Drilling the Ground for Oil is Digging our Own graves
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by our sister publication, Tribuno Del Pueblo at https://tribunodelpueblo.org/the-willow-projects-approval-means-broken-promises/
‘No More Drilling on Federal Lands‘
This was President Biden’s 2020 campaign slogan, a statement that held so much hope that many Americans voted for him for this reason alone. Fast forward to three years later, the Biden administration approved the Willow Project. This oil reserve, found in Alaska, will be extracted for about 30 years and is expected to deliver $8 to $17 billion in revenue for the federal government. Not only will this project release about 9.2 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air, but it will also be built nearby Indigenous people’s land. The Willow Project is 36 miles away from a Native American community; Indigenous and environmental groups have already sued the Biden Administration, urging them to stop this project and arguing that it will affect nearby animals and wildlife and speed up the climate change process.
These are our leaders, the ones who make promises to the people. Our power is electing who leads us, but that trust is broken when people vote for someone who blatantly opposes their original plans. If we look closer at the Paris Treaty Agreement, we notice that the document is missing the number one thing that is behind causing climate change: fossil fuels. Furthermore, the words ‘oil’ and ‘gas’ are nowhere written in that document.
The discussion about climate change has been happening for almost 20+ years, and our world leaders are not oblivious that the effects of climate change are irreversible. Toward the end of 2021, the United Nations held its 26th Climate Change Conference (COP26), and the meeting outcome fell short, with no actual plan on how to stop climate change.
As wealthy countries gathered to develop a “solution,” they also failed to address the needs of the most vulnerable people affected. These are the same people living in poverty, fleeing their countries as their crops die, and they are met with aggression by other countries. These global leaders need to take accountability for them being the reason for accelerating climate change and letting the oil industry become a billion-dollar-making machine, all while destroying our planet.
So if our own leaders are aware of the consequences of them constantly drilling for oil, why continue to do it? The answer is simple: money. These wealthy leaders aren’t at the front of the effects of climate change; the people are. Poverty-stricken countries are the ones that contribute the least to it, yet they are the ones that will be left the most vulnerable. Haiti, Nigeria, Afghanistan are just to name a few countries where there will be a spike of their people migrating to neighboring countries to survive. Miami is currently building high-level infrastructure for when the sea level rises. Haiti, being only 700 miles away, simply doesn’t have the funds to prepare for future disasters.
During President Biden’s presidential election, he made numerous promises, including ensuring the US reaches a net-zero emission no later than 2050. With the recent news of the Willow Project being approved, this promise will be impossible. As big oil companies rake up record-breaking profits, our climate, communities, and public lands come at the expense of it. Who are we to trust when our government seems to do as they please instead of listening to the people?
We need to start holding leaders accountable; they need to feel our pressure. The United States Constitution talks about establishing justice in this country. Where is justice for our planet? Where is the justice for Indigenous rights? Where is the justice for leaders who get away with lying? Our voice matters as we are the voice of this planet. #StopWillow
Links for more information on how the Willow Project affects Indigenous communities:
TAKE ACTION
https://earthjustice.org/action/protect-the-western-arctic
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/tell-president-biden-stop-the-willow-project
Luz Melissa Cortes Nieto is a Gen X student majoring in Communication with a minor in Journalism. She came to the United States at the age of 7 and has always had a passion for writing and the environment. As a member of El Tribuno del Pueblo Editorial Board, she is the Climate Change Desk. She hopes to bring awareness about climate change and how we can all come together to mitigate environmental consequences.
