.