Dear Friend,

President Trump approved a dangerous and damaging ConocoPhillips oil project called Willow, located in Alaska’s Western Arctic, which would be the single largest oil extraction project on federal lands.  If the dangerous and damaging ConocoPhillips’ Willow is allowed to move forward, it will lock in three more decades of massive fossil fuel production— adding an estimated 250 million metric tons of CO2 to the atmosphere— equivalent to the emissions from 66 coal fired power plants (roughly 1/3 of all U.S. coal plants) or from 56 million vehicles over an entire year.

Right now we have the opportunity to speak out and undo another Trump environmental disaster. There is no time to waste. 

The Biden Administration is taking comments on this project now, and they need to hear from you by March 9th. We need 5,000 LCV supporters to speak out now to protect our climate before the public comment period closes.

Willow would require up to 250 oil wells, hundreds of miles of pipelines, a gravel mine, a new processing facility, and more. All of this would add significant additional carbon pollution— and irreversibly change the Western Arctic ecosystem.

This fragile area of Alaska is already warming three times faster than the rest of the world due to climate change— forcing ConocoPhillips to plan to install artificial “chillers” to refreeze the Arctic’s melting permafrost and build drilling infrastructure.

Willow’s climate impact is heightened by its location in the Western Arctic, the cultural homeland and subsistence area for a number of Alaska Native communities, including the Indigenous village of Nuiqsut, only 36 miles from the drill site.

The Western Arctic supports robust wild ecosystems that include caribou, geese, loons, salmon, polar bears and bowhead whales. The lands, waters and animals support a number of communities in the region. Any disruption that jeopardizes the ecosystem’s health puts all of its inhabitants at risk.
 
If ConocoPhillips’ Willow Project moves forward, the Biden administration’s pledge to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 will be nearly impossible to meet.

Please, take a few seconds to tell the Department of the Interior now we must protect our climate, public lands, and ecological resources. We cannot let this dangerous and damaging project move forward. 

Thank you,

Ben Alexandro
LCV's Senior Government Affairs Advocate, Conservation