Greenhouse Gas Concerns at Willow

Robert Sulnick’s opinion piece “Biden Drops Alaska Wilderness Oil but Picks Up Willow” presents a compelling case as to why President Biden should stop the massive oil and gas project in Alaska known as Willow. Bravo!

Both Santa Barbara and Alaska are ground zeros for the costly, adverse impacts from climate change, and we all have a stake in halting new, massive contributors of greenhouse gases — such as Willow. President Biden needs to hear our concerns.

As Sulnick also notes, Secretary Haaland’s temporary suspension of the oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge deserves praise. However, this is only the first of three steps required to protect this priceless National Refuge for current and future generations. Next, the Biden administration must actually rescind the leases. Furthermore, Congress has to repeal the provision of the 2017 tax cuts legislation that stealthily opened up the refuge for drilling.

As we prepare for more drought, fires, and record-breaking temperatures, President Biden, Secretary Haaland, and our Congressional delegation deserve to hear our important voices on both the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the Willow oil and gas project — now.