President Biden gave his approval on Monday to a huge oil drilling project in Alaska, which Native American groups and environmentalists fear may have serious negative effects on the environment and public health. It is estimated that the 30-year-long Willow Project will emit 280 million metric tonnes of climate pollution, which is the same amount as running 2.5 coal plants for the same period of time.
Environmental organizations contend that the project may directly conflict with the Biden administration’s plans to slow global warming and reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
ConocoPhillips, Alaska’s largest crude oil producer, is in charge of the Willow Project, which will produce more than 600 million barrels of oil over a thirty-year period. Native communities have been vehemently opposed to the proposal, especially the neighborhood nearest to the project’s site. As recently as Inside Climate News reported
ConocoPhillips spent $8.7 million lobbying Congress and Biden last year, according to Inside Climate News. One of the top donors to Senator Lisa Murkowski is this business.
After hearing that Biden was pleased, Murkowski released a statement. Finally, Willow has been given the go-ahead, and we can almost immediately sense Alaska’s future becoming more promising.
Environmental organizations, including Earthjustice, are anticipated to sue to stop the project.
Earthjustice President Abigail Dillens stated on Monday that we are too late in the climate crisis to authorize large-scale oil and gas projects that directly conflict with the new clean economy that the Biden Administration vowed to advance.
