Current Energy Landscape

Provided by: Stanford Understand Energy |Published on: August 15, 2024

Articles/Websites

9101112AP

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.

Related Teaching Resources

Subjects: Earth and Space Sciences

Authors: Stanford Understand Energy

Region: United States

Languages: English

View Resource

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.

Scientist Notes

Teaching Tips

Standards

Resource Type and Format

About the Partner Provider

Stanford Understand Energy

Stanford University’s Understand Energy Learning Hub provides free access to Stanford course content on energy resources from fossil fuels like oil and coal to renewable resources like the wind, the sun, and efficiency; energy currencies like electricity and hydrogen; and energy services such as transportation and buildings. Explore the Hub and build your energy literacy to address climate change and sustainability issues, engage on equity and human development challenges, participate in energy industry markets and technology innovations, and make informed energy decisions.

Related Teaching Resources

All resources can be used for your educational purposes with proper attribution to the content provider.