Oil vs. Survival: The Willow Project and the Disappearing Food of the Arctic

When the Biden administration approved the Willow Project in March 2023, it marked one of the largest new oil drilling ventures in Alaska in decades. Tucked deep in the fragile expanse of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the project promises jobs and energy production—but it also poses devastating consequences for the land and creatures that call the Arctic home.

The Arctic is not just an empty sheet of ice and snow; it is a living, breathing ecosystem where every creature relies on a delicate food chain to survive. Caribou herds depend on lichen and moss that grow on the tundra. Migratory birds forage on wetlands filled with insects and small plants. Polar bears hunt seals, which in turn rely on healthy populations of fish. This web of life has evolved over millennia to withstand extreme cold and scarcity. But it is also one of the most vulnerable ecosystems in the world to industrial development.

The Willow Project’s Ripple Effect

Oil drilling does not just mean wells and pipelines. It means roads cut through fragile tundra, trucks and machinery roaring across migration paths, and emissions warming a region already heating faster than the rest of the planet. For the animals, this translates into disrupted feeding patterns:

• Caribou, already threatened by shrinking grazing lands, may find their lichen pastures trampled or polluted. These animals are a staple food source for Indigenous communities and a keystone species for predators.

• Birds that flock to Alaska from every corner of the globe for breeding season may lose their insect-rich wetlands to contamination or noise disruption.

• Polar bears and seals, at the very top of the food chain, face melting ice and reduced hunting grounds, meaning less access to the prey they need to survive.

In short, every drill hole echoes far beyond the ground—it reverberates across the dinner table of Arctic animals.

Food as Survival and Culture

For Indigenous communities in Alaska, the disruption of these food webs is not an abstract concern. Caribou, fish, and birds are central not only to survival but to cultural identity, tradition, and ceremony. The loss of access to these foods would mean more than empty bellies—it would mean the erosion of heritage.

When we think of food, we often imagine abundance. Recipes passed down, flavors tied to memory, kitchens filled with warmth. But for the Arctic, food is about resilience against scarcity. To deprive animals of their natural food sources through industrial expansion is to unravel this resilience.

Why It Matters to Us

You may wonder: why should a drilling project thousands of miles away matter to those of us reading about it online, far removed from the tundra? Because the Arctic is a mirror. What happens there reflects the global balance between industry and environment. Every species that struggles to find food in Alaska’s wilderness is a warning about the future of our own food systems. Climate change and exploitation strip ecosystems bare, one project at a time.

A Call to Conscience

The Willow Project shows us that the cost of oil is not just measured in barrels—it is measured in the lichen left uneaten, the fish unable to spawn, the polar bear denied a seal. It is measured in the stories of Indigenous peoples who lose not only sustenance but identity when the land can no longer provide.

As we enjoy our meals and recipes, we must remember those places where food is no longer guaranteed. Food is not just about indulgence; it is about survival. And survival—for the Arctic and for us—depends on the choices we make today.