Now that we’ve taken a closer look at renewable energy consumption on a global scale, let’s turn our focus towards fossil fuels. Recount from the previous topic page, fossil fuels, such as coal, crude oil, and natural gas, are non-renewable energy sources. This means the timescale needed to replenish these energy resources is much longer than for renewable energy resources. Additionally, the process of converting fossil fuels into power involves burning fossil fuels in a power plant, often producing significant greenhouse gas emissions that are put into the atmosphere. However, even with the environmental ramifications of using fossil fuels, our globe is still heavily reliant on them for energy consumption, and that is expected to continue into the near future.
Before reviewing the charts below, reflect on this question: Which country in the world gets the highest percentage of its primary energy from oil? What do you think is the answer?
Now, using the chart below, let’s see if your answer was correct. Once you’ve reviewed the chart below, be sure to answer the corresponding question.
Which country in the world gets the highest percentage of its primary energy from oil, and why might that be the case?
Now, let’s look at another chart that plots oil production, measured in terawatt-hours, shown below. Once you have reviewed the chart, be sure to answer the corresponding questions.
Is there a country that has been clearly dominant in oil production over the past 100 years?
In 2019, what country contributed to the lowest oil production, and what was the measure in terawatt-hours?
Now that we’ve analyzed global oil production, let’s review the energy mix for the globe. After you’ve reviewed the chart on your own, make sure to answer the corresponding questions that target recognizable trends from the chart. Do you agree or disagree with these trends?