In order to convince his subjects of the wisdom of surrendering after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, Japanese Emperor Hirohito announced over the radio to his beleaguered people that they would have to “bear the unbearable.”

The image of the proud Japanese bowing to their American conquerors remains implanted in our collective memory.

In financial terms, oil running up to $140 — and more — per barrel might be both unbearable and earth shattering. While Americans have not bowed since we threw out George III, we might need to limber up our knees to the major petroleum producers.

Stated simply, at $140 per barrel, America will be spending more than $1 trillion just for oil. Each $10 rise in oil increases our consumption costs by $73 billion.

The following reflects the pain of $140 oil:

* June’s stock decline was that month’s greatest drop since the Great Depression.

* Major stock market indices have retreated to around September 2006 levels.

* On a national basis housing prices have declined to 2004 price levels.

* The American consumer, who represents 70 percent of the gross national product, appears to be tapped out.

Our modern world would be unrecognizable without hydrocarbons. Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution until oil supplanted it in the early 20th century.

Americans use a disproportionate amount of the world’s oil production. U.S. yearly oil consumption works out to 25 barrels per person. In comparison, Japan uses 14 barrels per capita, China consumes 2 barrels and India accounts for 1 barrel per person each year, according to World Bank statistics.

Of course, energy is not free. In fact, the cost of energy represents about 10 percent of the world gross national product. Since America imports about 65 percent of its oil needs, our trade deficit to the major petroleum exporting nations will approach $650 billion per annum at current prices.

The following might help us better grasp the challenges:

* About 10 percent of America’s energy derives from non-hydrocarbons (8 percent nuclear, 2 percent other sources).

* Continued use of hydrocarbons at current rates will disastrously deplete the ozone layer, thereby increasing the likelihood of extinguishing much of our current animal and plant life.

* Global oil production could peak within a decade.

Unfortunately, as Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Thomas Friedman pointed out in his April 30 column in The New York Times, “Dumb as We Wanna Be,” our political decisions have hindered energy independence. Friedman argued that “we have no energy strategy” and that we have discouraged new renewable energy technologies. He cited the inability of Congress to extend any stimulus for wind and solar production since December.

Recent polls have shown that the American public is upset over the unwillingness of both parties to come up with a coherent strategy to drill for potentially vast amounts of oil in Alaska and offshore.

It is counterproductive that we should not develop new fields because we cannot get new oil from these sources for 10 years. We should recall President Kennedy’s words about a gardener who “objected that a tree was slow-growing and would not reach maturity for 100 years.” His employer’s response? “In that case, there is no time to lose, plant it this afternoon.”

The failure of both political parties to deal with our growing energy crisis gives credence to the barbs of Louisiana governor and senator Huey Long in the 1930s: “The only difference I ever found between the Democratic leadership and the Republican leadership is that one of them is skinning you from the ankle up and the other, from the ear down.”

Becoming energy independent is certainly not a given. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Barbara Tuchman wrote a book, “March of Folly,” that traced the origin of monumental blunders such as the Vatican’s actions that led to the Protestant Reformation and the U.S. failure in the Vietnam War. Tuchman pointed out that leaders commit follies despite receiving good advice.

Fortunately alternative fuels such as wind power, hydrogen, biofuels, geothermal, solar and nuclear power are currently viable. Our challenge is to ramp up their usage at least 25-fold over the next generation.

History has shown that Japan did rise from the ashes. We need to prepare for hard and bitter tidings in order to overcome our new challenges.

Originally published in the Sarasota Herald-Tribune