The Willow Project’s main goal is to drill for oil through Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve owned by the federal government. The plan is to gather 600 million barrels of oil and sell them once they have completed drilling.

Started by ConocoPhillips, an energy company in Houston, they have already been committed to drilling for oil in Alaska for years. However, the oil they store will most likely take years to get to markets due to the project not fully being constructed.

The project was originally proposed to the Trump administration in 2020 and was quickly approved. The company was given five drill pads to begin the process of collecting, but this was reduced to three when they began working with the Biden administration.

The three pads produced 90% of oil which is somewhat the percentage they are trying to reach for, but the real percentage has not been disclosed.

Certain environmental law groups such as Earthjustice and The Natural Resources Defense Council are getting involved and finding ways to put the project on hold or block it completely. If they can find any way to make a change, this will significantly set back production for at least a year.

Due to the project requiring winter weather for the drilling, the weather most likely will change in April. This is a turning point for the groups who wish to stop the project, and a weak point for those who support and work on it.

The influence of putting a stop to the oil drain has begun to reach TikTok with the #StopWillow which has over 335 million views. Multiple videos have been raising awareness about the subject and have provided consistent information about the dangers and irreversible damage that this decision will cause to the earth.  Protests and petitions are more valuable as ever, and the people won’t stop until this project comes to a halt.

What the project will do to the earth is completely unnerving and will only make things worse for humans and animals. If things begin to pick up, eco systems will be gone, global warming will be near impossible to stop, and animals who live in the cold climates of Alaska, or anywhere else will be the most in danger because they are the ones who will have to deal with the excessive who amounts of oil drillings.  Polar bears who populate certain areas of Alaska’s Arctic coast will have irreversible effects due to the ice grounds that were provided to them are now suddenly an oil field that takes away any space or habitat.

Sadly, on March 13th, the project was signed by Joe Biden, and now, the world may slowly come to a close with the new “opportunities” that are given.

However, the fight isn’t over.  Websites that have more information and petitions are online, protests to speak up against the ideas are being held, and people who truly want to save the earth are making a change.

Overall, the Willow Project is dangerous and could lead to the end of the earth, but there is no reason to give up now. Let’s work together to save the world, animals, and everything that we know and love as whole.