HHS students are on the move against Alaska oil drilling

HHS LEAP students organized a public protest against an oil drilling project. Students say the oil drilling poses serious environmental concerns.

By Charles Sercombe
Hamtramck High School’s LEAP (Leaders for Environmental Awareness and Preservation) students let the public know what they think of an oil drilling project in Alaska.
On Wednesday, after school let out, members of LEAP — along with other students with the Social Justice Club — gathered at the high school’s flagpole, and then walked to city hall.
Many of the students, numbering about 20 in total, carried signs protesting the Alaska project. Some read: “#Stop the Willow oil project” and “#Stop Willow.”
They also chanted: “The Willow project, it must be stopped. For nature’s sake, we say no.”
Sophomore Stella Hughes explained the concern of the students: “We are protesting because the Willow Project threatens the health of the environment and of the indigenous peoples living in Alaska.”
The Willow project was initially approved by the Trump administration, and recently again by the Biden administration.
The project will extract oil in Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve, which is owned by the federal government. Houston-based energy company ConocoPhillips is financing the operation. It is thought the area holds some 600 million barrels of oil.
It will take years before the oil will be extracted.
An environmental group, Earthjustice, is attempting to block the drilling in court.
Alaskan indigenous natives are also opposed to the drilling, fearing its environmental impact on the region.
But some Alaska officials are in favor of the project because it means an economic boost to the state.
President Biden had promised, during his campaign, not to allow any new oil or gas drilling on public lands, but the courts have struck down attempts to prevent the project.
Biden has since said he had no choice but to approve the project.
Posted May 12, 2023

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *