The Halcyonite

By Josh ’25

At the Halcyonite, we promote student voice and encourage students to hone their persuasive writing skills. What follows is Josh’s opinion piece arguing against further drilling in Alaska.

The Willow Project (Willow Master Development Plan) is a proposed oil and gas development project in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPRA) that is being pursued by ConocoPhillips, a multinational energy corporation based in the United States. Despite its base in the USA, the follow-through on this project will shake the entire globe. 

The Willow Project is a massive issue in our world today that is completely being ignored. I aim to spread awareness about this issue and try to encourage people to sign petitions to support in stopping this project from happening. 

What will happen if this project is approved?

If approved and constructed, the Willow project will involve drilling up to 250 wells over the next 30 years, producing up to 590 million barrels of oil. The project would also include the construction of facilities, pipelines, and other infrastructure necessary to extract, transport, and refine the oil and gas, all of which are extremely detrimental to the environment.

Would the Willow Project be bad for the climate crisis?

The project has faced criticism and opposition from environmental groups who argue that if it gets approved it can affect climate change negatively and fail to protect sensitive ecosystems in the Arctic Circle. Groups are concerned about the potential impacts of drilling, examples of which include oil spills, air and water pollution, and habitat destruction, affecting wildlife such as polar bears, caribou, and migratory birds. The Willow Project will release 287 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and environment which will affect the generations of the population all over the world and cause long-term harmful effects on the planet. 

Despite this major opposition, ConocoPhillips has argued that the project will create jobs, generate revenue, and increase domestic energy production, helping to reduce the USA’s reliance on foreign oil. However, consider that improving a global superpower’s self-reliance should not cost the whole globe. The company has also claimed that it will use advanced technologies and the best practices to minimise the project’s environmental impacts, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and implementing a program to protect wildlife and their habitats. Environmental groups are concerned that these are empty promises as they feel the company has shown little remorse for the impending environmental destruction that this project will cause.

Will President Biden break his promise?

During President Joe Biden’s campaign in 2020, he vowed to end new oil and gas drillings on public land and waters. If he approves this he will be breaking the promise he made to the country in his presidential campaign. This should cause outrage among all of those who care for the future of this planet, not just USA-American people.

What is happening now?

In January 2021, President Biden issued an executive order temporarily halting new oil and gas leasing on federal lands and waters. While this order did not directly impact the Willow project, it signalled a shift in the administration’s priorities towards a more aggressive approach to addressing climate change.

In addition, the Army Corps of Engineers had raised concerns about the project’s potential impacts on the environment, including the impacts of climate change on the Arctic Circle’s ecosystem. 

The fate of the Willow project is uncertain.