I noticed that the generation for coal electricity has gone down in the last four years. Also how in the last two decades, the nuclear electricity has gone down, but not as much as the coal has. I wonder how the generation of hydroelectric electricity has only gone up one percent in the last two decades
I notice there are multiple colors in the graph alongside percentages. I wonder what these mean? It seems this graph shows the creation of electricity.
I noticed that hydroelectric energy is the only one that stays connected and in a straight line/same area the whole time. I wonder why the percentage of energy changed (location) through the years. The graph might be about how much of each energy the us uses.
This graph shows how our usage of natural gas has been increasing while coal has been going down. This could be because companies are trying to use less coal and reduce polution. Another important noticing trend is nuclear energy. During George Bush's era it was used and was very useful however, Obama had condemed nuclear power plants and shut down one of our only ways for us to rid ourselves of our waste. This is shown after Obama left the trend begane rising again. While under Obama fracking had boomed with incredible results. The extent of fracking is shown in natural gas graph. These oils and gases were found plentiful and allowed for more usage of these resources. Although the use of natural resouces are being used at a large rate, renewable resouces are not being used. The problem with using renewable resources is the production. When making solar pannels toxic metals are created running the risk of polluting the environment even more. Not only is pollution a huge problem with solar pannels but they are not as effective as thought. This could be seen with Germany's energy plan that resulted in even more polution. The graph itself shows as a whole how reliable we are on natural gas and soon will be on nuclear energy as well.
@Andy I agree with your noticings and had a few of the same concerns about the different environmental changes that could be uplifted due to an increase in certain power sources.
In this graph i noticed that Coal decreased in how much it is used because it went from 51% to about 30% and that natural gas increased from 17% to about 30% while the other electricity generators only changed 1% or not at all. I wonder if the coal is going to keep decreasing and if the natural gas is going to increase in the upcoming years. I also wonder if the rest of the generators are going to increase or decrease. A lot of things are happening in this graph but the most noticeable things are that the coal usage is decreasing and the natural gas is increasing.
I noticed things are overlapping
I wonder why coal is so popular in America up until 2016
I wonder why there is so little solar
I noticed that the generation for coal electricity has gone down in the last four years. Also how in the last two decades, the nuclear electricity has gone down, but not as much as the coal has. I wonder how the generation of hydroelectric electricity has only gone up one percent in the last two decades.
I noticed as the different energy sources have changed the order changed in which they were placed vertically.
I wonder if the white gaps symbolize anything.
Electricity on a bumpy ride
Based on the data from the graph there hasn't been any noticeable increase in renewable sources of energy. The United States has slowly begun to balance consumption of different fossil fuels. How will our sources of electricity generation impact the future?
@Corso i like your comment because you seem vary intrested in this topic and i also agree with you
I noticed that the graph showed the percentages of energy sources used over time.
I wonder why coal stayed at a constant rate of usage originally but decreased later on.
@Kate I also noticed and wondered why it stayed constant than decreased?
I notice that coal was the main source of electricity in 2001 with 51% while only 17% of electricity was coming from natural gas. In most recent years natural gas has become the main source while coal became the second - most used. I wonder what made us change our main source for electricity, from coal to natural gas, so sudden? Also, if natural gas is the most used source of electricity because it is healthier for the environment, then why is the second - most used source coal. Shouldn't we be using other sources like water with hydroelectric, solar, or wind.
"Sources of electricity in the U.S over time"
The first thing that I notice is that in 2001. coal seemed to be the main source of electricity generation. As time passed by, different methods of electricity generation were put to use causing coal to slowly lose its place as the most dominate source of electricity generation. Although coal stays at the top throughout the whole timeline of the chart, going at this rate, I can infer that different methods are going to surpass coal in terms of country-wide usage. The thing that I most wonder is which of the methods will surpass coal usage first? I think that the reason that coal is slowly becoming less of a dominate source is because mankind are ,first of all, trying to find more effective methods of generating electricity that are more eco-friendly. Also, I believe that we are being forced to look into different sources of electricity generation due to our limited supply in coal.
This week's graph depicts the sources of electricity generation throughout the U.S., including coal, natural gas, nuclear, hydroelectric, wind, solar, geothermal, and petroleum. I notice that the primary source of our nation’s energy emanated from coal from 2001-2016 (and surely long before that, as well). Next, I note how there is a brief drop-off in coal, and instead natural gas takes the lead from 2016-present as the United States’ chief supply of electrical energy production. Adding, I observe that the exploitation of nuclear energy has slightly decreased over the years, but to no significant degree. Even smaller is the increase in the use of clean, renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectric, wind, solar, and geothermal sources. This is likely because nonrenewable sources that are bad for the environment (i.e., coal, natural gas, nuclear power) are cheaper, and thus utilized more in spite of the grave environmental consequences. Likewise, energy sources that are eco-friendly are used far less because they are more expensive. However, their upfront costs even out in the end and actually save customers’ money in addition to, more importantly, saving the planet.
Adding on to my previous post, given this information, I wonder why short-term financial benefits precede long-term environmental benefits, especially since global warming is becoming a more prominent issue everyday? I also wonder this because the U.S. is an economic powerhouse, and one of the most influential and wealthiest nations in the world. It is for these reasons that opting for cleaner, renewable energy alternatives is crucial, as the U.S. is a role model for the rest of the world; other countries will, most likely, follow suit.
Headline: Differing Sources of Electricity Generation: Coal Still Reigns
I noticed that there was an abundance of coal energy from 2001 - 2015 which crazy to think of. It's great that we are now moving on from that type of pollution and went onto a more "eco-friendly" alternative. I wonder the the gaps in graph are and what nuclear energy is and how safe it is. The graph is showing Natural Gas Energy rising over Coal Energy which is slowing starting to get rid of the US's Carbon Footprint.
I notice that the amount of coal usage has decreased since 2015, & that the amount of natural gas usage has increased since 2015.
I wonder what we could do to make our electricity generation safer in the long run.
My title is "Electricity Generation: Where is it Now?"
We’re running out of fossils
I noticed that the usage rate of coal for energy has dramatically decreased in recent years, and that nuclear power and natural gas have increased as sources of energy.
I wonder what the most prominent source of energy will be in the future
I noticed overlaps on the graph
I wonder what the shapes of the different types of fuel mean
“Alternative sources of energy”
Sourcing Our Energy
I noticed that the use of natural gas has increased in the last few years while the use of coal has decreased over the last few years while the use of renewable resources or nuclear energy have maintained the same level.
I wonder why the use of reusable energy has not been become more prevalent in our way of life as we have been able to improve our methods of capturing this energy as our technology has become more advanced. Also I wonder why the use of the reusable energy such as wind or water energy has barely increased in the last almost 20 years as the issues of climate change become even more prevelant.
1. I noticed that coal generates the most electricity in the United States
2. I wonder if hydroelectric power is going to increase in the future
3. Electricity sources in the United States
I notice that coal emissions have the largest effect up to 2015 where is decreases a bit but still remains one of the top two most emissions. I wonder what happened to make the coal decrease in 2015 and how come it increased natural gas.
What’s hurting our earth?
I notice that the graph is prominently dominated by a coal based source for energy, but slowly begins to decline as other renewable energies and natural gas take over. I wonder if these changes are because of the newly seen green wave in the United States, calling for less use of fossil fuels, and more so to turn to cleaner forms of energy. The graph is showing a small but significant change in sources for energy, a good lead in the way to reduce America’s carbon footprint. A Title I would put for this graph is “What Powers You?”
HI, @Adrian --
The graph you see in the release is for all of the U.S. But, you can go to this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see for each of the 50 states the sources of electricity generation. This shows that states' renewable energy sources varies considerably.
Which state has most embraced the "green wave?"
I noticed that this graph simply shows the sources of electricity generation in the United States. I also notice from 2001 to about 2015, coal has always been the highest source of electricity generation. Then from about 2015 to 2017, Natural gas became the highest. I wonder what causes these dramatic changes at such a fast rate. This graph is showing the different electricty generators and what years they increase or decrease, and which kinds are the highest percentages. "Is Coal Taking a Pass?"
@Jessica S
Hi! I'm just wondering if you think the patterns displayed in the graph have anything to do with climate change? if so, how?
I notice ... there's a large amount of coal
in 2017 there's less amounts of petroleum then 2001 as the years progressed the amounts for each of the sources of electricity changed
@maude
Hi! What do you think are the potential dangers of using coal as the nation's principal energy generation source? Is natural gas really much better? If so, in what way(s)?
I notice that coal mostly dominates the graph, compared to other sources such as petroleum, wind, and hydroelectric sources. However, coal use dropped between 2015-16, suggesting that the US has started to rely on more eco-friendly sources of electricity. The use of natural gasses has stepped up significantly, while the use of nuclear sources dropped between 2005-6 and has stayed mostly the same. Use of petroleum is very low and only drops, while solar sources, though low, are increasing slowly.
I wonder why the data is presented in thick, blob-like shapes and why the percentages presented are very sparse and random.
My headline: From Coal to Natural Gas: Is the US becoming more Eco-Friendly?
Hi, @Chloe --
You say, "(U)se of nuclear sources dropped between 2005-6 and has stayed mostly the same." Note the percentage of sources of electricity generation for nuclear? Is this a big change? Or, is something else going on here? You may feel that this design is somewhat misleading.
I notice that the graph is represented by different colors and the shape of each different data aspect is dependent on the percent it was used in each year. For example, coal has the highest percent from years 2001-2015 but then drops as natural gas increases. I also notice that the solar energy started to increase in years 2016-2017.
I wonder why the graph only includes 4 percents. I also wonder why coal is the most dominant source for a majority of the years documented on the graph. Although most people knew it was bad for the environment, why did we continue to use it? Why have we been using such harmful sources instead of something better for the environment like, solar power? Since the solar power started to go up in 2016-2017 does that mean we use it more today?
Headline: Power in Percents
HI, @Molly Darling --
You respond, "I wonder why the graph only includes 4 percents." Which 4 percents are you referring to? If you tell us, maybe we can respond to your wonder.
@Moderator Sharon
I was wondering about the 4 percents, on the y-axis, 6%, 17%, 21%, and 51%
I notice that it is showing different types of energy used in the US. Coal and natural gas are big ones.
I wonder why the data is presented with blobs.
Headline: Natural gas finds its way to creep between the gaps in U.S. electric generation.
