Energy Shift
A Lifetime’s Consumption of Fossil Fuels, Visualized
Visualizing the Fossil Fuels we Consume in a Lifetime
From burning natural gas to heat our homes to the petroleum-based materials found in everyday products like pharmaceuticals and plastics, we all consume fossil fuels in one form or another.
In 2021, the world consumed nearly 490 exajoules of fossil fuels, an unfathomable figure of epic proportions.
To put fossil fuel consumption into perspective on a more individual basis, this graphic visualizes the average person’s fossil fuel use over a lifetime of 80 years using data from the National Mining Association and BP’s Statistical Review of World Energy.
How Many Fossil Fuels a Person Consumes Every Year
On a day-to-day basis, our fossil fuel consumption might seem minimal, however, in just a year the average American consumes more than 23 barrels of petroleum products like gasoline, propane, or jet fuel.
The cube of the average individual’s yearly petroleum product consumption reaches around 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) tall. When you consider varying transportation choices and lifestyles, from public transit to private jets, the yearly cube of petroleum product consumption for some people may easily overtake their height.
To calculate the volume needed to visualize the petroleum products and coal cubes (natural gas figures were already in volume format), we used the densities of bulk bituminous coal (833kg/m3) and petroleum products (800kg/m3) along with the weights of per capita consumption in the U.S. from the National Mining Association.
These figures are averages, and can differ per person depending on a region’s energy mix, transportation choices, and consumption habits, along with other factors.
Global Fossil Fuel Consumption Rebounds Post-Pandemic
When the global economy reopened post-pandemic, energy demand and consumption rebounded past 2019 levels with fossil fuels largely leading the way. While global primary energy demand grew 5.8% in 2021, coal consumption rose by 6% reaching highs not seen since 2014.
In 2021, renewables and hydroelectricity made up nearly 14% of the world’s primary energy use, with fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) accounting for 82% (down from 83% in 2020), and nuclear energy accounting for the remaining 4%.
Recent demand for fossil fuels has been underpinned by their reliability as generating energy from renewables in Germany has been inconsistent when it’s been needed most.
Now the country grapples with energy rations as it restarts coal-fired power plants in response to its overdependence on Russian fossil fuel energy as the potential permanence of the Nord Stream 1 natural gas pipeline shutdown looms.
Growing Green Energy Amidst Geopolitical Instability
Domestic energy and material supply chain independence quickly became a top priority for many nations amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western trade sanctions, and increasingly unpredictable COVID-19 lockdowns in China.
Trade and energy dependence risks still remain a major concern as many nations transition towards renewable energy. For example, essential rare earth mineral production, and solar PV manufacturing supply chains remain dominated by China.
Despite looming storm clouds over global energy and materials trade, renewable energy’s green linings are growing on the global scale. The world’s renewable primary energy consumption reached an annual growth rate of 15%, outgrowing all other energy fuels as wind and solar provided a milestone 10% of global electricity in 2021.
If the global energy mix continues to get greener fast enough, the cubes of our personal fossil fuel consumption may manage to get smaller in the future.
Energy Shift
Where the U.S. Gets Its Enriched Uranium
Russia controls nearly half of global uranium enrichment capacity.
Where the U.S. Gets Its Enriched Uranium
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
Nuclear power accounts for 19% of electricity generation in the U.S.
This graphic illustrates the top sources of enriched uranium for U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors in 2023, based on data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The calculation is based in Separative Work Unit (SWU), a unit that defines the effort required in the uranium enrichment process.
U.S. Suppliers of Enriched Uranium
Uranium production in the United States peaked in 1980, while purchases of uranium by U.S. nuclear power plant operators from domestic suppliers peaked in 1981. Since 1992, the majority of uranium purchased by U.S. nuclear power plant operators has been imported.
Currently, the U.S. relies on foreign sources for 71.7% of its enriched uranium, despite possessing domestic resources.
Russia supplies 27.2% of enrichment services, making it the largest single foreign provider for U.S. civilian nuclear power reactors. After Russia, 12% of enriched uranium comes from France, 8% from the Netherlands, and 7% from the United Kingdom.
| Country | Thousand separative work units (SWU) | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸 United States | 4,313 | 28% |
| 🇷🇺 Russia | 4,141 | 27% |
| 🇫🇷 France | 1,839 | 12% |
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 1,217 | 8% |
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1,021 | 7% |
| 🇩🇪 Germany | 855 | 6% |
| 🌐 Other | 1,853 | 12% |
| Foreign total | 10,926 | 72% |
| Total | 15,240 | 100% |
Russia Temporarily Limits Exports
In November 2024, Russia temporarily restricted enriched uranium exports to the U.S., raising concerns about potential supply risks for utilities operating American reactors. These restrictions were in response to Washington’s recent ban on imports of Russian uranium, which was signed into law earlier this year.
In addition to the U.S., Russia is a major exporter of enriched uranium to countries including China, South Korea, and France.
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If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic showing oil and gas leases on public lands under Obama, Trump, and Biden.
Energy Shift
Oil & Gas Leases on Public Lands Under Obama, Trump, and Biden
President-elect Donald Trump wants a massive boost in U.S. oil production to reduce energy costs.
Oil & Gas Leases on Public Lands Under Obama, Trump, and Biden
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
President-elect Donald Trump wants a massive boost in U.S. oil production to reduce energy costs. The data shows that over the last decade, the Republican’s previous administration has been by far the most favorable for the oil and gas industry.
This graphic shows the number of acres leased on public lands to oil and gas companies during the fiscal years 2013–2023. The data is sourced from the Bureau of Land Management as of October 2023.
Drill, Baby, Drill
The amount of public land leased to the oil and gas sector has varied significantly by administration.
In Trump’s first year in office, there was a 93% increase in leases compared to the final year of the Obama administration.
| Year | Acres Leased | Administration |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 1,172,808 | Obama |
| 2014 | 1,197,852 | Obama |
| 2015 | 810,068 | Obama |
| 2016 | 577,317 | Obama |
| 2017 | 1,114,218 | Trump |
| 2018 | 1,253,369 | Trump |
| 2019 | 2,245,906 | Trump |
| 2020 | 1,871,962 | Trump |
| 2021 | 249,132 | Biden |
| 2022 | 74,758 | Biden |
| 2023 | 91,712 | Biden |
Then, following a series of executive actions aimed at reducing GHG emissions from federal lands, leases dropped sharply during the Biden administration. In 2021, the Democrat temporarily paused new oil and gas leases on federal lands.
Since Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, Biden has moved to further limit oil drilling.
The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) recently finalized the restrictions on an oil and gas lease sale in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska, the largest wildlife refuge in the country. In its decision, the BLM limited the lease sales to 400,000 acres, which is one-quarter of the refuge’s coastal plain section.
Environmental groups have opposed oil development in the refuge for decades, while Trump has said his new administration would pursue oil drilling in the area.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this topic, check out this graphic showing how much Americans spend on gas in each state.
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