Despite rightful opposition from environmental activists all over the nation, President Biden signed the bill that will allow The Willow Project to move forward on March 13.
The decision left many worried about the harm the project will cause to the environment.
The project will undoubtedly damage Alaska’s environment, a region that has already been suffering from severe climate change.
Although the project will have economic benefits by producing 629 million barrels of oil, which will allow the US to rely less on foreign oil, issues arise when the government begins to prioritize temporary economic benefits over long term environmental effects.
While the oil gained through this project is temporary, the damage done to the environment is not.
If the Willow Project plays out according to the original proposal, 277 million tons of carbon dioxide could be released into the atmosphere, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This single project would account for 4 percent of the U.S.’s annual emissions.
These numbers, paired with the constant pressure from climate activists to dramatically reduce emissions in order to prevent irreversible environmental damage, demonstrate that US politicians do not truly prioritize the future of our environment the way they claim to.
When President Biden was elected in 2020, he made promises to fight for climate change, stating he was “totally opposed” to drilling in the arctic refuge. But only three years later he passed a bill doing just that.
Directly following the decision, the United Nation released a final warning on the climate state of the world. UN scientists warned that human and government actions are warming the planet to a point of irreversible damage.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change already warned that if the Willow Project goes through, it will not be possible to meet the previously stated goal of cutting emissions in half by 2030, and completely eliminating them by 2050.
If the UN emission goal is not met, the global temperature will continue to rise to a forecasted 4.5-8.5 degrees fahrenheit. Rises in global temperature and emissions will cause an increase in extreme weathers the world is already experiencing.
While American-produced oil is considered more environmentally conscious than importing foreign oil, there are still many cleaner alternatives to oil and gas energy. Both solar and wind powered energy are natural sources that are renewable and infinite sources of energy.
It’s been scientifically proven that up to 80 percent of the US’s electrical needs could be met by solar and wind energy, according to the Journal of Energy and Environmental Sciences.
While solar and wind energy cannot account for all of America’s electrical needs, they allow for a significant decline in emissions America produces and help keep the country on track to meet the UN’s goal.
If the US continues to go down a path of empty environmental promises, there will be irreversible damage done.
The Willow Project will ruin any chances of restoring the environment.