President Biden has approved a controversial oil drilling project in Alaska's North Slope, despite his claims of being a climate president. ConocoPhillips' Willow Project is projected to start production in six years and will include construction of three pads, hundreds of miles of roads and pipelines, and a large processing facility in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. This move has sparked criticism from environmental activists, who are urging Biden to keep his promises and invest in cleaner climate solutions like wind and solar power.

The decision puts America’s climate pledges at risk and sends a damaging message of dependence on fossil fuels to an international audience. Activists had expected Biden to reject the Willow Project, launching a #StopWillow TikTok campaign in recent weeks to raise awareness. While the administration announced new conservation measures in the Beaufort Sea and ecologically sensitive areas in the NPR-A, the decision fails to address the long-term