The Human Impacts Database

A collection of useful numbers for quantifying the impacts of the human presence on Earth.


Quantity Value HuID Source Type
Global annual energy consumption from nuclear power ≈ 2.53 × 1019 J / yr 48387 British Petroleum
Global annual mass of coal extracted ≈ 8.0 × 1012 kg / yr 48928 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Global annual energy consumption from natural gas ≈ 1.45 × 1020 J / yr 49947 British Petroleum
Global energy consumed from hydropower ≈ 3.8 × 1019 J / yr 50558 British Petroleum
Passenger air transport energy consumption ≈ 6.6 × 1018 J / yr 55062 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Global power derived from solar 6.5 × 1018 J / yr 58303 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Global annual energy consumption from coal ≈ 1.75 × 1020 J / yr 60490 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Annual production volume of oil ≈ 5.5 × 109 m3 / yr 66789 British Petroleum
Annual energy consumed from nuclear power ≈ 2.9 × 1019 J / yr 71725 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Global energy consumption from renewables ≈ 6.5 × 1019 J / yr 74571 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Global water volume used in hydroelectric power generation 2.45 × 1011 m3 / yr 77411 Quin, Y., Mueller, N. D., …
Annual production mass of coal ≈ 8.1 × 1012 kg / year 78435 British Petroleum
Global water volume used for thermal power generation 1.92 × 1010 m3 / yr 78784 Quin, Y., Mueller, N. D., …
Global annual energy consumption ≈ 6.3 × 1020 J / yr 85317 U.S. Energy Information Administration
Global annual energy derived from wind ≈ 1.4 × 1019 J /yr 85919 U.S. Energy Information Administration