(Industry groups heartily reject this comparison, noting it compares a lifetime of direct and indirect emissions from Willow with one coal plants annual emissions.). After only being on the air for 18 weeks, Wil Wheaton's talk show 'The Wil Wheaton' project has been canceled by SyFy. (Tyler Lewis / USGS). Now, however, depleted reserves within Alaska and the competing fracking boom in the Southwests Permian Basin have made the states oil less relevant Alaska is currently pumping less than a quarter of the oil it was moving in the 1980s. Solar panel projects divide families in the US. Willow would lock us into decades of oil and gas production and long-term destruction to the Western Arctic. The Biden administration's decision to approve the project came a day after it had said it would bar or limit drilling in some other areas of Alaska and the Arctic Ocean. Nuiqsuts mayor has been vocally opposed to the Willow project, and local tribal leaders passed a resolution opposing it in 2019. Even if ConocoPhillips does find buyers on the West Coast and overseas, Willows overall impact on oil prices will likely be small. The 2022 elections are barely in his rearview mirror, the 2024 races are still distant, and he can afford to take some incoming criticism from his friends. Bidens administration is nearing a final decision on a potentially game-changing oil and gas project that has now been under consideration across five presidencies. Understanding the implications of the Willow Project is an important first step to acknowledging the incredibly detrimental effects the development will have on the entire country. Biden, coming off a less-disappointing-than-expected midterm election season, may be better positioned to disappoint environmental groups than at any point in his presidency. Before "Willow," Kasdan wrote the screenplay for "Solo: A Star Wars Story." According to the states own estimate, nearly 85 percent of the state budget comes from oil revenues. Its much less clear how a managed decline of fossil fuels is going to happen., This article originally appeared in Grist at https://grist.org/energy/willow-project-economic-benefits-alaska-energy-independence/. Thank you! Bidens team seemed to agree with that thinking, at least until a judge said the environmental costs were not adequately considered and environmental groups separately sounded alarms. If you've opened TikTok recently, you may have seen a collection of videos under the. "Keep your promise, no new drilling" they chanted. UPDATE: On March 13, 2023, President Biden Authorized the Disastrous Willow Project This mega-project will be one of the largest oil and gas developments on . In March this year, the United States approved the major oil-drilling project on Alaskas petroleum-rich North Slope. Climate activists were outraged that Biden approved the project, which they say puts his climate legacy at risk. What is the Willow project? The Alaska oil drilling debate, explained Update 3/15/2023: Today, Earthjustice sued the Biden administration for permitting the Willow Project. Willow is an oil reserve located in the largest swath of public lands in the country, the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Alaska remains an important energy state, but it will not make or break the nations energy independence in the coming decades, Phil Wight, an assistant professor of history and northern studies at the University Alaska Fairbanks, told Grist. much of the construction needs to happen during the . Saved. If a federal agency finalizes a harmful action, the record of public comments provides a basis for bringing them into court. Biden approves Willow Project. What to know about the move to allow oil The sequel series will take place approximately 30 years on from the timeline of the movie, and producer Ron Howard indicated on the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast that the show would be continue on from the events of the 1988 movie. Despite more than five million people voicing opposition to the project, the Biden administration opted for habitat and climate destruction in the Western Arctic. The Willow Project is another case in a long string of examples where politicians and people in power preach environmentalism only to disregard these pledges in favor of greasing the wheels of the . The Biden administration previously promised to end new oil developments on federal land, which the Willow Project blatantly disregards. Do not submit confidential information. Sign up here to get stories like this sent to your inbox. 'Carbon bomb': What is the Willow project and why are - Euronews Local groups, including those representing Alaska Natives, as well as labor unions and the states congressional delegation, have all championed the project as a source of good union jobs and money for Alaskas North Slope. Projected to produce carbon emissions equivalent to 70 new coal power plants, in addition to impacting the surrounding caribou populations, water, and air on which nearby Indigenous communities rely, the Willow Project has become one of the most high-profile and controversial fossil fuel infrastructure . Make sure your elected officials know whose community and whose values they represent. The Willow oil project debate comes down to this key climate change question. More importantly, ConocoPhillips can use a carve-out in the