The Willow Project receives backlash

Rebecca Meghani News Editor

On March 13, the Biden administration approved ConocoPhillips’ Willow oil drilling project on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve. This project has stirred up controversy among environmentalists for months, and there has been increased activism against it. Biden has received backlash from many due to his campaign promise of not touching the oil reserves which was a primary reason for citizens to vote for him.

The project will take 30 years before we see the full effects of it and if everything is going perfectly right, it will take 10 years before we see any yield from it. The administration estimated about 9.2 million metric tons of carbon will be released every year which is the equivalent of 2 million new cars on the road every year.

“Biden is offering to sway ecologists, environmentalists and conservationists by limiting one of the pads, but ConocoPhillips would sue because the contract states 3 pads,” said Morgan Host, a senior art history major. “Biden wants to plant trees to offset but it won’t do much because there is so much carbon being released.”

The Willow Project has been a difficult situation to navigate due to the different moving parts.

“The lease to drill oil was approved in the previous administration and it is important to understand that what is happening right now is a reflection of what happened in the Trump administration,” said Dr. Alexandre Ribeiro Scarcioffolo, assistant professor of economics.

“They accepted the lease proposal so they have the right to drill oil in Alaska and there is noth- ing Biden could have done right now to avoid it. Biden has two possibilities: accept they are going to drill oil and try to manage the activity as much as they can or say, you know what, I am not going to let you drill oil here and I’ll buy the lease from you which would cost a lot of money.”

There has been a divide between many citizens in Alaska and the rest of the United States who have been advocating for terminating the project.

“Alaska needs revenue so to increase the money that the states generate, they can produce oil and put all the money back in the economy,” Scarcioffolo said. “The state does not have a lot of infrastructure so this might be a good thing for them to make more money and to improve citizen living conditions in the state.”

While the state will benefit from the project financially, there are long-term environmental consequences that its citizens will feel.

“The effects will be caribou loss which is the biggest source of food for the Alaskan natives in the area,” Host said. “It will cause more climate warming and heating

“ConocoPhillips has other locations and last year, there was a location that had a leak where 7.2 million cubic feet of natural gas was released in the atmosphere,” Host said. “Over 300 workers the ocean which means whales will not be in the area as much which is the second biggest food source in the area.” evacuated, and a local village had to leave due to health reasons. The leak existed for three weeks without anyone realizing due to the permafrost layer melting and not keeping the gas in. If they keep going in this cycle, they are going to have to refreeze permafrost repeatedly and there is no way to slow down or negate it.”

The state does not have a lot of infrastructure so this might be a good thing for them to make more money and to improve citizen living conditions in the state.

The project will put pressure on the state from an environmental perspective in the sense that we will have a lot of pollution, especially from oil spills.

The rising temperatures are already melting the permafrost which the company has to continuously refreeze in order for them to drill which has become increasingly harmful to the area.

According to the ConocoPhillips website, they are attempting to work towards renewables and the oil that they are drilling is gap oil. This is meant for the transition towards renewable energy and this will be the last of it.

Alaskan representatives for the House and Senate agree that it will be beneficial for jobs, infrastructure, and de- ufacturer of the generic version of mifepristone is seeking a court order preventing the FDA from immediately withdrawing generic mifepristone from the market if another court orders it to do so. The resolution of these cases will have a significant impact on the availability and accessibility of mifepristone and on the broader landscape of reproductive healthcare in the United States. veloping undeveloped areas. There was a bipartisan vote to pass it and there was no major opposition from the Alaskan government.

“It is a domestic source of fuel but we won’t reap the benefits for 20 to 30 years, so it is not doing much in the short term,” Host said. “If the native tribes are in favor of it, I can sympathize with why but I would encourage people to look at the cost down the road rather than the immediate pros. Ultimately, the cons outweigh the pros in the long run and it is probably a lack of information of knowing the repercussions of it to be okay with it.”

In the discussion of climate change, the Willow Project has made a significant dent in progressing toward a cleaner future, but there is still room for action and change on an individual’s side.

“It was passed but it can be reversed by calling or writing to the White House, contacting advocacy groups, signing the Change.org petition and posting on social media,” Host said. “Rather than big changes, it’s going to have to start from individuals making choices like buying electric cars, using solar panels in their yard or simple things like going from gel to tablet toothpaste. If the government sees that it is on an individual basis and that it is collectively what we want, there will be more of a push toward it. If we can give research and communicate research more clearly, I think it will be an easier transition.”

Continued from page 1

The Bobcats’ men’s tennis team has had a pretty mediocre month. They started April with a close loss to No. 24 Florida Southern College.

They then faced off against Lander University, where the Bobcats could not find any momentum. They lost the series 6-1.

The Bobcats then rebounded with a 4-0 win against No. 45 Young Harris College, followed by another win against No. 18 University of North Georgia on Senior Night.

The next matchup was against No. 4 Columbus State University, where GC looked to win their third match in a row. Unfortunately, they lost 6-1 in a grueling battle.

Gabe Cizek has had a tremendous impact on the team this season.

“I think that crucial thing for me to do well on the court is to play relaxed, enjoy every second on the court and try not to stress too much,” Cizek said. “But, most importantly, I have to give credit to my teammates because the team spirit is awesome, and all the guys keep motivat- ing me and making me feel very comfortable, even though I am very far from home, and this second family bond is the reason that allowed me to uncover and try to use my full potential.”

However, to get to this point, Cizek has had to put in a tremendous amount of effort throughout the season.

“I don’t think I had to put in any supernal work,” Cizek said. “I just try to focus and work hard at practice, and I also like to workout.”

Cizek takes a slightly different approach than most tennis players.

“Tennis players are usually not gym rats, but in my case, I like to feel sturdy on the court, and also my type of game is based on heavy strokes and big serves, so it wouldn’t really work if I was a toothpick,” Cizek said. “I also love to cook, and I am very much into nutrition, so that helps me to eat well.”

The Bobcats now look to face off against Lander University again for the first round of the PBC tournament on April 21. Lander is ranked as the No. 3 seed for the tournament, but the Bobcats hope to come out on top in their rematch.