The Willow Project is a project to drill for oil in Alaska’s Natural Petroleum Reserve. Once the project is approved, this project will release 287 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the environment. It will affect a lot of animals that live there, and it will also affect climate change.

Alaska labor and political leaders request that President Biden approve America’s largest oil and gas project, but Alaskan political leaders are expecting the White House to turn it down. The Willow Project is a plan by ConocoPhillips to develop energy resources but in a smaller portion. Alaska’s AFI-CIO labor union president Joelle Hall has made it clear that the worth of oil is available in Alaska, and Willow creates 2,500 construction jobs, and will lead to a drop in gas prices.

Already Alaska pumps about 500,000 barrels of oil per day. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy fears a disapproval of the Willow Project will set the pattern for future drilling opportunities. Most environmental groups are appalled by the actions that Governor Dunleavy is taking and want President Biden to not approve the Willow Project, but White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the project was pushed back and no final decision on the project has been made. Environmental organization The Sierra Club says on its website, “The Willow project would have a devastating effect on public lands and our climate bill in history would be a giant step in reverse.”

Climate advocates are speaking out against the Willow Project by circulating petitions for people to sign or give money to. There is a lot of backlash towards President Biden over The Willow Project on social media. People are getting mad and angry because they believe the government only cares about money and the growth of America instead of thinking about what  damage this massive oil drilling will cause to the earth. Climate advocates have been taking over social media by making a proposal against The Willow Project with the hashtag #StopWillow with millions of views. Change.org’s petition has more than 1.6 million signatures, and it will continue to attempt to have President Biden put a stop to The Willow Project.

On March 13, several news outlets reported that the Biden administration will approve the Willow Project with limitations. The president will not allow ConocoPhillips to drill in the Beaufort Sea and will limit drilling in more than 13 million acres of the Natural Petroleum Reserve. According to NPR, the protected areas include whale, seal, and polar bear habitats, along with Teshekpuk Lake, the Utukok Uplands, the Colville River, the Kasegaluk Lagoon, and the Peard Bay Special areas.