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Sign the petition: Say NO to oil drilling on federal lands [1]

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Date: 2023-03-30  

The Willow Project stands as a stark reminder of our propensity to prioritize short-term gains over long-term survival. The new federal permit for the project allows 30 years of oil extraction on Alaska's Western Arctic, equivalent to 76 new coal-fired power plants—a chilling statistic highlighting the contradiction between our climate goals and actions. As we scramble to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the Willow Project emerges as a reckless betrayal of the future generations who will bear the brunt of our mistakes. In fact, since the 1960s Alaska has warmed more than twice as a fast as the rest of the U.S.

But here's the good news: This mistake can be undone. On Monday, March 13, the same day ConocoPhillips got the permit to drill, President Joe Biden released an executive action prohibiting all other drilling on federal lands on Alaska's North Slope and in surrounding Arctic waters. In other words, in the same breath as he approved Willow, Biden showed that he has the ability to prohibit oil drilling through executive action.

The Willow Project's potential impact on the Arctic's delicate ecosystem cannot be overstated. Oil drilling activities threaten the region's unique flora and fauna, which have evolved over millennia to survive in the harsh Arctic conditions. Moreover, the risk of oil spills looms large, and the remote, unforgiving Arctic landscape makes spill response and cleanup a Herculean task.

The project also raises pressing ethical concerns for its disproportionate impact on Indigenous communities. The proposal is 36 miles from Nuiqsut, a small Native Alaskan community already in the heart of fossil fuel activity. In recent years, rates of respiratory illnesses have increased rapidly in the area. Most of the population practices a traditional subsistence lifestyle, relying heavily on local food sources. Further oil infrastructure development could negatively impact their sensitive ecosystems, wildlife, and food security. The Willow Project serves as a potent reminder of the injustices Indigenous communities face, often the forgotten victims of corporate greed.

Oil drilling on federal lands is an unjustifiable folly in the age of climate crisis. The consequences of pursuing such a venture are nothing short of disastrous, from the acceleration of climate change to the desecration of the Arctic and the exploitation of Indigenous communities. It is incumbent upon us to demand an end to oil drilling on federal lands and to hold Biden accountable to his promise.

It's not too late for Biden to reverse this disastrous decision, as construction of this dangerous project will not start until next year. There is still time to do the right thing.

Join us in holding President Biden accountable. Sign the petition to President Biden: Fix this mistake. Reject Willow Project now!

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[1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/3/30/2160919/-Sign-the-petition-Say-NO-to-oil-drilling-on-federal-lands

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