Fossil Fuel Lobby Made Japan Hostage to Trump, Netanyahu, and Khamenei

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Source: https://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/info/tsdl_e.htmIn case you haven’t noticed, this blog has a search icon at the upper right of the home page. All subscribers, paid or not, can use it find topics in all the prior 240 posts.One of the arguments used by Japan’s fossil fuel lobby to hinder renewable energy is that solar power poses a security risk. That’s because it makes Japan too dependent on China. The Lobby compares it to Europe’s dependence on Russian natural gas. This was never a sound argument since a one-time purchase differs from continual daily dependence, and other sources of solar panels are being cultivated (see this post). Now, however, the war in Iran is making the public aware of that argument’s sophistry. By relying so much on oil, natural gas, and coal, Japan has made itself a hostage to the machinations of Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Ali Khamenei.Japan relies on the Middle East for around 95% of its oil supplies and 11% of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports. Around 70% of its oil and 6% of its gas have to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. More to the point, a fifth of global supplies of both oil and gas go through those straits, and Japan has to pay the spiking global price. Depending on how long the war lasts and how much damage is done to oil and gas facilities throughout the region, Japan could be severely impacted.As of today, the price of oil is $88 per barrel, up from $69 in 2025. The price of LNG in Asia is $25, up from $12 last year.While Iran has restricted exports by others, it is exporting more than ever, mostly to China, an…