Biden’s broken promise
The approval of the Willow project will be exceedingly harmful
April 7, 2023
(Isaiah Benitez)
When Biden was elected and admitted into office, one of the major promises of his campaign was for him and his administration to do everything in their power to combat the climate crisis. In fairness, from the beginning this fight was going to be a difficult one. Especially considering that Biden would not only have to attack several key climate issues, but simultaneously repair the damage done by the Trump administration, which had consistently pursued a pro-fossil-fuel agenda.
Biden went into his presidency with full knowledge of the measures that would be required to not only reverse the setbacks created by the Trump administration, but to push forward an agenda that is in support of environmental experts and world progress.
In some respects, Biden and his administration have succeeded. Implementations such as the Inflation Reduction Act—which is the most aggressive climate investment ever taken by Congress—have pushed progress regarding climate change action. The passing of this act gave hope to many climate activists that Biden would follow through with other climate action related promises.
However, on March 13, the Biden administration officially approved one of the largest drilling projects on federal land—the Willow project—contradicting several imperative promises he has made within his campaign and presidency.
The Willow project is a massive oil and gas drilling proposal in the National Petroleum Reserve of Alaska—which is less than 30 miles from the Arctic Ocean. The project was proposed by ConocoPhillips—an energy company that has been exploring the drilling of oil in Alaska for years. The Bureau of Land Management mentions that in 2020, the Trump administration approved ConocoPhillips plan to construct five oil drilling pads, however the Biden administration has reduced this to three.
ConocoPhillips’ argument throughout has been that the Willow project is important for both Alaska’s economy and America’s energy security. According to ConocoPhillips, the Willow Project is “estimated to produce 180,000 barrels of oil per day at its peak, decreasing American dependence on foreign energy supplies.”
The Bureau of Land Management estimates that Willow could produce 576 million barrels of oil over 30 years. However, according to Protect Our Winters—a nonprofit that focuses its efforts on legislation regarding climate change—this oil extraction project is “estimated to add more than 250 million metric tons of Carbon dioxide (CO2) to the atmosphere” over that 30 year period.
CO2 is an important greenhouse gas that helps trap heat in our atmosphere so our planet is not inhospitable. However, year after year human activities release more CO2 into the atmosphere than natural processes can remove. This increase of CO2 concentrations in our atmosphere is causing average global temperatures to rise and disrupting several aspects of Earth’s climate.
To put it into simple words, the Willow Project will be disastrous for our climate. Time and time again the nation has been warned by scientists and climate specialists that if we continue down this route Time and time again the nation has been warned by scientists and climate specialists that if we continue down this route of excessive oil drilling; our atmosphere will deteriorate, our planet will suffer and both wildlife and the human species will die. — Kendall Johnson
of excessive oil drilling; our atmosphere will deteriorate, our planet will suffer and both wildlife and the human species will die. And yet here we are, approving one of the most detrimental oil drilling projects in U.S. history.
In the end, Biden’s approval of the Willow project completely undermines every climate promise he has advocated for. The administration had set a course for the United States to tackle the climate crisis with the goal of reaching “net zero emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050.” The Willow project is in direct opposition to his proposed goal.
The effect the Willow project will have on the climate is devastating. Moreover, the project will have an irreversible impact on Alaska as a whole. Nuiqsut is a small Native Alaskan community that is already surrounded by oil and gas activity and will now be within a 36 mile radius of the massive oil project. According to the article “Surrounded by Oil Fields, an Alaska Village Fears for Its Health” by Sabrina Shankman, the community has been facing a health crisis since 2018 due to their proximity to these oil fields.
The project will also harm the ecosystem of Teshekpuk Lake. Drilling and roads will be built near the area, endangering an important habitat for wildlife such as caribou, polar bears and migratory birds—many of which are already threatened or endangered.
At the end of the day, the Willow project coming to fruition will affect us all drastically. Native Alaskan communities will not be the only ones with health problems due to carbon admissions. As a country, we should be straying further away from fossil fuels and investing more in clean energy. We need to not only listen to scientists and experts but start observing and educating ourselves. This is both a nationwide and a worldwide issue. Nonetheless, it starts with advocacy from all people and communities—from high school students to big environmentalist organizations.
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