As we celebrate the glories of mother earth this past month for Earth day, we must realize the massive amounts of damage we continuously place on this floating rock we call home.

President Biden has recently passed the Willow Project in Alaska. The Willow Project is a bill that is going to allow a long term oil drilling venture in Alaska, and it is just the start. Oil drilling is a key factor in the deteriorating atmosphere as it creates pollution, emits dangerous fuels, and harms the wildlife surrounding.

Specific to the Willow Project, we must consider its location; as it is located in Alaska, a rather cold state in the US, there is a great impact it will have on climate change as it is going to contribute to the melting ice caps.

As the beginning of this project starts to be publicized, people are criticizing the immense damage this will do to our planet along with how this bill will negate the promises President Biden has made to his country regarding environmental justice. His plans for Alaska have already started to face legal action.

A press release from the US Department of the Interior was released stating the scopes of the project post legal taken against it. The release says, “The Department is substantially reducing the size of the project by denying two of the five drill sites proposed by ConocoPhillips, which is seeking to develop oil and gas leases it acquired beginning in the late 1990s.”

This represents a fight being put up against the project, but it still continues. The release continues on to say, “In addition to input from the cooperating agencies, the BLM received substantial input from the public, hosting seven public meetings and receiving more than 200,000 written comment submissions during the public comment period.”

The departments continue to receive criticism regarding the project and the public is advocating for the safety of the planet but their messages become clouded.

“In his first year, President Biden protected more lands and waters than any president since John F. Kennedy.” says the release. The troubling nature of the project is being covered by the good deeds that have been executed prior.

While this is the case and the good deeds have changed the world, it is important to shine a light to the issues that halt this planet from continuing to flourish.

As society continues everyday, we get a step closer to implementation of the Willow Project. While they begin to limit and downsize, the project continues as does its harmful impacts to our world.