Meaning behind #StopWillow
Environmentally involved brands such as Patagonia have made statements against the project as well: “This massive oil extraction operation threatens the health of caribou, moose, birds and the habitats of other wildlife. Indigenous families living near the project site do not support it, citing grave concerns over air and water pollution and the degradation of their traditional subsistence hunting and fishing grounds.”
March 3, 2023
The ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project is an eight billion dollar investment proposed in Alaska for a massive oil drilling operation. If the bill is approved environmental activists are worried it will devastate the surrounding ecosystem and atmosphere.
The project would collect approximately 180,000 barrels of oil a day from the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, and it would produce 278 metric tons of CO2 in the next 30 years. This would cause dramatic heating in the arctic on top of the arctic already heating up to four times faster than the rest of the world. The project would result in significant biodiversity loss; elk, polar bears and snow owls are some of the species at risk because of the Willow Project.
There has also been major criticism towards the Biden administration due to the lack of action being taken against the plan.
“Rejecting a project like Willow should be a no-brainer for a climate leader like Biden. And if he doesn’t, it’ll be a stain on his legacy,” said Lena Moffitt, the Chief of Staff of a climate advocacy group, Evergreen Action. “No form of this project is okay.”
A change.org petition has been created and as of 9 p.m. March 2, 2023 the petition gathered 233,391 signatures to stop the oil drilling.
