Here’s what to know: The Willow Project

By Victoria Mays

Over the past few weeks, the Willow Project gained a lot of media attention. 

The Willow Project is a “$8 Billion drilling project known as the Willow Project is the proposal to create new oil fields on the Alaskan North Slope. Allegedly, by cultivating and undertaking the oil project, the U.S. Government can produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day, 1.5% of the total U.S. oil production,” according to CNN.

ConocoPhillips is a large exploration and production company. They explore and transport different oils and gasses.

The controversy arises when evaluating the pros and cons of the situation. The majority of attention is negative regarding environmental effects. The concern lies in if it will have an effect on global warming, whether will it affect wildlife, pollution, and how this will affect the people living around the area.

The Willow Project was originally approved in 2020 by the Trump administration; however, a judge reversed it in 2021 expressing that “the environmental analysis was flawed”, in pursuant to Reuters. Lawmakers who support The Willow Project say going through with this will open up jobs, lessen the reliance on foreign policy, and uplift domestic energy production. 

As of March 13, 2023, the project was approved despite all the controversy. Although it’s unknown when exactly the oil drilling will begin due to the legal challenges, the project will have to face.

The environmental consequence we know for sure is that Willow will result in 9.2 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide a year and 277 metric tons over a 30-year period. Fossil fuels burning in the atmosphere is what is responsible for global warming, therefore, continuing with the project will worsen it. This will also set the U.S. back in trying to cut emissions down, the goal is zero by 2050, however, The Willow Project will add 4%.

Global Warming is the overall temperature rising over a long period of time. Although the planet does naturally heat up on its own, throughout time the rate at the planet has been heating up has been increasing in the past hundred years due to human activities. More specifically when carbon dioxide enters the atmosphere it warms it up which is what The Willow Project will be emitting.  

In terms of the Alaskans who live near where The Willow Project will be constructed, the noise and traffic will be a problem for Alaskans as well as pollution which will disrupt the ecosystem. Animals, another concern about The Willow Project will also be affected. Additionally, to global warming and the effect it will have on people,  concerns lie with animal migration patterns being altered and habitats being destroyed. However ConocoPhillips says “, ConocoPhillips actively studies local wildlife populations, including conducting multi-year caribou baseline studies in the Willow area that found subsistence harvests have remained at or above previous levels for the duration of our operations near Nuiqsut.”

An issue many have with Biden approving this is the fact that it goes against what he said during his 2020 presidential campaign. According to CNN,  “Biden vowed to end new oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters – which he initially carried out as part of an early executive order.”

Currently, CNN has stated that  “Environmental and indigenous groups have filed two separate lawsuits challenging the willow project on Alaska’s North Slope after the Biden administration approved the oil drilling venture.”