President Joe Biden unveiled a modified version of the original cleanup plan on Wednesday. It is estimated that the Willow project could produce about 600 million barrels of oil within thirty years. This would generate 278 million tons of carbon emissions, Reuters reports.
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This leads to fierce criticism. Not just because of impending environmental damage, but also because Biden had previously pledged to champion the climate. This is especially frustrating among young voters, who see him as a leader in fighting the climate crisis. There is a lot of pressure from Alaska itself to get the project done. Lawmakers and oil producers say the Willow project will create at least 2,000 new jobs. The energy shortage is also cited as a reason to continue with the plan.
The Biden administration will make a final decision on the plans next week.