Overview

• Federal Judge Sharon Gleason upheld the Biden administration's approval of the Willow oil-drilling project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, rejecting requests by a grassroots Iñupiat group and environmentalists to vacate the approval.
• The project, which is set to produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day, could generate at least 263 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions over its projected 30-year lifespan.
• Environmental activists plan to appeal the decision, raising concerns about its impact on climate change and ice-reliant species such as polar bears and Arctic seals.
• The project has sparked widespread political support in Alaska, with local leaders and groups arguing it is economically vital for their communities and would create jobs.
• However, it has also sparked backlash and online activism, particularly from young activists, who accuse the Biden administration of breaking its campaign promise to stop new oil drilling on federal lands.