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| The drilling project, on Alaska's remote North Slope, is the largest oil project in the region for many years ( photo: Getty Image ) |
US President Joe Biden has granted approval for a contentious oil and gas drilling project in Alaska, the northernmost state in the US. The project, known as the Willow Project, is expected to generate close to 600 million barrels of oil in the next three decades. ConocoPhillips, the firm behind the project, and lawmakers in Alaska have asserted that it will create job opportunities in the region.
However, environmental organizations and some local communities have strongly opposed the project, contending that it will have a negative impact on the environment, climate, and wildlife.
What has occurred?
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| The US state of Alaska is an area rich in oil and gas ( photo: Getty Image ) |
The Willow Project, which involves drilling within the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, one of the largest sites of its kind in the US, has been approved. The reserve is spread over a vast 23 million-acre area of wild and untouched public land owned by the government.
The oil producer ConocoPhillips submitted the project plans, and it is expected that at its peak, the drilling will produce around 180,000 barrels of oil per day. In its current form, the project is estimated to yield approximately 578 million barrels of oil throughout its lifespan.
What are the views of the Willow Project supporters?
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| ConocoPhillips is one of the biggest oil producers in the USA ( photo: Getty Image ) |
According to ConocoPhillips, the implementation of the Willow Project will result in a revenue of £14 billion for the federal and state governments and local communities. The company has also mentioned that the project's construction will generate 2,000 job opportunities.
Upon hearing the announcement, the CEO of ConocoPhillips, Ryan Lance, stated, "This decision was appropriate for Alaska and our country."
A few indigenous leaders have also voiced their support for the project.
What is the reason for some people's negative perception of the Willow Project?
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| Activists called for the Willow project to be halted over its climate and wildlife impacts ( photo: Getty Image ) |
The Willow Project has faced criticism from environmental groups who argue that it contradicts President Biden's commitment to combat climate change. The Sierra Group, an environmental organization in the United States, has expressed concerns that the project would harm wildlife, lands, communities, and the climate, and therefore, it is the wrong decision.
President Biden had set a new goal two years ago, which aimed to reduce emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels by 2030. However, the Willow Project seems to be in opposition to this goal.
Moreover, numerous anti-Willow videos have been posted on TikTok recently, receiving tens of millions of views. Over a million letters of protest have been written to the White House, and a petition demanding that the Willow Project be stopped has garnered more than three million signatures. Some indigenous groups have also opposed the project, such as the Sovereign Iñupiat for a Living Arctic, whose executive director, Siqiniq Maupin, has stated that it would have a catastrophic effect on communities and worsen climate change.
The Nuiqsut community, which lives nearest to the proposed development area, has also expressed concerns that the project would disturb the caribou, which they rely on for food, and that the resulting pollution could harm their health.
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