Thanks to all students who responded. Love the catchy headlines that capture the main ideas of the graph: “What Keeps the Lights On?" by Xavier of CA, “Say Watt! How the US Generates Its Electricity Might Shock You" by Math 43/Back Corner Group of Chabot College, and “What Does America Run On?” by Myles of Roland Grise Middle School.
You can continue to post responses. Take a look this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to how states differ in their sources of electricity generation. Dig deeper into these graphs.
Please check back tomorrow -- Thursday afternoon, March 14 to see the Reveal with a link to the original New York Times article, some questions about the graphs, and one Stat Nugget.
The next graph will be released tomorrow -- THURSDAY, MARCH 14, with moderation on WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20. You may respond before, during, or after the live moderation by going to “What's Going On In This Graph?”
Also, join us Wednesday, March 20 at 4 p.m. E.T. for our free webinar about teaching with graphs from The New York Times. Register here. (https://webinars.on24.com/nyt/Graphs?partnerref=TLNsite)
Signing off – Sharon Hessney in Boston, whose state generates a lot of natural gas but has a strong group of consumers advocating for renewable energy, and Leigh Nataro in Easton, Pennsylvania, who who loves the solar panels on her home and the data generated by their use.
I notice 8 colors in the graph each representing its own type of energy. I can see that coal was used very frequently in 2001 and was used less and less until 2015, when it had a major decrease. I can see that the use of natural gas in 2001 was 17% and grew to 32% by the end of 2017. Since 2001, petroleum has been used less and less. Approximately 3% of all energy used in 2001 was petroleum. In 2017, the use of petroleum was almost 0. There was no use of wind in 2001 but is being used more frequently in 2017, with 6% of all energy used in 2017 as wind. Nuclear energy was 21% of all energy used in 2001. It decreased 1% over time and the use of Nuclear energy was 20%. Solar energy was not used until 2013. Approximately 1% of all energy used in 2017 was solar energy. Only 6% of energy used in the U.S was hydroelectric. It was used more over time and grew 1% more. Geothermal energy seemed to stay the same overtime and has not changed since 2001.
I wonder why between 2007 and 2008 renewable energy use has gone up while non-renewable energy use has decreased. I wonder why they have empty spaces on the graph.
HI, @Andy C --
You wonder "(W)hy they have empty spaces on the graph." That's a great question.
Look where they are and how large they are. What do you think they represent? Are they useful or would you design the graph differently?
I notice ... that the graph is used as big blobs, sometimes with white spots
I wonder ... how this is a graph
Headline: Under The Ground
I have never seen a graph like this. I like how the source of energy type of clearly distinct from the color used to represent it. I honestly do not know much about energy and fuel but it is interesting to see how it has changed over the years. Coal was consistently the most used until it was surpassed by natural gas around 2015. Coal is probably the cheapest and most abundant resource which is why it is so widely used.
Good afternoon @MiaF - You noticed one of the main aspects of this graph - the place of coal and how it is no longer the highest electricity generator. Cost of production and abundance of a product are definitely factors that go into why it is so widely used. I would encourage you to create a catchy headline that tells the story of the graph and to share your headline with us.
This is interesting considering the topic of the type of fuels being used is so hot right now. I wonder why nuclear fuel greatly declined. I was under the impression that this fuel was cleaner and I thought that was what we were moving towards. I understand that there are still concerns but the dramatic decline certainly surprised me.
I notes that coal levels are rising a lot
I notice that most of the graph is coal, 51% of the graph is coal. 21 percent is Nuclear, 17 percent Natural gas, 6percant Hydroelectric.
@Jose Marshutz Be sure to look at the numbers on the right of the graph and the numbers across the bottom. What story does the graph tell about electricity generation? How is it changing?
@Jose Marshutz Why do you think coal takes over about half of the graph?
I notice... that the graph shows sources of electricity generated in years 2001-2017 in the US. The graph has different colors. The biggest source is coal and the smallest one is petroleum.
I wonder ... how the graph would look now, in 2019, and how will the graph change in the future?
My headline is... Sources of electricity generated in 2001 vs. 2017
My catchy headline is The Core of our Coal or The Heart of Our Electricity!
I notice that the graph is representing different types of energy uses in the u.s. A couple gases reverse after a few years. I also notice that cool is the most used by far! However, in recent years Natural Gas is passing coal. Also the graph is not exactly need, it is kind of like gas, not straight lines.
I wonder why nuclear gas has been going down recently and if it's related to the drop in the production of nuclear products? I wonder why coal stead as the number one electric use for so long? I wonder if natural gas is increasing in production because we are becoming more aware of the environment? I wonder how the graph is going to change in the future? I wonder what Hydroelectric gas is?
I notice ... that the different parts of the graph are elements that we use and that they're pilled on top of one another. I also notice that there are different amounts of products throughout the years.
I wonder ... Will different products change drastically in coming years?
Headline: The products we use, and how they have changed
This is a cool graph! I notice that the coal dominates most of the graph. It seems that it would be great for Hydroelectric to makea comeback!
I wonder how much each of the sources cost to attain/create.
I notice there a few different fuels listed and that coal is the biggest one
I wonder why the U.S started switching to coal so suddenly and then didn't stop using it
the title should be Energy Through the Ages
I notice: The nuclear chemicals that are used in weapons. Orange represents natural gas which is 32%. Gray means coal which decreased from 51% to 32%. Purple equals nuclear . The turquoise means hydroelectric.
I notice this graph represents the amount of each different sources of energy generation, and how much the US uses each one of them (in percentage form). This graph's x axis is time (in years), and its y axis is the amount used (in percent). Each different source has a different color.
I wonder how different the graph is from 2018 to 2019, and how it will alter in the future...
Catchy Headline: The Electric Graph
I notice … that the graph represents Sources of Electricity Generation in the United States. The largest source is coal and the smallest is either solar or wind. The graph is also color-coded and includes percentages.
I wonder … why the graph stops in 2017 and what it would look like for 2018 and 2019 (so far).
Headline: 'Sources of Electricity Through the Years'
Electricity Generation Throughout The Generations
I notice... That this graph is for Sources of Electricity Generation In The United States. I notice that there is a key that shows the color of the different energy sources. I notice that at the bottom of the graph the measurement of units is years from 2001-2017. I also notice that all the energy sources are on the graph, even though that only like 3 energy sources are used the most. I noticed that Coal used to be the most used energy source from 2001-2015 then it switched to natural gas as the most used energy source from 2015-2017. I notice that on the sides of the graph the measurement unit is by percentage.
I wonder ... Why are the most used energy sources the most harmful for the climate and the environment? I wonder what the graph would look like for the years of 2017-2019? Is any specific energy source becoming more popular? Now that people are becoming more aware of the harm that we are inflicting on the environment will the less harmful energy source become more popular? Why did they choose to make this graph? Why did they make this graph this way? Can there a way that the graph can be more clear?
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Greetings @George. Thank you for creating a catcy headline. You noticed many details that are important in making a graph convey a story - the scale and the numerical labels are a big part of that story. You wondered if there can be a way to make the graph be more clear. What aspects of the graph do you think are unclear or could be confusing to readers?
I would encourage you to I would encourage you to go to the New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see how electricity generation varies from state to state. How does California compare to West Virginia, for example? Be sure to come back and post what you discover.
I notice in 2001 coal takes up more than half of the electricity generation in the U.S but by 2017 the sources are more equally distributed. Also Hydroelectricity and other sources of energy like solar and wind seem to stay at about the same level of use as time goes on. I wonder What will this graph look like in the next ten years? How will it be different? Why did coal drop down in usage so much? A catchy headline for this graph could be "Our electricity generation sources in the last 16 years show coal has taken a dive"
Hello @Niko. Your catchy headline summarizes a main part of the story being told by the graph. Wondering what the graph will look like ten years from now is intersting to think about. Do you have any conjectures? Remember that this graph is a composite of all electricity generation for the entire United States. Do you think that there are some states that have more solar and hydroelectric power? Be sure to check out various state graphs at https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen and if you notice something interesting, be sure to share it.
I notice the coal is dominating the energy sources.
I wonder how much that will change over the next few years.
Headline: Energy changes from 2001-present.
What an interesting graph! This graph displays the percentages of electricity generation in the United States. Coal takes up more than half of the graph, while hydroelectric is a mere 6%. I am surprised that hydroelectric energy has not increased that much due to the amount of talk surrounding climate change and plans to save the environment.
@Ava D. Do you find any issues with the extreme use of certain resources?
@Kaitlyn G
I know I do... What happens when these overused sources are out?!
@Kaitlyn G The extreme use of coal worries me a little bit. I fear that coal is contributing to issues with the environment and can have the potential to make our air unclean.
In this graph I notice that it displays the sources of electricity generation in the United States. I notice that Coal use started was the largest percentage in 2001 at 51%. I then see that by 2017 coal use decreased significally to 30%. But on the other hand in 2001 natural gas use started lower at 17% but then increased to 32% by 2017. I wonder why other sources of energy such as hydroelectric have maintained consistent throughout the years. Also many people promote solar electricity as better for the environment so I wonder why solar use is basically nonexistent on the graph even in 2017. A catchy headline for this graph could be "Is Natural Gas in the Past?"
1
@Tina R Thanks for sharing a catchy headline, but the question you pose in the headline almost makes it seem like natural gas generation is decreasing. Can you think of a way to revise your headline? Supporting your observations with specific numbers from the graph makes claims like "decreased significantly" more concrete. I agree that solar does not have much represenation on the graph. Does solar enegry production happen more in some places in the United States. I would encourage you to go to the New York Times article at https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen to see how various states compare.
In this graph, the sources of electricity generation in the United States is shown. There are significant decreases in the use of coal, and the use of natural gas has increased dramatically. Unfortunately the use of Hydroelectric and other green energy sources has not increased dramatically, showing that there is still much improvement to be done in renewable energy.
@Madison S. How can we increase green energy sources?
@Ava D. we can expand the use of solar panel use in homes as well as large corporate buildings. Research suggests that although solar panels originally have a high cost, eventually they prove to be less expensive than continuing to use other sources of energy. The next big advancement in cutting down on the use of natural gas such as fossil fuels could be electric or even solar-powered forms of transportation.
I notice coal and other nonrenewable energy sources are used much more than any renewable sources. I wonder why the use of natural gas has increased so inconsistently, and why nuclear has decreased so much. I think the point of this graph is to show how little progress we've made in using renewable and healthy energy resources while we continue to use more and more harmful sources.
