#StopWillowCampaign: Biden Administration approves oil drilling project in Alaska. Here's all you need to know

The Joe Biden administration on Monday approved an Alaska oil project or the Willow Project, which intends for extensive oil drilling on the North Slope, andhas sparked anger among environmentalists. The announcement comes a day after the administration, in a big conservation move, said that it would bar or limit drilling in some other areas of Alaska or the Arctic Ocean. The decision approved by Rep. Mary Peltola was hailed by the Alaska delegation, saying that the "people of Alaska were heard." US Senator Lisa Murkowski also applauded the move, saying, "We did it, Alaska!"

But what exactly is the Willow Project? Why are the environmentalists angry? Scroll to read the details:

What is the Willow Project?

Alaska's significant and long-lasting oil drilling project on the National Petroleum Reserve's North Slope a.k.a the 'Willow Project' was proposed by ConocoPhillips, which aims to produce up to 180,000 barrels of oil a day, about 1.5 per cent of the US total oil production, CNN reported.

Alaska Republican Dan Sullivan said this oil development could be one of the biggest and most important resource development projects in history.

The company proposed five drilling initiatives as part of the project. However, the US Bureau of Land Management approved three drill sites, which ConocoPhillips Alaska said was a viable option. The interior department added that the final approval reduces the project's drill pads by probably 40 per cent.

The company further agreed to give up its rights to about 68,000 acres in existing leaves within the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. The move reduces the project's freshwater use and eliminates all infrastructure related to the two rejected drills.

Is Joe Biden in trouble?

As soon as US President Joe Biden approved Alaska's oil project, it turned environmentalists and many US Democrats in Congress against him, who said that the projectis out of step with his goals, CBS News reported.

Environmentalists have argued that approval of such a project represents a "betrayal" by Biden and his administration, who promised during his 2020 election campaign that fighting climate change will be his top priority and ending all new oil and gas drilling on federal lands and to move to clear energy.

Environmental activists have launched a #StopWillowcampaign across all social media platforms, seeking to remind Biden of his pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Federal officials have claimed that an increase in domestic oil drilling would result in fewer net global emissions because it would decrease petroleum imports.

The latest review under the Biden administration received backlash over its inclusion of a suggestion that 50 per cent of Willow's net emission could be offset by planting more trees in national forests to capture and store carbon dioxide."

Who supports and opposes the oil project?

Other than state lawmakers who say that the project will increase employment, boost domestic production and lessen the country's dependency, a coalition of native groups in Alaska also supports the project. According to them, the project is a much-needed source of revenue in the region and funds services like education and healthcare.

However, some Alaska Natives living closer to the planned project raised their concerns about the health and environmental impacts of the development.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, Nuiqsut Mayor Rosemary Ahtuangaruak and other officials said that the village will bear the consequences of the harmful project. The letter read, "We are at ground zero for the industrialisation of the Arctic.