President Joe Biden recently approved of the Willow Project, which is set to be enacted in 2027. The Willow Project is a drilling camp in Alaska and has the potential to produce up to a total of 180,000 barrels of oil, severely hurting the environment.

This detrimental carbon production has caused thousands of handwritten letters to the White House, with many climate activists urging the President to prioritize the Earth over profit. One environmental group, Earthjustice, is already planning a legal procedure against the Biden Administration for what they deem an unlawful project.

President Biden, at a past presidential debate, has said “no more drilling on federal lands, period.” The Willow Project is massive break from that pledge; the greenlight for this oil production will cause irreversible damage to the Earth.

It is a common consensus among scientists that climate change is the largest threat posed to the world, and this Willow Project will only be the icing on the cake. Not only will this emission of carbon in the atmosphere forever leave its mark on the Western Arctic (damaging an already fragile ecosystem), but it also has the potential to lead to the mass extinction of animals.

President Biden was elected on the backs of the younger generation, specifically ages 18-29, who saw his campaign promises of a brighter and cleaner future as just that—a promise. By approving of the Willow Project, he is essentially turning his back on all of the youth voters that gave him the presidency.

The Willow Project is just one major component of an already existing global climate crisis. According to PEW Research Center, six in ten adults living in the United States are “concerned that global climate change will harm them personally.” These numbers are even higher among teenagers and the younger generations who know climate change will harm them the most.

As these numbers demonstrate, a majority of Americans, who already feel threatened by the dangers of global warming, are clearly not in favor of the Willow Project. Considering that this oil drilling will not proceed until four years from now, the damages to the environment will be seen through the eyes of younger generations.

Despite the President already approving of this massive oil drilling project, is there any way to stop it? Well, it is vital to remember that this will begin in 2027. Within that four-year time frame, there is a possibility for a new administration to be sworn in 2024 to reverse the approval of the Willow Project.

However, keep in mind, it should not have to take a new administration to stop this environmental danger from beginning. With the work of major environmental groups, protests, and pledges directed at the President, the Willow Project can likely be delayed or even stopped.

The defense of this consequential Willow Project is that, according to lawmakers in support, it will create jobs, lessen the US reliance on foreign oil, and boost domestic energy production. However, is the short-term creation of jobs and increase in US oil supply worth the unforgivable damages to Earth?

No job creation, supply increase, or domestic energy production increase can be used as a logical defense for the irreversible effects on Earth. This project will be the catalyst to the wipe out entire species, destroy ecosystems, set the tone for a future with polluted air, and cause uncontrollable temperature changes.

Many people across the country are alarmed and threatened with the creation of this mass oil production. Environmental groups, climate activists, and especially the younger generation all share the same message to lawmakers: Stop Willow.