Good afternoon @Jordan R
You have made some good observations about how the electricity production has changed. Be sure to look at the percentages at the beginning and the end of the graph. Did nuclear decrease that much? What about the construction of the graph is leading you to draw that conclusion? Do you have a recommendation for how the graph could be drawn to accurately tell the story? We look forward to reading your thoughts on the answers to these questions.
@Jordan R I think that people have seen the major damage that can be done with Nuclear powered things, which could address why the percentage for this category had gone down. I agree that the renewable resources only account for a small portion of this graph and should be better utilized in the future.
I noticed that the use of natural gas has increased and while it is better than coal it is still harmful. I also noticed that more renewable sources are being used and coal is decreasing. I wonder why we haven't progressed as much into the use of renewable as opposed to non-renewable. I also wonder why natural gas is being used more than coal lately. I think that this graph is trying to say that coal is a harmful source of energy and it's decreasing in use. I wonder if instead of resorting to one ideal source, maybe we can use several okay alternatives.
Good afternoon @Jamie W. You have definitely noticed the big picture of what the graph is trying to communicate - the change in sources of electricity generation. Do you think these changes are uniform across the United States? I would encourage you to go to the New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) and look up South Carolina. Then, pick out another state to see how it compares. We hope you will share your findings with us.
I notice that the use of coal has decreased in the future. I wonder which source of energy will replace coal. The story of the graph is teaching us the different energy sources we use in the past and in the present.
@Chris
I also wonder will coals decreasing rates what will replace it. Do you think natural gas will move up the largest source in the future?
do you think that coal has decreased because of efforts to save the environment?
This graph should definitely be considered by all of the human race in the causes for global warming and pollution. The enormous amounts of coal that had been used from 2001-2015. I wonder why this has declined, and I wonder if this hasn’t something to do with humans trying to stop the causes of global warming since coal is very harmful. Now, more natural gas is being used, but this graph should trigger people to remember that we only have so much of a supply of natural resources, and we must not waste them. Clearly we use so much off them that we should try to utilize solar power more. A good headline for this graph would be “Are We Taking Our Natural Resources for Granted?”
@Kaitlyn G great connections to pollution and global warming. Do you think that the current political spectrum and policies have added to the use of natural gas in most recent years? Why or why not?
I notice that coal usage has gone down
I wonder if other forms of energy will go up overtime
The story the graph is telling us that we are making a big switch from coal to natural gas usage
@Peyton Parker
Why do you think we are making the changes? Possibly enviormental reasons?
@Peyton Parker do you think that coal is harmful to the environment?
You've offered up many, many headlines for this graph. At last count, there are over 40 headlines.
Newspapers try to offer headlines that grab the reader's attention. They tend to be shorter and have a zing -- something that the reader would not expect. Maybe it surprises the reader with either surprise or shock.
Always the headlines come from evidence in the graph and not other information or opinion.
What do you propose?
As observed by the graph, more eco-friendly resources have overtaken the US. With this said, what caused the sudden change in 2005 and 2015? Cheaper reproduction/manufacturer cost?With this change, what is being gained and lost in the change of these electrical generators?
Hello @Leslie Rivas
You have observed that there are definitely changes. Can you explain what you mean by suddent change in 2005 and 2015? What evidence is there in the graph that could be used to support that claim? Do you have a catchy headline that would go with this graph?
Be sure to check out this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see which states are changing. Not all states have the same electricity generation.
@Moderator Leigh
In 2005, natural gasses surpass nuclear. In 2015, natural gasses surpass coal. By looking at year 2005 and 2015, natural gas's percentage use grows and surpasses that percentage of nuclear and coal generation. As time passes/increases (x), natural gas's generation increases (y). Contrary to that, nuclear and coal's generation decreases as time passes. Something that I did leave out in my original comment is the decline of petroleum, the increase of wind generation and the introduction of solar energy. My output for the headline would be "Current Generation" as it contains two possible meanings; it can refer to our present society or be about the creation of electricity.
When looking at this graph, I notice that coal has been a major source of electric generation since 2001 (51%). However, it seems that it is being used less recently, declining starting in 2015. Natural gases are increasing, meaning it is becoming a larger source. Nuclear energy became important, starting 2001 at 21%, but decreased (not much). Others, such as hydroelectric, solar, and wind power never really change in the graph, they remain very small. I wonder why coal is decreasing so much, and also why/how natural gases are becoming more useful for electric generation. I believe that the main idea of this graph to showing how much coal we actually use, the rapid increase in nuclear energy, and how many other sources we dismiss. If we decide to choose another option and make it more popular, it may be better for our environment.
Good morning, @Cheyenne Wood --
You’ve noticed much about the individual sources of electricity generation. But, take another look at the graph. Which sources change their ranking in the sources of electricity generation but do not change (much) their percentage of electricity generation? Which sources change the percentage of electricity generation, but do not change their ranking in the sources of electricity generation? Compare your lists. What story does this tell?
This graph illustrates the percentages of use of various energy sources from 2001-2017 in the U.S. The first thing I noticed was how much coal was used between 2001-2015 (it consumed about 51% of the United State's overall energy use). In complete honesty, this statistic confused me as I was not aware that coal was used so often. Personally, I believe that this might be due to the fact that I grew up in a very simplistic and modern era in terms of energy use. Many people are now switching to more natural sources, such as sunlight panels, in order to protect the environment. This might also explain why the use of coal has decreased from 51% to 30% in recent years. Additionally, natural gas has seen a massive increase from 17% in 2001 to 32% in 2017. An appropriate title for this graph would be "Count Out Coal! We're #allnatural" as this incorporates both the increased use of natural gases as well as the fact that today's society is so technology-based.
HI, @Mia D. --
You give not only a catchy headline, but also what you notice from the graph that supports your claim. Thank you.
I notice...that there has been a decrease in the amount of electricity generation by coal and an increase in natural gas. This is a positive change, however, coal is still the second source of electricity in the U.S. as well as the third source being nuclear energy.
I wonder...if the use of natural gas will continue and there will be a further be a decrease in the use of nuclear gas. I also wonder if hydroelectric energy will move up to replace nuclear energy and coal sources.
The story that this graph is telling is, the progression of natural resources in generating electricity. This graph shows a positive change in resources being used, also shown by using brighter, more vibrant colors to represent the more efficient resources. The graph also shows the amount of time that this process has taken, maybe trying to persuade the audience to treat this as an urgent issue.
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Good morning, @Colby Parks --
You bring up two points that no one else has yet to mention.
1. The use of “vibrant” colors emphasizes more efficient resources. Graphic artists have the discretion to catch your eye with what they want to highlight.
2. Time series graphs are used to emphasize major changes over time. How much more effective this is than just writing a paragraph on percentage of sources of electricity generation in the U. S.
Thank you for alerting others that graphs have this power, sometimes in subtle ways, to inform and persuade you, both and sometimes to misinform.
@Colby Parks I also notice that the usage of these sources are changing and I agree that this could possibly be a way to persuade the audience to treat this as an urgent issue and that there still has to be improvements.
Being a student, one that doesn't primarily focus on multiple aspects of energy usage and the environment, it is hard for me to decipher the underlying meaning of this graph. What I do notice though is the unbelievably large usage of coal in the recent decade yet it does seem to be decreasing. What I'm wondering here is if those bottom energy sources will ever rise to say the level of coal usage. In short the graph is demonstrating that energy usage is in fact changing on the basis of how we obtain it. What I believe the graph is demonstrating is that in order to prevail with eco-friendly sources of energy we need to stop letting sources such as coal and natural gases crush them.
I notice how over the years coal and nuclear energy is being decreased in use and Natural gas is having a rise in use. There is also other sources like wind and solar that are slowly increasing in use but not as drastically. I wonder how many people want to push for those types. of energy like solar or wind are increasing slower that anything, and the colors seem to have some type of agenda. I think the graph is, in a way, trying to show that the world is giving those types of energy than anything else that is helpful
The graph shows the sources of electricity generation in the past versus now.I noticed on the graph that we rely more on natural gas now and in the past we heavily relied on coal. Nuclear energy has gone down as well. I wonder why alternative resources like wind and hydroelectric haven't increased as much, we should be focusing on more ways to develop them.
@Olivia H.
Do you think that it is a good thing that natural gas has increased? Or do you think that other sources such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric should be increased?
Return... of the analysis...
The graph looks kinda wacky, but basically what's going on is, the bars are sorted by percentage and every time a percentage outgrows another they swap positions. In short, Coal usage, which comprised of 51% of electricity source in 2001, falls to 30% in 2017 as well as the might(?) of Natural Gas, which grows from 17% in 2001 to 32% in 2017. Nuclear dropped a single percent of total, which probably means it's usage grew - I can't make a complete picture just from this graph - and hydroelectric has definitely grown proportionally as well. Also lol, rip petroleum.
tl;dr: Natural gas is king.
Good morning, @Phillip Robinson --
Yes, you noticed that petroleum (i.e. oil) is at the bottom of the graph. What a change. I bet if you asked people how oil ranked in source of electricity generation, they would say much higher.
Since you focused on the switching of the sources, what are the white regions in the graph?
I notice that we have shifted from using coal as our highest electricity source to natural gas.
I wonder why coal usage went down 30% in 2015.
The story the graph is telling is how much of each source is used to generate electricity and which ones we have become more dependent on over a period of time.
Today is my birthday! This graph is very fitting for my day of birth because my dad and I always debate carbon-footprint emissions. I notice that the year of 2005-2006 was a turning point for natural gas at above 17%, and that in 2015-2016 it increased to a scale above 32%. I also note that all the percentages on the graph add up to 100%. I wonder if the 2016 New Source Performance Standards for Oil and Gas industries had any role in this shift away from coal and towards natural gas. In 2017, coal was at 30%, a significant decrease from 51% in 2001. I am curious about whether or not these standards- which streamlined production and implementation, reduced EPA and state requirements, and decreased burdens on producers- played a role in this change. I further wonder if the most recently proposed targeted improvements to these standards in 2018 will have such an effect. A catchy headline for this graph could be, "Major Electricity Improvements since '01".
1
Good morning, Olivia C --
Happy Birthday!
You’ve brought to this graph much information and conjectures about electricity generation. Did you have the opportunity to check out New Jersey’s electricity generation from the New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen)? How does New Jersey compare to the US? What factors are different in New Jersey?
@Moderator Sharon Thank you! The article is unfortunately blocked on my school's server, but I will check it out when I get home! https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NJ This website shows how New Jersey is very progressive in terms of natural gas as opposed to coal.
