No, ConocoPhillips, you may not unleash a global climate bomb by drilling in the Western Arctic tundra. That’s the message the oil giant has received from a federal district court judge in Alaska. With the August 18 ruling in favor of Earthjustice and our clients, the company has met a major roadblock to its Willow Project, a plan to explore for oil and gas across 1.2 million acres of the Western Arctic. Now the pressure is mounting for the Biden administration to end its support of this destructive project. The Willow Project poses threats to the Western Arctic—and far beyond. The project called for using giant chillers to refreeze the Arctic permafrost, which is melting due to climate change, in order to stabilize the ground for fossil fuel drilling. ConocoPhillips would have built 37 miles of new gravel roads, seven bridges, an airstrip, and a gravel mine on public lands. The project’s construction and daily operation would have devastated local wildlife, like polar bears, migratory birds, and caribou. It also would have jeopardized the health and traditional practices of nearby Alaska Natives. Over its lifetime, Willow would have accelerated the climate crisis by releasing enough greenhouse gas emissions to […]
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