The Willow Project: Evaluating the Balance Between Economic Progress and Environmental Preservation

Humanity has frequently struggled to balance economic expansion and environmental protection as we strive for advancement. This delicate balance is the core of sustainable development, which prioritises the welfare of the present-day and future generations. Economic growth has historically been linked to increased resource use for increasing the production of goods and services in a market. This has been achieved through technological advancement, investment, human resource development, increased entrepreneurship and globalisation. We have achieved increased production and consumption of goods and services which has lowered unemployment, increased innovation, and brought about higher standards of living. However, the main two facets of economic growth, increased output and consumption, have a negative impact on the environment. Global warming, probable habitat loss, increased pollution, depletion of non-renewable resources, and other effects are some of the consequences.

Making tough decisions and managing compromises are frequently necessary to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental preservation. It's possible that some economic operations pose serious environmental concerns, demanding thorough evaluation and regulation as seen in the 'Willow Project'. 

The Willow Project is a massive and decades-long oil drilling venture on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve by the Houston-based energy corporation ConocoPhillips. The area where the project is planned holds up to 600 million barrels of oil and is owned by the federal government. The company already has two active drilling projects in Alaska's National Petroleum Reserve but are smaller than Willow's. The project, according to the state's legislators, will increase domestic energy output, create jobs, and reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil. 

However, according to projections made by the administration, the project would produce enough oil to put 2 million more gas-powered cars on the road each year, or 9.2 million metric tonnes of carbon pollution that warms the world. This poses a serious threat to the climate and is inconsistent with the administration's pledges to address the issue, according to Jeremy Lieb, a senior attorney based in Alaska who spoke to CNN. Groups are also concerned that the project might ruin the habitat for native species and change the migration patterns of animals, in addition to their worries about a rapidly warming Arctic.

In part as a result of Biden's bold commitments to put environmental preservation, combating climate change, and ending drilling on public lands first, activists violently protested Willow. An environmental law organisation called Earthjustice is anticipated to submit a complaint against the project soon. According to Earthjustice, the Biden administration has the authority to protect surface resources on Alaska's public lands, including taking actions to lessen carbon pollution that Willow would ultimately increase. According to two government sources who spoke to CNN, the Biden administration believed that because ConocoPhillips has active and legal leases in the area, it was unable to stop the project. According to the sources, they came to the conclusion that it would have been against the law to completely reject or significantly scale back the proposal. They might have been subject to severe fines as well as legal action from ConocoPhillips if they had chosen to pursue those options. Hence, following months of vigorous lobbying and in spite of concerns that the project would harm American efforts to phase out fossil fuels globally, the Biden administration approved one of the largest oil operations on federal land on March 13. This decision was made by the administration despite protests. According to the consultancy company Wood Mackenzie, Willow is now the largest oil project being considered in the nation. ConocoPhillips calculates that it will cost between $8 and $10 billion.

A Change.org petition requesting the suspension of Willow received more than three million signatures, and more than one million letters of complaint were sent to the White House. "It's the wrong move and will be a disaster for wildlife, lands, communities, and our climate," the environmental organisation Sierra Club stated.

A lawsuit to reverse Biden's decision was launched on March 15, 2023, by a coalition of environmental organisations, including the Centre for Biological Diversity, Defenders of Wildlife, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace USA, and the Natural Resources Defence Council. Earthjustice served as the complaint's lead attorney. Due in major part to upcoming legal issues, it is unclear exactly when the drilling will begin.

Recognising the potential overlaps between economic and environmental objectives is necessary for striking the aforementioned balance. It is important to note that economic expansion can also bring about constructive change. For instance, investment in infrastructure for renewable energy sources not only lowers greenhouse gas emissions but also spurs economic growth and job prospects. Likewise, encouraging sustainable agricultural practices can, over time, increase ecosystem resilience, and food security, and protect natural resources. Societies may design a future in which economic prosperity and environmental sustainability coexist by managing trade-offs, putting in place useful regulations, and encouraging innovation. To ensure a rich and resilient planet for future generations, it is imperative to pursue this delicate balance.

Bibliography 

Cabral, S. (2023, March 14). Willow project: US Government approves Alaska Oil and Gas Development. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-64943603

Puko, T. (2023, April 22). What is Willow? how an Alaska oil project could affect the environment. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/03/17/willow-project-alaska-oil-drilling-explained/

Nilsen, E. (2023, March 14). The willow project has been approved. here’s what to know about the controversial oil-drilling venture | CNN politics. CNN. https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/14/politics/willow-project-oil-alaska-explained-climate/index.html