Immediately I notice how much the US has relied on coal for electricity generation since 2001, and I can only assume the country ran on coal at an even higher percentage before 2001. I think that the gradual decrease of coal usage for electricity generation over the last two or so decades comes from a growing belief that there are other ways to produce electricity that are less harmful to the environment. This makes me think also of the coal mining industry, its workers, and how it has been in the news very often over recent years.
A title for this graph could be "Should Coal Be Reserved For Stockings?: How the US is Using Coal"
Greetings @Carina P.
You noticed how coal is a key aspect of electricty generation and your catchy headline highlights this. Do you think coal is the highest electricity generator for every state? Which states might have more wind production, for example? Be sure to go to this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see how electricity use varies by state. We hope you report back on something that you find.
Welcome to Wednesday's moderation of “What’s Going On in This Graph?”
Today’s graph shows the sources of electricity generation in the United States for 2001 – 2017. You can see the electricity sources for each of the 50 states in this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen).
From 9 am – 2 pm E.T. today, share with us your responses online to these three questions -- "What do you notice?", "What do you wonder?", and "What's going on in this graph?"
Plus, please share with us a catchy headline that captures the ideas about the graph.
On Thursday afternoon, we’ll reveal the article that included this graph and much more. We look forward to reading your discoveries.
The next “What’s Going On in This Graph?” will be released tomorrow -- Thursday, March 14 with moderation on Wednesday, March 2.
Also, join us Wednesday, March 20 at 4 p.m. E.T. for our free webinar about teaching with graphs from The New York Times.
Register here. (https://webinars.on24.com/nyt/Graphs?partnerref=TLNsite)
What we notice- all the elements add up to 100%, percentage of total production changes over time, the total percentage of energy formed by coal went from 51% to 30%(decreased)
What we wonder-what would cause the percentage change in the energy sources. Did the actual production of coal energy decrease or did the production of other energy sources increase? Did nuclear energy production decrease or is it not growing as fast as others?
What might be going on in this graph? Coal will keep decreasing because many people are not using it anymore, more environmental sources of energy are growing.
Good morning, @Tony --
What great questions, if I may paraphrase them: Is electricity generation holding constant and the distribution of sources of electricity changing? Or, is electricity generation increasing and some sources are generating this increase? What do you think? Or, better yet, where could you search for the answer?
Take a look at New Jersey’s sources of electricity generation in this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen). How is the story in New Jersey different than in the entire U.S.? I can see that it is VERY different. What’s going on I New Jersey?
I notice that in the United States, nuclear energy has been replaced by natural gas, between around 2005 and around 2015, and coal has been replaced by natural gas since around 2015. Based on these observations, I infer that natural gas is the rising energy source in the United States, however, it is only 2% higher than the amount of coal being used for electricity. I wonder what the reasoning is for natural gas consumption increasing in the last 17 years. I also wonder why hydroelectricity has been very constant in its consumption, only rising by 1% in 16 years. The story the graph is telling is that the amount of energy being used as well as the source of energy in the United States has changed over the years, however, natural gas has continued rising since 2001. A headline for the article could be "Gassed Up Energy" because "gassed up" can mean "full of," and most of the US's electricity is coming from natural gas. The term is common in youth slang, so it could attract more youth, and possibly interest them in where most of the United State's electricity is coming from. The headline also includes that the source of energy from gas is rising up in the United States, relevant to the graph which is displaying natural gas rising as the main energy source in the United States.
@Sarai C Society definitely seems to be acting more simplistic and environment-safe in terms of energy use. For this reason, I believe they are switching to natural gases. I love that title that you chose as it includes a fun pun while also staying reflective of the information presented. Awesome work!
@Sarai C Thank you for thinking of a catchy headline that would attact a younger audience. Plus your headline conveys some of the story behind the graph. In terms of why certain energy sources have not increased, I think cost of producing the energy is a big part of the equation. Be sure to check out sources of electricity generation in this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen). How does your state compare to what is going on in the United States as a whole?
Looking from the graph it shows that Natural Gas is the main resource because of solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectricity from last year and they are renewable source too. Also i'm interested at the solar that why is there 16% on it because we usually have high temperatures around in california. I also did some research about it and tells me that our natural gas grew since 2017.
Good morning, @Hector G --
You bring up two very interesting points in your response.
The graph shows that the percentage of electricity generation from natural gas has increased in the U. S. This alone would result in an increase in natural gas if we were not even to increase our use of electricity. But, has the use of electricity increased, too? Where could you find this answer?
Also, you mention that California may be a special case since it has high temperatures. Go to the New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) and you may find your answer. Look at states with much lower temperatures and see how their sources of electricity generation are different. Please share with us what you find.
One of the main details of the graph that I noticed was that Hydroelectric has been at an almost constant rate until it starts to barely increase in the early 2010s. Another detail that I notice is that coal is a major source of electricity until it's dramatically declining by 21% in the middle of 2015, and is replaced by an incline of natural gas. I wonder if this decline is because of the effects of coal air pollution. This graph informed us of the different kinds of electricity generation in the U.S and when they declined/inclined.
Looking from the graph it shows that Natural Gas is the main resource because of solar, wind, geothermal and hydroelectricity from last year and they are renewable source too. Also i'm interested at the solar that why is there 16% on it because we usually have high temperatures around in california. I also did some research about it and tells me that our natural gas grew since 2017. In other case i think this should be called ¨Natural Causes.¨
@Hector G
Why do you think this rise occurred?
From observing this graph, I notice that in 2001, 51% of our main provider of electricity comes from coal. Now that has decreased to 30%, making natural gas our top provider, according to 2017 research. I wonder how much our atmosphere would change if we alternate coal and other harmful providers, to a conductor of electricity that doesn't play a part in global warming. By looking at the graph, I'm curious as to how the people living in the United States immensely minimized the usage of coal. A title for this graph could be, "Have harmful conductors of electricity really been replaced? Has it made a difference?"
Good morning, @jackeline aguilar --
Thank you for your response about how the use of coal for electricity generation has diminished since 2001. Your headline raises a very interesting question: "Have harmful conductors of electricity really been replaced? Has it made a difference?" What are the harmful conductors? From the graph, can you tell if they have been replaced? You may also want to examine the graph for California and compare your state to the national sources of electricity generation. You can see the electricity sources for each for the 50 states in this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen). Please share with us what you notice and wonder.
From this graph, our group can see that coal usage consistently decreased compare to other sources of energy such as natural gas or nuclear energy. Interestingly, usage of natural gas started to increase since 2005 and completely overtook the first place by 2015. According to the graph's latest data, natural gas takes 32% of the source of energy in the U.S, whereas the data showed a steady decline of coal usage from 51% in 2011 to 30% in 2017. Our group wonders what caused a drop in coal usage in 2015, and how the natural gas took the top spot on the U.S. Also, we wonder what caused a sharp decline of nuclear energy in 2005. This graph might show a decline in the domestic coal industry and technological innovation in natural gas to demonstrate the change in the top source of energy in the U.S.
Good morning, @David Lee --
Great to see you noticing and wondering about the graph in a group. Many heads are better than one?
You mention that possibly technological innovation is the reason for the reordering of sources of electricity generation. What could be the other reasons for the reordering? Look at the each of the sources of electricity.
Also, take a look at your state’s sources of electricity generation in this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen). How is the story different for your state than for the entire U.S.?
We notice that there are a lot of gases and that coal was the highest source of electricity in the US while solar was the lowest amount of electricity. We also noticed that from the year 2001 to 2017 that the natural gas was a whole lot more and basically at its peak. We wonder why coal and natural gas are crossing each other as well as natural gas and nuclear cross each other as well does that mean anything? How come the gases don't combine together? People discovered new kinds of gases and they started to change their preferences. We would call the graph "Changes in Energy Sources" because of the changes in energy throughout the years.
This graph displays the sources used to generate electricity specifcially in the U.S. The sources include coal, nuclear, geothermal, petroleum, hydroelectric, solar, natural gas, and wind. Petroleum, wind, solar, and geothermal are rarley used as a source. I assume that these sources are not as effective as other sources as they are used less than 6% of the time. I noticed that the greatest sources used are coal and natural gas. Natural gas is slightly greater than coal. I wonder why? Could this be due to the environmental impacts of natural gas v. coal? A title for this graph could be, “ Where Does Energy Really Come From?"
Greetings @Grace B
You have definitely noticed the variety of resources used to produce electricity. What do you mean by "not as effective"? Do you think they produce less electricity or cost more to produce the same amount of electricity? You headline is good, but what is the story that that graph is showing between 2001 and 2017? How could the story be incorporated in your headline? Keep on noticing and wondering.
@Moderator Leigh
What I meant by "not as effective" was one source could produce energy at a more rapid pace or is more effective. I definitely believe that cost plays a huge role in what source is used. The graph is showing the story of electricity generation so a title could be, “Which energy source is rising?”
In this graph I noticed that these are all ways that the United States make electricity. Some of these sources are very harmful towards the earth like coal witch causes polution in the earth. I wonder in the furture if wind and solar power will become more popular and the parts of the graph that over lap. I wonder what that part of the graph means? Wind and solar power both sources of electricty that are way safer for the planent. This graph is showing us what source and the percent of it we use.
Good morning, @Amber --
You highlight the use of wind and solar power sources. These are sustainable sources that also include geothermal, hydroelectricity, and biomass. Learn more about these other sources of electricity.
Then, take a look this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see which states have increased their use of sustainable sources of electricity generation. Please share with us what you noticed and wondered.
@Amber Do you believe that the fact that coal pollutes the environment is the leading reason as to why it's being used less? Or do you feel it is due to the new energy technology?
At first glance, I was pretty confused with what was happening in the graph. Then from reading through the article I noticed that this graph is about the "sources of electricity generation in the United States." I honestly wonder how electricity can be generated from all these different types of sources. This graph is showing the sources of electricity generation in the U.S. from 2001-2017. You can tell that coal is going down, while natural gas usage rate is rising. Other things that you can see is that solar energy is become more relevant now, so this whole graph could vary in future years.
In the graph you can notice that using coal for electricity generation went from 51% and dropped to 30%, while the natural gas went from 17% up to 32%.From the research that I've done I wonder why the U.S. would barely start replacing coal with natural gas knowing that coal emits more Carbon dioxide than natural gas which means that natural gas is more "Clean" than coal. The graph also surprised me when I found out that they don't use Nuclear energy more, even though it cost more it is more safe for the environment, it also doesn't rely on fossil gas which means it won't affect oil or gas prices. I think a good title for this graph would be "Usage of Electric generators in the United States"
Good morning, @Humberto G --
You focused on why there are switches in the sources of electricity generation. Reasons include the costs of the sources, the environmental impact, but also the electricity generation facilities that exist and the cost and time to adapt or build facilities for other sources. How is your state adapting to new sources?