states tax law to write off its expenses for this project against the taxes the company pays on its other oil developments in the state. The "Willow" TV series was created by Jonathan Kasdan, who wrote the pilot and is also the show's co-showrunner along with Wendy Mericle. And she added that officials had limited decision space to block the project because ConocoPhillips has held leases in the area for decades. Additionally, this approval undermines Bidens campaign platform assurances of a societal transition to renewable energy. US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland described Willow as a difficult and complex issue that was inherited from earlier administrations. We are now on the cusp of creating thousands of new jobs, generating billions of dollars in new revenues, improving quality of life on the North Slope and across our state, and adding vital energy to TAPS to fuel the nation and the world.. He also has 15 TV directing credits going back to 2005 (via IMDb). (ConocoPhillips via AP, File) The Biden administration is weighing approval of a major oil project on the North Slope that supporters. The climate debate over the Willow oil project, explained - The An exploratory drilling camp at the proposed site of the Willow oil project on Alaska's North Slope. We're an independent student-run newspaper, and need your support to maintain our coverage. She also said the groups did not succeed in showing that work on the project would cause irreparable harm before she makes a decision on the cases. Alaska's Willow oil project to go ahead, despite Biden administration The chemistry of petroleum beneath Alaskas North Slope is different from both light shale oil and the heavier oil that tends to come from places like Russia and Venezuela, so it will need to be blended with other oil in order to enter domestic refineries, which are mostly designed to refine specific types of crude. We take on many of the biggest environmental and health challenges of our time and stick with them. Readmore. Alaska's Willow. They need his help because Kit's twin brother, a prince, has been kidnapped. The projects economic impact within Alaska isnt clear-cut, either, despite what the states politicians say. What is the controversy behind the Alaska Willow oil project? Some estimates say Alaska could see $6 billion in revenue from the Willow project, but that payout is years away. Not only will the Willow project provide an insufficient substitute for Russian oil, but it will also deliver an ambiguous mix of costs and benefits to Alaska state coffers, which have long relied on fossil fuel revenue that is increasingly hard to come by even with new drilling in the Arctic. A decision on the project could come by early March 2023. ). When Joe Biden was a candidate to be his partys nominee for President, he ran as one of the biggest foes of fossil fuels ever to make a credible run for the White House. Someone has to pay, Surprising ways to survive a heatwave, from mint tea to aubergine hats, How plant-based meat substitutes could be hurting our health, Ecosystem damage: Humans 300 times deadlier than sharks, Cycling like the Dutch would slash the worlds carbon footprint, Toxic algae: 900 people infected in France's Basque coast since 2021. For these types of developments to cease, and for there to be tangible preservation of the livability of the Earth in the current day and the future, we must shake loose from the hold that capitalism has on America. Your messages make a difference, even if we have leaders who don't want to listen. In 1988, Alaskas trans-Alaska pipeline, or TAPS, was pumping a tremendous amount of petroleum from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope to Valdez on the states southern coast approximately 2 million barrels a day. Biden May Soon Approve Huge Alaska Oil Drilling Project | Time While it's nowhere near the level of gore in a grindhouse film, it's no walk in the park, either. EIN 94-1730465. Ron Howard will not be directing any episodes. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. The Will Woodrow Project Rock / Blues / Industrial Indianapolis, IN . This Earthjustice action is hosted on EveryAction. The "Willow" sequel series was officially rated TV-14 according to the show's page on the Disney+ app. To add insult to injury, ConocoPhillips plans to install artificial chillers to refreeze the Arctics melting permafrost in order to build the industrial oil extraction infrastructure necessary for Willow. Communities impacted by the project will get an additional $3.7 billion over the next three decades. Why is a phone number or prefix required on some action forms? Oil wasnt discovered there until 2017, and the Trump Administration quickly approved the project. The project enjoys widespread political support in Alaska. Message; Share Artist . On Monday, the Biden Administration approved the Willow oil drilling project in Alaska. (Details.) Disney+ has offered up an official synopsis of the series, which reads, "Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world." Our legislators serve at the pleasure of the people who gave them their job you. In the short term, the state may actually see a decrease in revenue. And while The Wil Wheaton Project was likely not an expensive series, Syfy clearly believes they can put something more profitable in its time slot.