Primary Energy Consumption by Source
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Science, Geography, Mathematics
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Provided by Our World in Data
What it is
- This resource contains an interactive chart and table that shows the world's primary energy consumption by sources starting in 1965.
- Students can compare the use of coal, oil, gas, hydropower, wind, solar, nuclear, and biofuels.
Teaching tips
Positives
- Students can easily see how data has changed over time by pressing the play button.
- The interactive resources are very user-friendly, and it is easy to isolate data based on your needs.
Prerequisites
- Students should know the definitions for each energy source.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can analyze the large jump between renewable energy and nonrenewable energy and what that means for climate change.
- Teachers can give each student a country to study and analyze their energy consumption. Teachers can also show students the countries that are in the Paris Agreement and determine if this appears to influence their use of renewables.
- Teachers can make health connections by looking at the health impacts of fossil fuel energy. Students can use the resources Youth Climate Story: Coal Ash in North Carolina, Your Gas Stove, Your Health, and Climate Change, and Orange County Oil Spill: Drilling is Killing to see some impacts of coal, gas, and oil, respectively.
From the scientist review
This resource contains datasets for students to navigate and gain insights on energy consumption from biofuels, oil, gas, hydropower, and other renewable sources from different countries. The resource is recommended for teaching.
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Hosted on ourworldindata.org
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