The Willow Project is a very big oil drilling venture in Alaska that was meant to hold 600 million barrels of oil. The ConocoPhillips energy company created the Willow Project; they had already been in the oil drilling company for years.
Originally it was approved by the Trump administration in 2020, but they approved only five drill pads. The Biden administration reduced it to three drill pads. This would allow the company to drill about 90% of the oil that they are pursuing. Although they wanted to eliminate it entirely because ConocoPhillips had valid leases in the area they weren't able to. Biden planned to end the oil drilling on federal lands. Many people didn't agree with the idea of the Willow Project and three million letters were written to the White House.
The Willow Project will most likely face legal issues because it would immensely impact global warming and carbon pollution. Although Alaska's state lawmakers say that the project will boost energy production, and create new jobs. People also say that it is much-needed and it would help with education services and health care. However, many people also think that it is a bad idea to do the Willow Project. Many people that live in the area say that it would be very bad for the environmental impacts and health of major oil development. Over 2.8 million people are petitioning to stop the Willow Project. People are also very concerned that the Willow Project would destroy the habitat for the native species or change the migration patterns of animals.
When Biden's administration took the oil drilling down to only three pads, then about 50% of the Willow Project's net emissions would be off. ConocoPhillips agreed to give up 68,000 acres. Originally the Willow Project was supposed to continue to drill oil over the next 30 years and roughly 180,000 barrels a day. The Willow Project costs about $8-10 billion. Using the oil from the Willow Project would produce 263 million tons of greenhouse gases over the 30 years. It would also produce 9.2 million metric tons of carbon pollution, which would add more to climate change.
Personally, I think that I could be very bad, but it could also be beneficial. It would add a lot to the climate crisis, and it would make it so that we aren't getting oil from other countries.
Sources:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/14/politics/willow-project-oil-alaska-explained-climate/index.html
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/what-is-the-controversy-behind-the-alaska-willow-oil-project
Do you think that the Willow Project is good or bad?
Do you think that Biden should've restricted some of the drilling pads?
What do you think about the Willow Project?
Replies
Good topic choice and summary Ulyssa. Be sure to bump your story several times when there are no comments so it gets bumped to the top. This was also posted two days late.