Current Energy Landscape
Provided by: Stanford Understand Energy|Published on: August 15, 2024|Last updated: September 26, 2026
Grades: 9, 10, 11, 12, AP
Type: Articles/Websites
Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences
Authors: Stanford Understand Energy
Location: North America > United States
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 →
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 several graphs, charts, and infographics depicting energy use globally and in the United States and how energy systems impact the atmosphere and climate change.
- Students will learn how much energy comes from clean sources, how emissions reductions and carbon sinks need to work together to fight climate change, and how the United States energy system compares to that of the world.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The interactive quality of some of the graphs makes them easy to engage with.
- Many students may find the bathtub model helpful in understanding the effect of emissions in the atmosphere with varying residence times.
Prerequisites
- Students should understand the greenhouse effect and the basics of the carbon cycle.
Differentiation & Implementation
- To learn more about energy and its relation to climate change, students can check out the Energy Basics lecture and additional resources.
- Students in math and statistics classes can interpret the many graphs to analyze the text.
- After looking at the data, students can view data art, like this example from Jill Pelto Gallery, for inspiration to create similar data art with these graphs and charts.
This resource provides an introduction to energy systems as well as data on both worldwide and US energy use. The figures are clear, and all sources are cited. Climate change is not directly addressed, but the data presented could provide a baseline for discussion about increasing sustainable energy production to mitigate climate change. This resource is recommended for teaching.
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 →