One of the main details of the graph that I noticed was that Hydroelectric has been at an almost constant rate until it starts to barely increase in the early 2010s. Another detail that I notice is that coal is a major source of electricity until it's dramatically declining by 21% in the middle of 2015, and is replaced by an incline of natural gas. I wonder if this decline is because of the effects of coal air pollution. This graph informed us of electricity generators and when they declined/inclined.
I notice that the main sources for electricity in the US are earth damaging sources. I wonder why we use these three sources if they harm the world so much. I also wonder when are we, society, going to enforce the environment friendly sources to be the main energy sources in order to conserve our planet. The lesson learned from this graph is that we are harming the earth and need to eliminate polluting its atmosphere.
In the last 16 years, the use of coal to generate electricity has decreased from 51% to 30% while the use of natural gas has increased 17% to 32%.
I wonder if the reopening of coal factories will increase the usage of coal for generating electricity.
A catchy headline would be, "Coal Usage Quickly Plummets As Natural Gas Usage Sky Rockets". Over the course of the last 16 years there have been two main sources of electricity generation (coal and natural gas) with coal being the more utilized source. Within the last year and a half natural gas has surpassed coal as the main source of electricity generated.
I've noticed that coal has been our main source of until recently when it was surpassed by natural gas (Which still produces a considerable amount of C02 into the atmosphere, just less so) in 2015. I wonder why such a dramatic shift happened only between those two electrical sources and not the other ones which has remained mostly stagnant. I would name this article "What keeps the lights on"
@Xavier Arce Do you think this shift has anything to do with trying to be environmentally friendly?
I notice that coal was the main electrical source in the United States but decreased over time while natural gas increased. I wonder why natural gas is increasing while both coal and nuclear are decreasing as an energy source. A headline for this graph could be "The different types and usage of energy sources"
@Madison Were you surprised that nuclear electricity generation is more prominent than solar power?
@Madison
What do you think is the most effective source? Why?
I noticed that our coal decreased by a lot and our natural gases increased by a lot while the other sources of electricity remained almost the same. I wonder why our coal and our natural gases had a huge change. The story the graph is telling us is that over the years our generation has learned to use more natural gases to work on being more environmentally friendly so that caused us to use less coal.
This graph shows which energy sources are used in the US, and how much of them are used. I notice that natural gases have replaced the use of coal(N.G. going from 3rd most used to most used) at a rapid pace between 2005 and 2006. Nuclear energy levels have also been cut down, going from second most used to third most used. I also notice that solar energy starts to become affective aroun 2012, and is continuing to grow. Wind energy has also increased, surpassing solar energy. I notice that geothermal and hydroelectric energy have maintained about the same amount of usage since 2001. I wonder why coal was replaced by natural gases in such a short time period, and why natural gases replaced nuclear energy in just a years time.
I notice that the majority of the percentage is coal, and the second most majority is nuclear gas. Also, the fact that coal covers more of the graph for a longer period of time. Some of the catagories in the graph being too overlap at certain periods in the timeline. I wonder why so much nuclear gas is being used. Also, why this type of graph is in a magazine like this, instead of a magazine about what fuels electricity. What's going on in the graph is how much electricity is being used over time around the world. A headline would be "Products used throughout time for electricity."
In the article/graphs, I noticed that for many years the U.S has been using coal as a generator for electricity. Throughout the years, more and more states have been relying on natural gases instead of coal which is better for the environment. I wonder why some states are still using coal even with knowing how it is causing environmental issues. I also wonder what will happen when gas eventually becomes bad for the Earth, what will substitute?
@Jenaya R
Do you think if/when gas becomes bad for the earth other energy sources displayed on the graph will rise such as hydroelectric energy or solar energy etc?
I notice that coal was being used the most then it dropped down a little bit as the years went by. I also notice that nuclear gas started being used more as the years went by and as of 2017 it was the most used electricity source. I wonder why coal was being used more when it can cause air-pollution to the environment and air-pollution can lead to health problems. I believe this graph is showing the usage of different electricities. I think a good title would be 'Electricity Sources'.
I noticed that coal was the biggest source of energy in this graph from 2001 to 2015. I also noticed that solar energy was the smallest source of energy from 2012 to 2017. I wonder why natural gas use suddenly peaked in 2015 becoming the most used source of energy. The graph shows how over the years the United States is finding better sources to use that won’t harm the earth as much. This graph also shows that the United States is coming up with ways to help stop global warming.
I noticed that coal had an instant and drastic drop in 2 years from 2015 to 2017 with 21%. I also noticed that Natural gas was being used more and Nuclear was being used less and then Nuclear suddenly was being used more than Coal and went up 15% in 10 years. I wonder why coal is the main source being used to create electricity when it creates pollution. I think they started realizing that it wasn't good for electricity usage hence why it is being used less.
In this graph you can see that coal is used more than any of the other materials. I wonder why the US still uses coal when there is more efficient resources in the world that does not cause global warming. Based on what ive seen and read i can say that the US is trying to improve using different materials but the citizens do not want to change.
I notice that coal is what the united states uses for electricity generation the most out of all the other sources. Also that they have stopped using the nuclear source over time. I wonder why they stopped using the nuclear and why they have never really used the Hydroelectric source. The graph the story is telling is that we are beginning to use natural gas over time but coal will most likely be our source until we can figure out a way to only use natural gas.
In this graph I see the percentage of sources that the United States uses for electricity, coal is on top with 51% which isn't a surprise to me because it's a very cheap and effective way to get electricity, but it is a dated use of energy, although it does pay well which is why people still mine coal. Natural gas is in second place with 21%, it is a very easy way of getting energy but does lot's of damage to the environment like the coal. Nuclear is at third place with 17% but isn't a surprise since nuclear plants need lots of space to run the use of nuclear power plants is diminishing because the population is increasing and the people need more space to live. Hydroelectric with 6% most likely because the United States doesn't have many huge water ways to build dams so they aren't as common as the others. I'm surprised that I didn't see solar energy on the graph since it's a great way to get power.
Good morning, @Nezta Higuera --
Nice breakdown of the sources of electricity generation. If you go to this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen), you can see other sources of electricity generation by state. Which states generate a lot of electricity from solar energy? Other sustainable sources? How does California do? Does this surprise you? Please share with us your findings.
Nature Power
I noticed that in 6 years Natural gas has taken United States by storm. Natural gas was only being used for 7 states in 2001, but now in 2017 it is being used in 15 states. I wonder how long it will take for natural gasses to take over the United States and how it will effect our jobs and our global warming issues?
In this graph it is showing us the main usage of electricity used in the US from 2001 to 2017. The first thing that I noticed in the graph was Coal was the number one source of electricity from 2001 right up until the start of 2016 where it started to decline in percentages. Out of all of the others 51% used coal as their electricity source up until 2016. I also noticed that only 17% used natural gas up until 2006 where it passed Nuclear electricity which was also declining in percentages. In 2016 32% used natural gas as their electricity source and 30% used coal.
I noticed that within the graph,there is a large percentage of coal,that then leads onto Natural Gas with a smaller percentage,with Nuclear coming in next with an even smaller percentage,that then ends with Hydroelectric with the smallest percentage.I wonder if the graph that is shown,is showing a declining rate of our natural sources over the past few years.The story this graph is telling is the amount of our sources that our being used,are also either reproducing extremely slow to where it it can't cope with the amount we use everyday,or little do we know that the sources that we use won't come back at all.I believe that a great title would be"Natural Resource Awareness".
In this graph we notice that coal was a major supplier for electricity. Natural gas has almost doubled as a source in the last 16 years in the United States.
We wonder who even uses geothermal and where they use it?
We also wonder why/what caused solar to suddenly spike in 2013/2014?
The story this graph is telling is that as more electricity is required in the United States, cheaper options become more popular amongst the people.
@Alice In 2013, my next-door neighbor invested in solar panels because CE Pro dropped the cost by 99%. Perhaps the decreased cost of solar panels led to more accessibility and thus greater electricity generation. Why do you suppose geothermal electricity is not as popular?
HI, @Olivia C --
Thank you for replying to Alice’s response.
I can give you some reasons why geothermal is not more popular. It’s very expensive to install and its cost varies based on location and amount of land. But, solar, in most locations, is more feasible. Take a look this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see which states use solar and geothermal the most. What do they have in common? Please share with us what you noticed and wondered.
@Moderator Sharon Most geothermal energy seems to be produced in California, Nevada, Utah, Ohio, and others; most solar energy seems to be produced in California as well, along with my own state, New Jersey, Arizona, Texas, and others. These states include both blue and red states, so energy emissions are not a partisan issue, one might say.
Within the graph I understand the fact that the main source of electricity generation in the United States as of 2017 is natural gas. The graph has helped me come a a deeper realization about how during the 21st century coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy have been the leading sources of electricity generation in the United States. I wonder what the top three leading sources of electricity in the United states were in previous decades. I also wonder what the leading sources of electricity generation are in other countries. Catchy headline: Natural gasses surpass coal as the leading source of electricity generation in the United States.
I notice that in the graph there are multiple layers and a key to identify which layer is which. I also notice that the percentages vary from left to right, as an example, on the left side ‘coal’ starts at 51% then once it reaches the right side it is at a 30% and dips below the ‘natural gas’ section which you can determine means that the ‘natural gas’ percentage is then higher than the ‘coal’ percentage. This happens all over the graph and indicates that percentages are always changing in what we use which can depend on the environment we live in and what is best for us as a society.
This graph shows the sources of electricity generation in the United states. I noticed that a majority of the electricity generation originally came from coal but is now being produced from natural gas. California's top source of electricity generation being from natural gas. I wonder why coal generation has drastically minimized and if there are benefits to Natural gas, making it the top source in the United States. I would label the graph "Natural is the way to go!"
In this graph it shows that the U.S. used coal as their main source of electricity until it drastically decreased from 2015 to 2017, going from 51% to 30%. However, natural gas increased at this time from 17% up to 32%. Nuclear also decreased from 2005-2006 going from 21% to 20%, not much of a difference. I wonder what caused natural gas to become more popular, and why coal is being used less? A headline that captures the graphs main purpose could be "Natural gas is heading for first place?".
