Grade level: 3rd – 5th grades

Skills: Line graph 

Related environmental issues: Climate Change

The United States has depended on fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, and petroleum) for electricity generation. When burned, fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide (CO2).  The United States has tried to reduce CO2 emissions by using less fossil fuels and more renewable energy.  People in Nevada succeeded in reducing the most CO2 emitted from burning fossil fuels in our country.*  The bar graph below shows Nevada’s CO2 emissions per person from the use of fossil fuels between 2000 and 2015.

1. Between what two years CO2 emissions per person in Nevada decrease the most?
2. About how much did CO2 emissions per person in Nevada decrease between 2000 and 2015?  A) 5 metric tons B) 10 metric tons C) 15 metric tons D) 100 metric tons
3. On average, a person in the United Stated emitted 16 metric tons of CO2 in 2015 . In which year did a person in Nevada emit the same amount of CO2 on average?  A) 2004 B) 2007 C) 2010 D) 2015

Sources: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Energy-Related Carbon Dioxide Emission by State, 2000-2015 (Table 5) 

Note: Nevada reduced CO2 emissions by 45.7% between 2000 and 2015 and showed the largest percent decrease in the United States.