How are we supposed to trust our leaders today, when again and again, they go back on their promises? This week we saw another sad example of a politician breaking their promise for self-gain. It's not only sad, it's tragic.
This time it was U.S. President, Joe Biden, who just approved The Willow Project, a major oil and gas drilling operation in Alaska, after campaigning on the promise that he would champion green energy and prevent any further oil drilling on public lands. In fact, during his campaign Biden said, "No more drilling on federal lands, period, period, period." What empty words those are now. As activist Greta Thunberg said, "This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great but so far have not led to action. Our hopes and ambitions drown in their empty promises."
One of the main reasons for President Biden's decision, it can be argued, is trying to appeal to a wider voter base. Most likely those who are worried about high gas prices and the cost of filling up their tank. While this is a real concern for Americans, approving an oil drilling project so massive it will tip the scale on climate change and move us one giant step closer to making our planet unlivable shows that President Biden prioritizes politics over our future. When President Biden took office, he rejoined the Paris Climate Agreement and promised we were moving away from dirty energy. The Willow Project will completely offset any gains he's made in green energy and leave him with a legacy of environmental destruction, not a cleaner planet like he promised.
The Willow Project was first introduced by the Trump Administration, but was stuck down by a federal judge in Alaska due to environmental concerns. When Russia invaded Ukraine, it was reintroduced to the Biden Administration as a possible solution to high gas prices and create greater oil independence (U.S. would have to buy less from other countries).
But there are huge consequences. Over the next thirty years 287 million metric tons of CO2 will be emitted into the atmosphere, releasing 9.2 million tons of climate warming gasses. That is the equivalent of putting 2 million more cars on the road every year for 30 years. On top of that, this project ravage one of the last pristine wildernesses in the U.S.
ConocoPhillips, the oil company that is heading up The Willow Project, has said they will need to use massive cooling machines at the drilling sites to keep the permafrost from melting. Elizabeth Kolbert, a journalist for the New Yorker, summed it up perfectly when she wrote, "A massive oil project that requires chilling the permafrost is, unfortunately, the perfect metaphor for our time."
Although it was approved despite receiving more than three million signatures opposing it, all hope isn't lost. The Willow Project will take seven years to build, so there is still time to stop it. We have one Earth. It is our job to protect it. My hope is that our generation will produce ethical, selfless leaders who put the future of humanity and the living planet above short term gains and their own self-interests. SIGN THE PETITION TODAY! Let our leaders know that we won't stand for this, that we care about our future! And if they don't listen, vote them out!
"SAY NO TO THE WILLOW PROJECT" PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/joseph-r-biden-biden-administration-and-conocophillips-say-no-to-the-willow-project
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