The Evolution of CO₂ Emissions (1900 - 2024)

Watch over 120 years of carbon history unfold in just 6 minutes. From coal-powered empires in 1900 to China's unstoppable industrial surge — this bar chart race animates the annual CO₂ emissions of the world's top 15 countries from 1900 to 2024. Key moments to look for: • 1929-1932 — The Great Depression cuts global emissions sharply • 1958 — The Keeling Curve begins tracking CO₂ at Mauna Loa • 1973 — OPEC oil embargo stalls the relentless upward climb • 1991 — The Soviet collapse triggers one of history's largest peacetime CO₂ drops • 2006 — China surpasses the United States as the #1 emitter — permanently • 2020 — COVID-19 lockdowns trigger the largest absolute annual CO₂ drop on record 📊 Data: Global Carbon Project via Our World in Data 📐 Annual CO₂ emissions in tonnes 🎵 Music: "Red Shift" by The Grey Room / Density & Time ───────────────────────────────────────── The Variable — Data is the variable. Subscribe: @TheVariableData ───────────────────────────────────────── #BarChartRace #CO2 #ClimateChange #DataVisualization #CarbonEmissions #ChinaVsUSA