Fossil Fuel Consumption by Fuel Type (Line Chart)
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Provided by: Our World in Data|Published on: July 20, 2021
Data, Graphs, and Maps
Scientist Reviewed
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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 →
Synopsis
- This resource includes an interactive line chart and table that shows the fossil fuel consumption by fuel type, for countries around the world since 1965.
- The data includes gas, oil, and coal and is measured in terawatt-hours.
- The same information can be viewed here in stacked area chart format.

Subjects: Science, Geography, Mathematics
Authors: Hannah Ritchie, Max Roser
Region: Global
Languages: English
Teaching Materials
Positives
- Students can quickly see how fossil fuel consumption has changed over the years by pressing the play button at the bottom of the screen.
- Students looking to learn more can use the links under the chart, which will take them to related content.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand the term fossil fuels and know that they are a nonrenewable resource.
- Teachers may want to demonstrate the interactive features for students, especially if they will be freely exploring the resource.
Differentiation & Implementation
- Students can discuss the importance of using clean energy for health and the climate. Teachers can use the Fossil Fuels and Climate Change podcast and lesson plan to teach this concept.
- After looking at this data, students can research alternative energy sources, discuss the barriers to implementing them, and brainstorm solutions.
- Students can select one of the fossil fuel types to research further, finding out the process for extraction, the greenhouse gas emissions, and other health impacts.
This resource explores world energy consumption from oil, gas, and coal and evaluates the relative change from 1965 to the present. The energy data from different units were normalized. This method is suitable, and the resource is recommended.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Our review process ensures that every resource in our library reflects the current state of climate science.
Learn about our review process →

