Fishermen's plight adds fuel to fiery debate

We tend to think of petroleum as a symbol of modern times, but people have been using it for millennia. It is believed oil was used as fuel to heat water for communal baths in ancient Rome. Petroleum is also mentioned in "Nihon Shoki" (Chronicles of Japan), completed in 720, which says that during the seventh century, the region of Koshi (present-day Niigata Prefecture and its vicinity) presented "burning soil and water" to the imperial court.

Down through the ages, oil was simply used for fuel. But it underwent a drastic transformation in the 20th century, becoming a commodity to capture and a tool for speculation, thereby also fueling human greed. It came to dominate the global economy and sparked wars. It has long since been referred to as the "strategic riches that shake the world."

The Japanese fishing industry is now in turbulent waters, having also been shaken by oil. With soaring fuel prices, every time fishermen go out to sea, they lose more money than they make.

No longer able to put up with the situation, fishermen staged a one-day "strike" Tuesday to protest their plight. Some 200,000 vessels remained moored across the nation.

In addition to fish, other foods we eat today rely heavily on oil for their production. Greenhouse vegetables are no exception: about 60 milliliters of oil is used to grow a single cucumber; a single melon needs as much as 4 liters. An adult male "eats" on average enough oil to fill half a 500-milliliter beer can every day.

It appears that oil, known as "the blood of industry," has now virtually become the source of human flesh and blood.

Meanwhile, grains that traditionally were used for food are now used to produce biofuels, which in turn are fed to cars. This situation has caused the price of grains to skyrocket and led to higher food prices.

One of the oldest references to petroleum appears in the Old Testament, in the story of "Noah's Ark." But in this case, instead of being burned, petroleum in the form of a sticky substance like asphalt was used to coat the ark, according to the Bible.

If we stop and think about it, our everyday life, which is completely dependent on oil, appears even more fragile than Noah's Ark.

--The Asahi Shimbun, July 16(IHT/Asahi: July 17,2008)