What is the Willow Project?

Last week, an uprise of unhappy environmentalists started petitions and spreading awareness of a project called Willow. Project Willow has caused a stir in many Americans lives, causing them to send over 1 million letters to the White House and get the official Change.org petition to 2.9 million according to CNN. But despite all these numbers against it, what is the Willow Project?

Enacted by the Biden Administration, the Willow Project is a multimillion-dollar oil drilling operation. It is planned to be enacted in Alaska on over 23 million acres of land. Why is the Willow Project bad though? You might be asking this unknowing of how this could affect the environment. This oil project is detrimental to our planet due to the millions of metric tons of pollution it could release a year. 9.2 million to be exact, this overtime could damage our planets ecosystem significantly and cause global warming to speed up drastically, all according to CNN and The Washington Post.

This project was originally made by Trump’s administration in the past before being passed onto Biden’s administration. According to The Washington Post, they’ve been planning the proposal for 5 years and have been wanting to pursue it even more since the gas price increase. GreenMatters in the past mentioned that in 2022, after the Trump Administration supported the Willow Project, a judge on the case blocked the Biden Administration from continuing it. The judge considered how it would affect the ecosystem. Now in 2023, they have planned to put down 5 drill sites statewide in Alaska. Later, Biden himself decided to lower it down to 3 and then down to 2.

Some believe although the Willow Project is seen as negative that it could potentially bring in benefits for the world. While yes, the project has drastically negative side effects could there potentially be some good to it? The two main points CNN and The Washington Post states are it supplying plenty of new jobs, lowering gas prices, as well as boosting energy production. While we always need new jobs this seems a bit excessive to make just a handful of new jobs. Another point made was that people wouldn’t want to work for an organization that destroys the planet.

Statistically speaking, there are people who will work there but there are also people who won’t because of what the company stands for. Gas prices have been a struggle with inflation the last few years in the U.S. gas going now for at least 3 dollars at the local 7-11. While gas price problems are certainly an issue that needs to be solved, many environmentalists believe there is a better way. Similar points are used for argument that the boost of energy production. There are other ways to produce energy and although this would bring the U.S. gas prices down most people have asked themselves, is this really worth it?

Many people have asked that question, coming back with the answer no. Most people who are making a big fuss are the environmentalists but who else is? A lot of people living in Alaska aren’t fans of this new oil drilling project. According to CNN, citizens as well as tribal members of the nearby village of Nuiqsut are very concerned about how the new oil drills and this project will affect the environment. The tribal members especially worried because of how much they would have to bear if the project is to go forward. While other villages will reap the benefits financially, the Nuiqsut village will suffer being unprepared for the further industrialization.

This story in particular especially came to rise on TikTok. People making awareness videos and spreading the dangerous effects of the oil project. #StopProjectWillow and such is viral on TikTok because naturally, people are scared of the drastic change. Many spreading the word are just normal people, not crazy environmentalists. From people spreading the word with their faces to edits like this made by the account cancelprojectwillow0 on TikTok.

Something made a big deal like this where people work together to accomplish the same goal are important. Times like these are when we have to work together to reach the same goal. New decisions regarding the Willow Project to expected to air in the next few weeks according to CNN. Most hoping for the positive response they’ve worked for.