The US administration approved an oil drilling project on federal territory, despite the President’s campaign promises to the contrary. Environmental activists in Somme have taken the project to task.
The Willow project is a $7 billion oil and gas exploration and production project in Alaska, USA, in an area owned by the federal government.
Now that the Willow project has been given the green light, construction of the oil fields can begin. In practice, however, the start may be delayed due to the likelihood of several lawsuits.
The oil drilling project has attracted international attention on social media and this week the topic has also been on the list of the most trending Google searches in Finland.
– As an individual project, the Willow project will not massively increase oil production, but the message to the world is bad. Climate change and loss of nature are progressing all the time, and the direction should be reversed now. The message is very sad – especially when it comes from a Democratic president who returned the United States to the Paris climate agreement, says Räsänen.
A project that divides opinion and also stirs up excitement in Tiktoki
According to defenders of the Willow project, the project will bring investment and hundreds of jobs to the remote area, which would improve the area’s vitality. The state of Alaska is dependent on oil production, but the region is producing significantly less oil today than it did in the peak days of the 1980s.
Environmental activists and some of the natives oppose the oil drilling project. According to them, the project should be abandoned due to its climate and nature effects. Activists are expected to sue the project.
As a result of the great attention on social media, the president has been sent, according to CNN.
The oil drilling project also divides the opinions of the locals. Some hope for more job opportunities in their home region, others are worried about the nature of the area.
Willow project increases emissions and may destroy animal habitats
According to US administration estimates, the amount of oil produced by the Willow project would release 9.2 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. According to CNN, this corresponds to the annual emissions of two million petrol cars.
– It is roughly the same scale as all the traffic emissions in Finland in a year. Of all carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, it corresponds to a couple of parts per thousand, but every ton is too much, says Ilkka Räsänen.
Environmental activists and locals are also concerned about nature.
– Drilling in the Arctic region is particularly worrying. If there are oil spills, it is difficult to clean them up because of the long distances and the cold weather, says Räsänen.
According to Räsänen, the construction of oil fields and roads as well as traffic to production facilities can destroy the habitats of wild species and disturb the local animal population. For example, caribou living in North America can travel up to hundreds of kilometers between their grazing areas.
Joe Biden turns the wheel because he wants affordable fuel for an inflation-stricken nation
During his presidential campaign, Joe Biden promised to end oil and gas drilling on federal lands, but the opposite happened. In the Willow project, Biden’s concession to environmentalists was to allow three drilling sites for the project instead of the five originally proposed.
According to the news agency Reuters, Biden is trying to balance between two conflicting goals. At the same time, he wants to reduce US carbon dioxide emissions and keep the price of fuel affordable.
Inflation has been punishing Americans recently, when living has become more expensive than before due to the rise in consumer prices. Expensive fuel is a sore political issue in the country of motorists.