In this graph you can see that coal has the biggest percentage on the graph. I noticed that Hydroeletric is at the bottom. I wonder why the US does not use natural gas as much as coal. In the graph there are common places for a lot of the materials so it shows where they where used the same. I think a good title is Electricity Rises.
I have noticed that coal is the highest used source of electricity and petroleum is the least used source of electricity. Another thing that I noticed was that California uses more natural gas and coal is the least used source. California's top electricity source is natural gas and has been since 2001 and a fourth of the electricity consumed was from outside of the borders. In the years, 2014 and 2015, hydroelectric power became the largest share of renewable energy because it is easier to manage. I wonder why coal was always one of the top used source of electricity.
I've noticed that the U.S. uses coal and nuclear power the most which is bad because there is a lot of extra waste from nuclear power and they have no solution as of what to do with it and the factories that make coal energy are actually devastating to human health due to the chemicals that are left over from the coal as were natural gasses are used less and are actually better for human health and the planet and has more than enough positive benefits like how it will help with green house gas admissions or how if we use more natural gas we'll have better air quality and I think this should be titled "Natural Hero".
I noticed that the main source of the electricity generation was coal. As time pass, natural gas is becoming the main source of the electricity generation in the United States. I wonder if solar or wind would be the main source one day. I think a good headline would be "Energy sources over the year"
I noticed that coal was the most used in America before Natural gas came into more use by 2%. In the end, coal went down by 20% while natural gas went up by 15%. I wonder why petroleum is very low if we use it for many things. A title might be "Raises and decreasing of Natural Gas."
ELECTRICFYING RESOURCES
As time goes by we are finding new ways to use different sources for electricity. During 2001, 51% of our generation was using a non-renewable resource for electricity. Coal is the easiest source to mine for and the safest, as years went on during 2015 there was a spike for a new resource used for electricity, natural gas. Natural gas isn't so easy to get like coal is and is dangerous to do so, while we are still learning to use and find new a different ways to use other resources. I wonder how we can indroduce new ways to bring safer and green friendlier solutions for our benefits and needs. How can we support solar power and wind power into a damanding state and what other ways can we prevent lives being lost in search for a non-renewwable resource? I notice that our use of coal as our first choice of electricity hasn't been as demanding lately instead we're using gas as a way to fuel out everyday lives.. I wonder, which will be more risky? My headline was inspired by looking at the decrease of coal and the increase of other resources.
What I notice on this graph is that the coal and nuclear energy percentage dropped to almost half of what the original percentage was, and that the percentage for natural gas went up. What I wonder is why the use of coal and nuclear energy went down, while natural gas went up. What I think the story this graph might be telling is the change of energy source for electricity, a headline for this might be a Change in Source since the percentages have changed.
I noticed in the graph that in the span of 16 years that the use of non renewable are at 89 percent and renewable sources are at 11. Then in 2016 82 percent for non renewable sources and finally that the renewable sources are at 18 percent. I wonder if the United states relies more on renewable sources will this prevent the eventual increase and or help the global warming problem . Another idea is that will the rate of changing it even help or does it need to be more drastic. (Headline click bait or real one it's joke) Headline for this graph is this ,The slow changing of American use of resources for electricity .
In this graph it demonstrates the different sources the U.S uses to create energy. Anyone looking at this graph could say that coal in leading the main source of generating electricity, but taking a glance it's clear that another source is climbing it's way up ladder. This is Natural gas. Many states are switching sources of electricity for example California main source is Natural gas. Although this is good because we are not burning as much fossil fuel another thing that we are doing is creating greenhouse gases. This is good and bad. I wonder what will be the best option for us.
Good morning, @Noe --
Your response made me search online with which sources of electricity generation increased greenhouse gases.
Then, I thought, what would a graph look like, using this same data, that showed percentage of sources that increase greenhouse gases? Would it show an increase or a decrease over time?
You could easily do this and see what you discover.
In this graph you can see that the U.S. uses natural gas for electricity generation more than in the past and the coal and nuclear electricity sources are going down. I wonder why the natural gas production is going up and why nuclear energy isn't being used more often. From my own research I have read that nuclear energy can be a very safe way to make energy. I think a good title for this would be "gas raises"
Looking at the graph I can see that the trend of coal being the majority energy source declined. Natural gas increased to be the most used energy source in recent years. The graph surprised me that nuclear energy is not utilized more. I would name the headline, "The natural high of energy"
Hi, @Caleb --
Is nuclear energy used in your state? Take a look this New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) to see the sources for Illinois. What are the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear energy? This might explain why it is not used as much to generate electricity.
The graph shows what types of energy sources are used and what percent of our energy use comes from each. I notice that hydroelectric is the least used even though it is a sustainable energy source. I wonder why coal is most used even though it causes pollution and is non-renewable. A title for the graph could have been Usage Of Energy Resources
This graph shows the percentage of energy sources used. I notice that coal, a non renewable resource is the most used energy source. I wonder why we dont use more renewable energy sources. A headline for this could be Types of Energy Sources Used.
This graph shows how much sources we use in each year. We use a lot of these major energy sources every year and this graph shows those percentages.
From looking at the graph it looks like we use coal the most for electricity. 51% of the electricity is from coal. This is showing the amount of the different types of the electricity we use today.
the coal use has significantly decreased in the past few years while other types of electricicty has increased
HI, @Gavin --
You say, “Coal use has significantly decreased in the past few years.” What if the amount of electricity generated increased a lot in the past few years. Would this necessarily be true? Where could you find the amount of U.S. electricity generation by year? What do you notice? Does this change what you think?
Looking at this graph, the biggest source of electricity is coal, which is over half at 51%. This trend of coal starts from 2001 all the way to about 2015. I also notice that Nuclear energy and Natural Gas are pretty consistent and close in use. Then I notice they which in 2005... so natural gas is more in use than nuclear. In 2015, natural gas and coal switch places. Coal decreases, and natural gas increases. I would name the headline: "An unexpected 'winner': Natural Gas pushes Coal out of first place"
1
When first looking at this graph, I noticed that coal has been the primary source of electricity generation in the United States. At the end of the graph, the use of coal began to decrease while natural gas took its place. I wonder why these sources overlap. I think this graph is energy sources in the United States as time passes.
I notice that as natural gas increased nuclear gases decreased. I also noticed that coal was a main source for a long time but then decreased as natural gas made its second increase. I wonder what the main cause of sources changing was. I would title this "Cite your Source" because the sources of energy are carefully tracked and graphed as it changes throughout the years.
In the graph I noticed that coal was the main source of electricity generation from 2001 to 2015 and from 2015 to 2017 coal went down drastically. Looking at the graph made me question why coal was our main source of electricity and why did it suddenly go down? The graph is informing us on what our sources of electricity generations is and how much we use each of the them.
I wonder how does this graph correlate what's going on in our world right now.
HI, @K --
You could search online for information about the world, but here’s the New York Times article “How Does Your State Make Electricity?” (https://tinyurl.com/StateElectGen) that shows sources of electricity generation by state. The states are very different. Look at your state (NY?) and compare it to the U.S.
By looking at the graph, I notice a few interesting details. First, I noticed that the percentage of natural gas usage in the U.S. made two major jumps in the 2000s. In 2000, it was the third most commonly used electrical generation source, and around 2015 it become the most common electrical generation source. Second, I noticed that, after close analysis, the jumps in the graph are used to represent a change in the ranking, or commonality, of electrical generation sources in the U.S, while also maintaining the representation of percentage of use for each source . Third, I noticed how prevalent nonrenewable resources are in the production of electricity in the U.S. In 2017, coal, natural gas, and nuclear resources made up 82% of the electrical generation sources in the U.S. These sources are all nonrenewable, and thus generally less healthy for both the Earth and humans. I wonder what the future of electricity generation in the U.S. holds. Hopefully, a more renewable future is close. I also wonder what the causes and effects of two sources switching positions on the graph are. It would be interesting to know if major world events accompanied these shifts. The story this graph is telling is that coal, nuclear energy, and natural gas (most common) are the most prominent forms of energy in the U.S. Thus, much needs to be done for a cleaner nation. My headline would be, "Does Change Really Mean Progress? The Problem With Nonrenewable Energy."
This graph seems to show electricity source percentages over the years. I wonder why our energy sources have changed significantly. A good title for this would be “Energy Sources Over the Years”
I noticed that the coal in the graph was used the most in the past. I also noticed that as years went on more natural gas is being used. I wonder why wind is the least used for energy generation.
"Differences in the Uses of Gases"
I notice that coal is the number one source of electricity in the US, Nuclear substances has gone down in electricity generation, and natural gas has gone up. I wonder why nuclear substances and nuclear gases have changed places in their electrical generation in the US
I notice that the graph shows that use of coal and nuclear power has been decreasing and the use of natural gas and other sources have been increasing in use in the past few years. I wonder why the sources of electricity have been changing over the past few years. I would name this "electricity over the years."
I noticed that the coal in the graph was used the most in the past. I also noticed that as years went on more natural gas is being used. I wonder why wind is the least used for energy generation. I am curious about why coal was used so much in the past.
the two biggest are coal and natural gas and i though nuclear would be second because how the goverment makes missils with it
I noticed that in 2017 Natural gas was more used. I wonder why natural gas went from 17% to 32%. The story this graph is telling is "Coal is out of power"
I notice that there are pretty colors.
I wonder why hydroelectric power only moved up 1%from 2001 till 2017
Electricity in the U.S.A
I noticed that we seem to use a lot of coal in the United States. I'm curious about why we use so much coal for power. I think this graph is showing what we power electricity each year. A catchy title might be "What are we using to power the USA?"
I noticed that the availability of natural gas has increased over the years while coal has decreased. I wonder if the coal availability is because it is depleting or because more environmentally friendly energy resources are greater. The graph might be showing how the resources used to generate electricity changed over time. " What is powering your life"
Hi, @Sabrina K --
What a zinger of a headline “What is powering your life?” Thank you.
You write about the availability of natural gas. Is this the case in the graph or does the graph show the availability of generated electricity from natural gas. There may be more natural gas that is not used for electricity generation. It’s a small word change but means something very different.
I noticed that coal is the main source of electricity generation in the United States. I also noticed that some of the sources are overlapping each other. For example, natural gas and nuclear are overlapping between 05 and 06. This makes me wonder why in such a short time span natural gas can go from the third most used source to the second. Lastly, the story this graph is telling is, How is the US powered?
I noticed that the coal in the graph was used frequently in the past years but as the years are passing natural gas has been populating for the electricity generation. I also noticed that the petroleum as decreased tremendously. I wonder why some of the sources are overlapping each other.
