The Willow Project is an oil-drilling mission to take place just north of the Alaskan North Slope at an undecided time but will be underway for 30 years. This project will release around 239 million metric tons of pollution into the atmosphere.

“The use of fossil fuels contributes to climate change and there is consensus that we need to transition to cleaner, renewable energy sources,” history teacher Seth Rivard said.

Although this operation is harmful to the environment, there are also major benefits to going through with it.

“Oil is undeniably a vital resource for powering transportation, heating homes and buildings, and generating electricity,” Rivard said. “Without it, we would face major disruptions in our lives.”

Originally, the Trump Administration approved the Willow Project, but more recently the Biden Administration accepted a reduced version of the Willow Project.

“The frustration progressives deservedly have with the Willow Project is that President Biden promotes himself as a leader willing to fight climate change and promote environmental justice – and his decision to approve this project fails to live up to that sentiment,” Rivard said.

This project, although reduced, is still harmful to the environment and has environmentalists and Alaskan Natives in an uproar.

“The Biden administration’s decision to approve this project has exacerbating tensions with progressives,” Rivard said. “Progressives blasted the approval of the project, saying it would be a disaster for the changing climate.”

It was said by a White House official that there would be legal trouble if Biden had rejected the proposal, the threat would possibly be fines.

“The President’s number one job is to promote the national interest and well-being of the American people,” Rivard said. “That is an incredibly difficult thing to do successfully.”