Can anyone explain this chart for me? (I don't understand it)?

Question

http://www.theoildrum.com/files/falling_consumption.png

It's a chart and has something to do with oil. What I don't get is how come UK and Italy has more consumption than U.S.?
I must be reading this chart wrong. How do I read this chart?
Teach me, thank you. :-)

Answer 1

The chart is showing the Worlds total comsumption and the colors for each country show each countries portion of the total with the US's taking up more than any one else.

Answer 2

Go back and look at your chart again, you see that japan after the U.S. has the largest color area, then way to the left side is how many gallons each country consumed, see the pitcher now? The U.S. uses almost as much oil as the rest of the world combined!

Answer 3

Apparently the Czech Republic is the number three oil consumer in the world, followed closely by the Netherlands!



My guess is that they grossly messed up on the key for the chart.

Answer 4

ah, yes - that chart is easy to misunderstand.





you do not read the numbers on the vertical axis directly.



the amount of oil use is based on the thickness of each color ( country) not on the total height. sorry i don't remember what this type of chart is called, but it causes lots of problems and misunderstanding.

Answer 5

No, they don't. The nation's consumption is the width of its bar, not the total height; the bars are stacked on top of one another.



The chart is designed to blame the US for oil shortages (not that we don't have a role, mind you) by picking a criterion which intentionally excludes Russia and China.

Answer 6

It looks like you're reading the chart correctly but it's odd that the UK and Italy uses more than the US.

Answer 7

its the size of the colour the us has the biggest by far.

The long the colour along the graph the more oil is consumed by the country