The Earth Will Die: How the Willow Project Could Kill the Planet
Image of climate protest in response to Willow Project announcement. Photo credit to CNN.org
March 15, 2023
You’ve probably seen #StopWillow on social media over the last few weeks, but what is the Willow Project and why is it so dangerous?
A few days ago, the Biden Administration released its decision on the major oil drilling program, The Willow Project, which has invoked outrage and criticism from environmental advocates. Willow is the largest pending oil and gas project in the U.S, and if approved, would cause irreversible damage to the environment. Supporters of Willow argue that it would be beneficial to the economy, but at what cost?
Average temperatures have risen by 3 degrees in the last 60 years. By the end of the century, temperatures could rise by over 12 degrees. In arctic climates like Alaska, rising temperatures are thawing its permafrost, a thick layer of soil and ice that remains frozen all year. Since over 80% of Alaska’s surface is built on permafrost, this is a major problem. In an already thawing region, oil extraction will further melt the land, making the ground sink and shift. From a structural perspective, the project’s infrastructure, such as drill pads and roads, as well as the natural landscape it is built on will become unstable.
The project is expected to produce 600 million barrels of oil over the next three decades, generating enough oil to release 9.2 million tons of carbon pollution to the air a year: the same as 2 million gas-powered cars, or 76 new coal-fired power plants. By the end of the program, an estimated 276 million metric tons will be polluted in the air. If you do the math, that is an approximation equivalent to carbon emissions from 113,874,198,267 gallons of gasoline, or more than 2 trillion miles driven by an average gasoline-powered vehicle, to be emitted in a 30-year period. Fossil fuel usage attributes to 25% of greenhouse gases generated by the United States, which is the planet’s second biggest polluter, and the Willow Project will only increase this amount.
The Willow Project development site is a mere 36 miles from Nuiqsut, a small Alaskan Indigenous community that is already circled by gas and oil activity. This community relies on traditional activities such as fishing and hunting caribou. The Willow project would completely destroy the animals’ habitat and drive them away from villages, thus endangering a crucial food source of the locals. Air and water pollution exposure will continuously harm the native population, making their water undrinkable and poisoning their land.
The pollution and traffic will disrupt local habitats for hundreds of thousands of animals. On the arctic slope of Alaska, the 60,000 caribou of the Teshekpuk Lake herd will lose their precious birthing grounds. Waterways will become polluted, poisoning entire salmon populations. Polar bears and orcas have already been harshly affected by the changing climate, and Willow will further push these populations to extinction.
During Biden’s 2020 campaign, he promised to end new oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters, as well as shift away from use of oil, coal, and gas. Additionally, Biden pledged to cut U.S. greenhouse gas emission by at least 50 percent from by the end of 2030. Soon after announcing his $2 trillion climate change agenda, he signed a series of executive orders committing to tackling climate change, therefore moving forward with Willow would betray his agenda.
Alaskan republicans argue that Willow will benefit the economy by creating jobs and lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but at what cost? If you don’t have a habitable planet to live on, who cares about the economy or cheaper gas prices? You can’t drive your car or go shopping if the planet is dead.
Sources:
https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gas-equivalencies-calculator#results
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/27/biden-suspends-oil-and-gas-drilling-in-series-of.html
https://www.nativemovement.org/willow-project
https://environmentamerica.org/articles/the-most-absurd-thing-about-conocophillips-willow-project/
Camryn Taylor • Jun 25, 2023 at 5:03 pm
I really want a future I’m a 13 year old female and I really don’t want the earth to be this way for 30 years because I really would like a job and children and I don’t want all the little kids to live a life like this. I love the earth more than anything and if it will be like this then they are crazy because this will effect them to and not just humans but the whole earth will so please don’t do this to the earth because you think it’s right just think about all the little kids out there living life and having fun and don’t you like that seeing kids have fun so please don’t do this.
Gary • Mar 16, 2023 at 11:18 am
Who writes this tripe?
China has over 1,100 coal powered plants and are adding dozens more every year.
All we can do with not drilling oil is damage our own economy and weaken our own country so that we cannot assist our allies or other countries like Ukraine.
Climate models are just that. A model whether in the physical sense or in the computer/statistical sense is a man-made contrivance. All you have to do to fix the model is to change the assumptions. The planet has been much warmer than it is now and had to be in order to support the existence of dinosaurs. The earth is simply recovering from the last ice age.
Wake up young people! The models have been created by people who want to manipulate you with FUD. They want you tom commit national suicide.
This “Earth Will Die” article complains about other peoples solutions (to meet the energy demands of a modern nation) but offers no solutions.
I challenge you to look at how much power we as a nation currently use and then try to come up with how many “green energy” devices it would take to replace what we currently use and will need in the future. We currently use about 98 quadrillion BTUs/year. It cannot be replaced by wind or solar without causing more harm.
So what is your answer?
Predator • Mar 27, 2023 at 8:39 pm
I love climate i don`t kill it
amethyst • Apr 7, 2023 at 3:18 pm
my answer is this remember those snow owls and arctic foxes looking ahead they will die and so will we. this willow project shall kill us all see if it does not.
Camryn Taylor • Jun 25, 2023 at 5:14 pm
Yeah I really would like a future and children and think about the little kids
Indi • Jul 1, 2023 at 6:30 pm
Seriously. People like this don’t deserve to be on planet earth, like how cruel can you be to happily watch something die so painfully? You support the willow project, your supporting suicide.