Oil from Roots: Japan Burned Forests for Fuel While US Built Steel River

#Oil #Pipeline #Pyrolysis

The story recounts the clash of two survival philosophies during World War II, where Japan, cut off by an oil embargo, resorts to a desperate measure of producing fuel from pine roots through primitive pyrolysis. Schoolchildren and elders uproot stumps in the forests, sacrificing health and future for illusory victory fuel, leading to an ecological disaster and national strain. Events unfold in an atmosphere of despair, where ideological stubbornness drives the empire toward self-destruction, leaving scars on the land and in the souls of generations.

At the heart of the narrative is America's response to the threat of German submarines: the construction of the massive underground Big Inch pipeline, stretching two and a half thousand kilometers. Engineers and workers, armed with steel and machinery, create a steel artery that pumps hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil daily, fueling the military industry. This is a triumph of pragmatism, where organized labor turns crisis into a source of strength.

The narrative leads to a comparison of outcomes: the Japanese project burns out in the smoke of futile efforts, while the American pipeline evolves into the foundation of postwar prosperity, emphasizing the role of rational thinking in shaping the fate of nations.