One thing i noticed is that coal was our first sources of electricity in 2001 , I wonder why they had changed their source of electricity , in the graph it's showing us how the source of electricity has changed .
I notice that the coal is 51% of the whole entire graph.I wonder why some of the energy laps each one like for an example the Natural gas is overlapping the nuclear.The graph that I'm noticing is that the coal is the main part of energy in the united states and that there are different electricity on this graph. There are different percentages on the graph for each energy. I wonder why there is so much coal is a lot and why the natural gas is lapping.
From analyzing the graph Sources of electricity generation in the United States I have taken note that the lead source of energy was coal from 2001 to 2015 and Then half way through the year of 2015 natural gas took the lead and became the main source of energy and coal took second place. And nuclear power was second place from 2001 to 2005 and then it went down to second in 2006. So from looking at this graph, and I have noticed that Coal used to be the leader and natural gas took over as the leader in 2015.
I noticed that the amount of coal in the graph is much more than the other resources used for electricity. I wonder how these resources are used to make electricity and if they will ever run out. "WIFI comes from where???"
The main and first thing that caught my eye was that coal is the largest source of electricity generation in the United States, but has been decreasing in the past decade. I am wondering why has been coal decreasing throughout the year and does it have anything to deal with us trying to prevent global warming. I belive what is happening in this graph is that coal is decreasing and natural graph is going to take over as the main source as electricity generation in the United States. The head line I would use is "Is Natural gas going to take over as the main electricity source".
I notice that the use of coal decreased at the same time that the use of natural gas increased. I also noticed that the use of Hydroelectric and wind energy is slowly rising and the use of petroleum is also decreasing. I wonder what led humans to suddenly switch from using coal energy to natural gas in 2015. The headline for this graph could be "Move out of the way coal... natural gas is here to stay!"
I have noticed that the coil was the main resource of electricity a couple of years ago but has also started decreasing as the years go by. Also, natural gas is increasing as the popularity of this generation. I wonder why the coil has started decreasing? In my opinion I would name this "Electricity Generation".
I noticed that coal started of as the main source of energy in 2001 but ended up being passed by natural gas at the end of 2014. I wonder why coal had dropped so far down from 51% all the way to 30% in half a year and why had natural gas, coal, and nuclear energy evened out. The story this graph is telling us is that the United States is using mostly non-renewable energy and that while we are using lots of non-renewable energy we are trying to figure out ways to find better, more cleaner sources of energy and ways to produce more energy. Will we ever be able to find a way to get cleaner energy without losing too much energy production.
I noticed that 51% of electricity generation was from coal and got reduced to 30%. I also noticed that solar is the least used all throughout the graph along wind and geothermal energy. Another thing I noticed is that nuclear energy is decreasing from 21% to 20% and natural gas is increasing from 17% to 32% along with other sources.
I noticed that in the first century, coal was our (the United States) main resource for energy. I wonder why are the gases overlapping each other? I also noticed that in the graph, the biggest gas, (which is coal) is large in the graph meaning it is used alot. While the small readings on the bottom is barely even being used in the United States of America. I ponder on why wind is one of the smallest readings on the graph?
I notice that coal is a big factor of a source of electricity in the United States. I wonder, why do we still use coal if it can pollute our air when we have other resources that can produce electricity such as solar and wind? Is coal more effective on electricity than wind and solar?
I noticed that petroleum has one of the lowest quantities of energy and coal has the most amount of energy in the United States. I wonder why natural gas has a higher popularity than petroleum if the United States has been using it for over decades. What i believe is going on in this graph is representing the usage of theses different sources and how some becoming more popular . A good title for this Article could be "The powerful evolution of sources".
I notice that most of the United States´s electricity comes from coal at 51%. I also notice that Hydroelectric is the least used in the United States. I wonder why we use coal so much instead of Hydroelectric. I also wonder if using the coal has an affect of the climate of the Earth. Did you know that most of the electricity you use in your everyday life is powered by Coal? 51% of the power in the United States is powered by Coal and 21% by Nuclear.
I notice that there is coal on the top layer and it covers everything else. I wonder why there are some spots on the image that cross over each other. Does it cross over each other because they use both? I believe the graph represents how much the electricity is changing over the years and shows what is increasing and what is decreasing.
I noticed in this graph that Natural gas has become our main source of power, I also noticed that Coal had a drastic drop from 51% of our main power sources to 30%. It also appears that nuclear power is being used less and less. Some questions I have to wonder about is why Natural gas is being used so much now compared to coal and nuclear power. I also wonder what Petroleum even is. What I think is going on in this graph is, for example, a Nascar race, When the leading drivers are in front for the entire race they eventually need repairs or their wheels get run down and they need to be replaced. Coal has been used for so long so now we need to take a break from it to help with pollution. since we aren't using in much Natural gas has been being used a lot more now.
I notice is that the United States electricity sources are mostly coal and natural gas. I wonder is why coal is the source that is used the most. The story the graph is telling is what are the least and most sources used and a catchy headline would be " The importance and difference of the sources of electricity."
The first thing I notice is the coal, that is over topping all electricity sources. I wonder why we dont use wind as much as we do coal because wind is natural and is very strong. From the look of the graph we are using to much machines when we have chances to use natural ways of electricty.
I notice that the coal takes up the whole top half of the graph but then towards the right side goes below/under the natural gas. I wonder why the electricity sources are "climbing" over one another and why it has taken so long for natural gases to be used more. The story the graph is telling is that coal was the #1 source of electricity until natural gas became more popularly used in recent years.
1. I notice that coal was the number one source of electricity in the U.S. from 2001 to about 2015. I also notice that natural gas has been increasing as a source of electricity since 2001 and was the number one producer of electricity in 2017.
2. I wonder about why the different sources overlap each other over the years. I also wonder why coal has been one of the best producers of electricity
3. I believe that what is happening in this graph is that it is showing the different sources of energy in the U.S. and showing how much each one produces.
HI, @Miguel Lopez --
Why do the sources overlap? And, what are those white regions? I bet they are related.
Share with us what you decide. Thank you.
What i've noticed about this graph is the main source of electricity that the United States has is the use of coal which is 51 percent of what we use for electricity generation. I' also noticed that Wind is the United States least used source of electricity which is at a rate of around 2 percent. One thing that I've wondered about this graph is why natural gas and nuclear electricity crossover each other even though that nuclear energy is used more. What might be going on in this graph is that the United States made this graph so they could see how they can improve on making generable electricity without using coal so they are able to help the environment.
I notice about the graph is coal is surrounding most of the other options like nuclear, natural gas, hydroelectric and wind. I wonder why coal is decreasing and natural gas is growing over the years. I'm also curious as to why the natural gas starting to overlap as the years were going in the United States, and how the coal was the top selection. This graph could be called "The Chemical reaction Yearly."
I notice that each source generation in the U.S had been increasing over time of which the year starts to increase deeper than ever before. I wonder why these sources of electricity generations are increasing so fastly and how does this affect in our society we live on now. In this graph I notice how the main generation is coal that is the most high top ranking in the U.S so far which meant that coal is the main source that is being used today and in the past generations as well which is labelled in high to low, depended on their percentages and ranking. The percentages are the y-axis that clearly points out the top used source in the U.S and the x-axis in the graph is the years that is taken up by all the sources used during time in our country. I believe, that the main source coal, is the most used material we have today which can be useful for many things and can convert to many states in our country, as well as natural gas that is used in many ways such as for vehicles, trucks, or etc. These sources represent the generations that we use ever since the year 2001 and that is also helpful for our society today that we can also use it daily for a reason to create things in our country that is being produced each day.
I notice that coal is the biggest source of electricity in the United States. I also noticed that coal has actually decreased from 51% to 30%. I wonder why some sources have stayed the same for years and change a quite a bit in such a short amount of time. I think what this graph is trying to show is that over the years a lot of sources of electricity have increased a lot and now it's not just coal the one we are using the most.
I notice that the graph ranges from the years 2001 to 2017 and that the majority of the graph is taken up by natural gas, coal, and nuclear electricity generation. The minorities of the graph are hydroelectric, wind, solar, and petroleum. I wonder why coal has gone down in the past 16 years a little more than 20% and why natural gas has gone up almost 20% when I hear it's damaging our Earth. I also wonder why wind and solar haven't increased as much as the other when we know that it's better for our Earth and doesn't promote pollution. A good title for this graph could possibly be ,"What America runs on".
I noticed that back in 2001 Coal was 51% of the United States source of electricity generation but over the years has decreased to 30% and Natural Gas rose from 17% to 32% over the course of 16 years. I wonder why coal is still used so much and what difference it would make if we were to stop using it at all. My headline for this article would be ¨Electricity Generation Sources in America over the years¨
One thing noticeable is how much more renewable energy is going up and how sources like coal are going down. Natural gas is also on the rise for power generation at an alarming rate. This makes me think that renewable energy might be rising as well but other types of energy will also be heavily used harming the environment. In 2001 to 2015 coal was the main source of energy in America but was overcome by natural gas. Renewable energy is also on the rise, but at the rate it is going now I predict it'll catch up to natural gas at around the year 2027.
I notice that from 2001 to 2017 the prefered source of electricity generation has switched from coal to natural gas, I wonder what caused this change to be made and if it'll be beneficial or harmful to the earth, and lastly this graph is telling me that it's basically fair game between coal and natural gas since natural gas only as a 2% lead.
I notice that the coal surrounds the natural gas on the graph. I wonder why some sources of energy overlap each other. In this graph i notice that coal is the main source of energy in the United States. THeir are different levels of electricity on the graph and the ones at the bottom have the least amount of energy in the United states. IM curious on why coal is the main source of energy in the united states.
The first thing that I noticed was that up until a few years ago coal was the main source of energy and that the main source of electricity now was the third most used source in 2001 and it has come a long way since then. I am curious as to why we are still using coal so much even though we have options that involve less air pollution and just pollution in general. A good title for this could be "The Evolution of Electricity Generation."
I notice that coal has been used a lot through the years but has taken a little decline over the years. Natural gas is increasing in popularity for electricity generation. I wonder why coal is declining and why natural gas is increasing. Does it have something to do with the environment? My headline for this article would be, "Is coal finally running its course in society".
I noticed that most of our source of electricity comes from coal and natural gases. I noticed that as the years increase, the percentage rate starts to equal out. I wonder why this happens. Does it mean that we are running out of these things? I also wonder which one of these is the healthiest way to create electricity. Which is the safest for the environment? Are we hurting our environment by using coal as the main source of electricity?
