The Willow Project will single-handedly eliminate any hope that we have of a sustainable future. If it is not stopped, it will have irreversibly detrimental effects on the state of our already precariously surviving natural environment.

So, what is the Willow Project?                                                                ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project is a colossal, 30-year oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve where 600 million barrels of oil is held. If carried out, the project will severely impact Arctic wildlife as well as produce 287 million tons of carbon emissions alongside other greenhouse gases.

Although President Biden vowed to end new oil and gas drilling on public lands and waters during his 2020 presidential campaign, he has given this project the greenlight which means that it is only a matter of time until it begins.

Raena Garcia, Fossil Fuels and Land Campaigner stated: “President Biden forcing a massive climate disaster project onto a region already plagued by climate change is nothing short of tragic for the planet and Alaska’s communities”.

However, there is still hope. Building the rest of the project’s infrastructure can only be carried out in the winter due to the need of ice roads; Alaska’s winter season could end sometime in April depending on weather. According to the CNN, if environmental groups such as Earthjustice are able to secure an injunction (an order by a court to one or more of the parties in a civil trial to refrain from doing something) before that time, construction would be delayed for at least a year.

The clock is ticking but there is still time.

Time to save the future of our climate.                                                                    Time to save the homes of vulnerable wildlife.                                                        Time to prevent this disaster from unfolding.

You must be asking yourself what you can do to help, so here are a few ways in which you can contribute to the effort to stop it:

  • Write to the White House – add your voice to the millions who have already
  • Sign petitions – it only takes a few seconds to have an effect
  • Use social media – hashtags such as #StopWillow are highly effective to disseminate awareness

We need to come together if we want to have any chance of stopping the Willow Project. A battle was lost when the project was approved but the war is not over. In stopping the Willow Project from progressing, we can guarantee a brighter, cleaner, and better environmental future for us all. We need to save our home.