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The diagram shows the consumption of renewable energy in the USA from 1949-2008.
Write a 150-word report for a university lecturer identifying the main trends and making comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
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Model Answer 1
The diagram illustrates the consumption of renewable energy in the USA from 1949 to 2008, highlighting key energy sources such as hydroelectric power, wood, wind, and biofuels.
Overall, the consumption of renewable energy in the USA demonstrated a general upward trend, particularly from the mid-1960s onward. Hydroelectric power and wood were the dominant contributors for most of the period, while wind and biofuels began to make significant contributions toward the end of the timeframe. Noticeable fluctuations occurred in the usage of hydroelectric power, causing some variability in overall renewable energy consumption.
In greater detail, total renewable energy consumption remained relatively stable at about 2 quadrillion BTUs until the mid-1960s. After this, it rose sharply, peaking near 7 quadrillion BTUs in the early 1980s. Despite periodic drops around 1980, 1990, and 2000, it reached above 7 quadrillion BTUs by 2008. Hydroelectric power rose steadily until the mid-1970s, fluctuating between 2 and 3 quadrillion BTUs before ending at around 2 quadrillion BTUs by 2008.
Meanwhile, wood energy maintained a consistent usage range of 1 to 2 quadrillion BTUs over the years. Contributions from biofuels and wind energy, although minimal until the 1990s, surged towards the end, with biofuels rising to nearly 1 quadrillion BTUs and wind energy reaching approximately 0.5 quadrillion BTUs by 2008.
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Model Answer 2
The diagram depicts the consumption of renewable energy in the USA from 1949 to 2008, focusing on major energy sources including hydroelectric power, wood, wind, and biofuels.
Overall, the consumption of renewable energy in the USA experienced a noticeable upward trend, especially from the mid-1960s onwards. Hydroelectric power and wood were the dominant sources of renewable energy for much of the period, while contributions from wind and biofuels became significant only toward the end of the timeline. Variations in hydroelectric power were reflected in several fluctuations in total energy consumption.
In more detail, the total consumption of renewable energy remained stable at around 2 quadrillion BTUs until the mid-1960s, before rising sharply to approximately 7 quadrillion BTUs by the early 1980s. After experiencing declines around 1980, 1990, and 2000, it rose again, surpassing 7 quadrillion BTUs by 2008. Hydroelectric power, after a steady increase from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, fluctuated between 2 and 3 quadrillion BTUs, finishing at around 2 quadrillion BTUs by 2008.
Wood energy usage remained relatively stable, ranging between 1 and 2 quadrillion BTUs throughout the period. Wind and biofuels, on the other hand, contributed minimally until the 1990s, after which they saw rapid growth, with biofuels reaching close to 1 and wind energy rising nearly 0.5 quadrillion BTUs by 2008. Biofuels exhibited the steepest rise during the last decade shown in the diagram.
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Model Answer 3
The diagram presents data on the consumption of renewable energy in the USA over the period between 1949 and 2008, specifically highlighting key sources of energy such as hydroelectric power, wood, wind, and biofuels.
The most significant trend seen in the diagram is a general rise in the total consumption of renewable energy in the USA, with noticeable fluctuations in certain periods. Hydroelectric power and wood were the most prominent contributors for much of the timeline, while wind and biofuels began to make substantial contributions only towards the final years. A major fluctuation is visible in hydroelectric power generation, contributing to the fluctuations in total renewable energy consumption.
In greater detail, the total consumption of renewable energy remained stable at approximately 2 quadrillion BTUs until the mid-1960s, after which it rose sharply to almost 7 quadrillion BTUs by the early 1980s. After facing dips around 1980, 1990, and 2000, the total continued to rise steadily, surpassing 7 quadrillion BTUs in 2008. Meanwhile, hydroelectric power displayed the largest variance among the sources, fluctuating between 2 and 3 quadrillion BTUs throughout much of the period and finishing at around 2 quadrillion BTUs by the end of the timeline.
By comparison, wood energy consumption remained relatively stable, fluctuating within a narrow range between 1 and 2 quadrillion BTUs. Wind energy and biofuels both showed minimal contributions until the 1990s but grew rapidly toward the end of the timeline, reaching biofuels nearly 1 quadrillion BTUs and wind energy peaking at 0.5 quadrillion BTUs by 2008, with biofuels showing the most significant growth in this period.
Model Answer 4
The diagram illustrates the consumption of renewable energy in the USA between 1949 and 2008, displaying data on total energy usage and key energy sources such as hydroelectric power, wood, wind, and biofuels.
Overall, the total consumption of renewable energy shows an upward trend, particularly from the middle of 1960s onward. While hydroelectric power and wood were the dominant renewable energy sources throughout much of the given period, wind and biofuels made noticeable contributions only toward the end of the timeline. Significant variations are visible in hydroelectric power generation, resulting in major fluctuations in total renewable energy usage, which experienced several peaks and troughs between the 1970s and early 2000s.
In greater detail, the total consumption of renewable energy in the USA remained relatively stable at around 2 quadrillion BTUs until the mid-1960s, after which it grew sharply, peaking near 7 quadrillion BTUs in the early 1980s. This figure experienced dips in 1980, 1990 and 2000, and rising steadily in each intervals, and finally surpassing 7 quadrillion BTUs by 2008. Similarly, hydroelectric power, increased steadily from the late 1950s until the mid-1970s at around 3 quadrillion BTU. Afterwards this major power source kept fluctuating between 2 and 3 quadrillion BTUs throughout the period, and ended up with nearly 2 quadrillion BTU in 2008.
In contrast, energy generation from wood remained relatively stable, maintaining a range between 1 and 2 quadrillion BTUs, while biofuels and wind energy began gaining momentum from the 1990s, reaching close to 1 and 0.5 quadrillion BTUs, respectively, by 2008, with biofuels showing the steepest growth rate in the final decade of the graph.
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