Based on the graph, I noticed that coal was the main resource of electricity in the 21st century. Whereas natural gas was 17% and nuclear was 17%The lowest source of electricity in the 21st century was hydroelectric at 6%. I wonder how the world would be with more Hydroelectric instead of coal since its the highest and lowest, what would be different in the real world if we change them around? This graph is basically showing how much percent of sources of electricity was used in the 21st century
Within the graph, I can see that coal was the main source of electricity in the 21st century. It also provides many different sources of electricity, which means some are most likely better for the environment than coal. I wonder if coal is the easiest way of conducting electricity since it's used the most, but not the best for the environment.
I noticed that most of our energy sources are coal. Which really isn't too great. I also noticed the things that aren't good for the environment are being used more than the things that are okay for the environment. I wonder why everything we mostly use isn't good for the environment. I wonder how we could change this in the future too. In this graph, it shows the energy sources and how much we use said energy sources.
I notice that towards the end of the graph the source does start to equal out. I wonder why the source of coal has decreased so distractically. A possible title could be, “ Running Out of Coal”
@Emma
I also noticed the drastic decrease in coal I wonder why this is
1: I notice that there is a lot more coal than hydroelectric or wind. I also notice that coal is the highest source of energy generation out of all elements. Finally, petroleum is hardly used for energy production.
2) Why is coal still used so much these days even though there are much better options? It makes no sense because coal creates pollution and pollution is bad.
3) What might be going on is that this graph shows when and from what period were these energy sources used.
My title would be: What America Has Run On.
I noticed that coal was by far our largest producer of electrical energy until recently when it was overtaken by natural gas. Natural gas and coal are our two largest producers of electrical energy, but they are both nonrenewable resources and cause large amounts of pollution. I wonder why we do not use renewable sources more such as wind, hydroelectric, and the many others. I also don't quite understand why we continue to let coal and natural gases be our largest sources of energy considering we now have less damaging sources. My headline for this graph would be "Sources of electrical generation in the U.S....it's truly shocking"
In this graph, I can tell for the most part of the early 21 century we use more natural gases than coal at the beginning. Also that Hydroelectric power is the best reusable resource to invest in.
1.I notice that the graph is color coded with a x and y axis. The Y axis is percentages and the X is dates, so the data is collected over time. I also noticed that the entries are energy sources and then that the graph is titled, “Sources of electricity generation in the united states.” I noticed the key at the bottom that explains what the colored entries represent and that the entries that are renewable area lot less popular and make up a much smaller percentage than the non renewable ones with coal being the number one until 2015 when it was dethroned by natural gas.
2. I wonder why i havent tseen this graph format before it is a verysimple way of expressing data. It is designed for showing ranking over time . I also wonder why coal was dethrowned and natural gas took over. I also wonder why hydroelectric sources are so consistent.
3.I think that as coal has been seen as a villian in climate change it was used less and natural gas being more marketable took over.
My title is: What Does America Run On
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while looking at this graph i noticed that coal took a very large percentage of electricity generation at 51%. There are many different ways for electricity to be generated, and I believe that the way that you generate energy is based on where you live. I wonder if there was a recently new way to generate electricity or are we just using an old way more often. A catchy headline/theme could be ¨Electricity generated throughout the years¨
I noticed that half of the energy is coming from the coal section of the graph. I also noticed that the natural gases and nuclear gases look very similar and cross over each other. Hydroelectric is one of the lowest with only 6%. I wonder if the graph is talking about how much pollution comes from each energy source or where gasses lay on the earths surfaces.A title for this graph could be" gasses everywhere".
I notice on this graph that coal was the major energy source until about 2016 when natural gas rose to be the major energy source. I wonder what caused this change. I think a headline for this is "Shocking electricity"
(I know this comment is past 2:42, but I still feel the need to do it as practice)
I notice that the spots of the leading producers of electricity are constantly changing, some never rising while others are constantly rising, I noticed that nuclear has been decreasing ever since 2005, and natural gas has increased to the top producer of electricity, while coal, who was once the top, is now the second leading producer of electricity.
I noticed that about half of electricity generation was from coal and is now 30%. I also noticed that petroleum is the least used all throughout the graph as well as wind and hydroelectric energy. Another thing I noticed is that nuclear energy is decreasing and natural gas is increasing along with other sources. The final thing I noticed is that most of the sources of the graph are linear and usually decrease or increase depending on what is shown.
We noticed that the graph shows the electricity generated in the US from the years of 2001-2017, and that the majority of electricity generated in the USA comes from coal. From 2001-2015, coal accounted for 51% of the generated electricity. The next largest electricity generator came from nuclear power which was at 21% from 2001-2005. Natural gas was the third most contributor at 17% but it surpassed nuclear in 2005 and surpassed coal in 2015, making it the largest contributor as of 2016-2017 at 32%. We wonder what caused the shifts in electricity generated, whether that it was due to more global warming/climate change recognition or if it was something else. We also wonder what the graph would look like in other countries. Our news headline is “Say Watt! How the US Generates Its Electricity Might Shock You". Our headline didn't really make a claim, we focused more on catching people's attention using a broad description of what is being talked about in the article.
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Hi, @Math 43/Back Corner Group --
“Say Watt! How the US Generates Its Electricity Might Shock You".
Definitely catchy!
Come back Thursday afternoon to read the Reveal. You'll see a group of great headlines.
I noticed that coal is the most source of electricity by 51%. I also noticed that from 2001 to 2017 the percentages went up and down, but for some sources it wasn't a big difference. I wonder what the graph looks from 2017 to now, 2019.
By looking at the graph I've noticed that coal is the biggest source of energy in the United States, since it is at 51%.
I've also noticed that Hydroelectric is the smallest source of electricity since it is at 6% which is the smallest percentage out of the graph
Coal is taking up 51 percent of the table also nuclears is the second biggest and natural follows it by 21 percent and hydroelectric is last with 6 percent.
The first thing i noticed on the graph is that coal is the biggest soucre of electricity at 51%. There were also other contributers like nuclear at 21%, Natrual gas at 17 %,6%Hydroeletric. I also noticed that solar and Petroleum are the lowest contributors of electricity 2001-2017
- We noticed that coal usage used to be 50% 2001 and has decreased to 30% in 2017. There was a sharp decrease in 2015. Natural gas went from 17% in 2001 with a large increase in 2005 and another large increase in 2015. In 2017 the natural gas percentage is 23%. Hydroelectric has only increased 1% in 17 years on graph. Wind has increased close to 0%-6% during the span of 17 years. Solar started increasing in 2012.
- We wonder what happened in 2015 that cost coal to decrease and caused natural gas to increase, and what happened in 2005?
- Different policies, costs, and labor might be affecting the percentages. Our catchy headline would be "Clean Coal on the Decline."
HI, @Math43/Pink/curly --
Many have wondered "what happened in 2015 that cost coal to decrease and caused natural gas to increase." A quick search online will give you the answer.
I notice that Coal was the largest source of electricity generation used in the United States.
I wonder why they made the categories on the graph look like a a type of bar graph drawing.
I think the graph is showing how much sources of electricity generation is being used throughout the years.
I noticed that the coal takes up 51% of the graph. I also noticed that Nuclear takes up 21% of the graph. Natural gases takes up 17% of the graph, and Hydroelectric takes up 6% of the graph. I notices that the least comes from Solar, and Petroleum. Coal is still used a lot even in 2017. Solar and Petroleum are the lowes, so I wonder why they don't get used as much as coal?
I noticed that the coal takes up most of the graph. I also notice that the least amount of use comes from the Solar option. Article says it is shown that coal was still the most used over the period of time from 2001 to 2017. The graph tells us which sources we use and don't use. I wonder why people don't use hydroelectric as much as the other sources?
I notice that coal is the most use of electricity generation in the US. Natural gasses is the second most used with 31%. The lowest ones are solar, geothermal, and petroleum. I noticed that wind is less used than I though by a lot. I thought wind was going to be used more because of all the wind turbines that are in the United States . I also noticed that the use of coal dropped in the year 2015-2017. It dropped to 30% and the use of natural gasses was bumped up one percent and it is as 32%
I see that coal was used a lot before now it was 51% before 2017 because of factory produced energy taking over. I wonder if this is better for the environment than coal because the coal is not burning into the air. In the graph it is showing on the bottom the time(years) and the amount of(percent) materials used in the past throughout the graph.
I noticed that the coal takes up 51% of the graph with Nuclear following at 21%. I also notice that the least amount of use comes from the Solar option. It is shown that coal was still the most used over the period of time calculated (2001-2017). I wonder why people don't use solar or hydroelectric as much as the other sources. The graph tells us how much we use and what sources are not used. I think the other sources should be tried out to maybe see if they are better?
I immediately noticed that coal is the largest percentage on this graph. I also noticed that Nuclear and Natural gas overlaps each other. I wonder what that means when they overlap each other. I think whats going on this graph is the greatest amount of sources we use from this graph. But my question is why is coal the most used source?
@Lupita It is definitely obvious that coal is the largest percentage on the graph - but is that true in 2017? Be sure to look at the x-axis. It helps to convey a story about how things are changing. When the graphs overlap, that shows that they are at the same percentage of electricity generation at that time.
I noticed that the coal takes up a larger section then the rest. I also notice that most of the categories go through each other. There is also a timeline to show how much each source is used more or less overtime. I wonder why coal is the main source of electricity in the US. I wonder why people don't use Hydroelectric more to produce electricity. I wonder why natural gas is used more than nuclear as time goes on.
I noticed that coal takes up most of the graph next to natural gas. I noticed that most electricity is produced by coal which is not good. I wonder why coal is the most used and why can't they use a better source. I wonder why not all sources are used equally if they are all able to be used. The graph tells us how much we use of these products and to be aware if we keep this on we may be living in a worst state later in the years.
I notice, that there are more coal percentage than the rest and covers more area on the graph than all the other catagories. I noticed that the catagories overlap. I wonder, what this graph represents and what it means. I wonder why this graph is being displayed on a New York Times Magazine. The story this graph is telling is how much of that product we have in the world.
I notice that the largest section in the graph is taken up by coal electricity generation.
What I wonder, is where in the world the electricity is harvested from and how it is done.
I am curious about how energy efficient it is to use that much coal, which is nonrenewable, when we have many other renewable ways to produce electricity.
This graph contains the approximate amounts of electricity coming from each source.
A catchy headline that captures the main idea of the graph could be: “Electricity and it’s Starting Place.”