A storm is brewing in Nuiqsut. The village on the world's edge, 5,380 km from Washington DCThe USA's capital city, and the homes of the US government's three branches - the Capitol, the White House and the Supreme Court. , is at the centre of a ferocious debate about fossil fuelsFuels made from decomposing plants and animals, including coal, natural gas and oil. These fuels release carbon dioxide, causing global warming. and climate change. And this week US president Joe Biden is poised to make one of the biggest decisions of his presidency.

Nuiqsut is the nearest settlement to the Willow Project - a plan to drill for oil in the Alaska North Slope, in the country's largest tract of undisturbed public land. If approved, Biden's government will invest $8bn (£6.7bn) in the site run by oil giant ConocoPhillips.

One-third of Alaska is within the Article Circle, where the climate is warming four times faster than the global average. Last year, the state faced record-breaking temperatures, wildfires and coastal flooding. But Alaska's economy depends on oil and production has been falling for decades.

The Willow Project could change that. Supporters say it will provide 600 million barrels over 30 years, boosting the local and national economies. Opponents claim it will add 278 million tonnes of greenhouse gasesGreenhouse gases, which increase the atmosphere's capacity to hold heat, are vital to life on Earth: without them the planet would be freezing. But human activity is disturbing the delicate balance that created the conditions for life as we know it. Carbon dioxide is responsible for 60% of the manmade greenhouse effect, but we also produce smaller quantities of methane, ozone and nitrous oxide, which are even more damaging. to the atmosphere, the equivalent of running two million cars for three decades.

On social media #StopWillow is trending. Over two million people have signed a petition in opposition. But with Biden expected to green light the Willow Project this week, can it really be stopped?

There is strong support for the plan in Alaska - and not just from politicians and the oil industry. Native Alaskans say it will bring jobs and investment to the region. "Alaska natives are part of the environment," says local campaigner Nagruk Harcharek, as much as the bears, birds and caribou.

The plans have already been scaled back to reduce the impact on wildlife. ConocoPhillips warns more concessions will make the scheme financially unviable. Analysts expect the oil company to take the US government to court if Biden downsizes or scraps their proposals.

But the US president may have an eye on his re-election in 2024. Biden pledged to end drilling on public land and passed a law to expand clean energy. Young voters may abandon Biden if they think he has broken his promises on climate action.

And other Alaskans say it must be stopped. "Our Native villages are eroding into the sea," says activist Karlin Nageak Itchoak. "Food sources are disappearing." Drilling for oil in Alaska is a "carbon bomb" and its effects will be felt worldwide.

Last year, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reported that developing new oil fields is "incompatible" with current goals to stop global warming. But the Russian invasion of Ukraine has raised oil prices, forcing governments to increase their domestic production.

It can be easy to feel powerless. But campaigners say activism works. In 2021, protests convinced Biden to pull the plug on the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline between Canada and the United States. Nuiqsut is a physical front line in the fight to save the planet. "It makes it feel more real," says activist Jamal Raad.

Yes: President Biden will break his promise to his voters and the international community if he approves the Willow Project. So the pressure is essential to keep elected officials true to their word.

No: This is business as usual. Election promises are often torn up. Petitions and protests are ignored. Money runs the world. There is very little we can do to stop Big Oil from drilling in the Arctic.

Or... Politics is about negotiating between interest groups and solving difficult problems. If we oppose the Willow Project, we must offer realistic alternatives to meet people's energy and economic needs.