Data Vis Dispatch, April 11

Following the Easter weekend, let’s first look at two charts: an early bloom in Korea and falling church attendance in the U.S., which has not recovered since the COVID pandemic.

In the U.K., travel (by all means of transport) has nearly reached pre-pandemic levels.

And the roads of all 50 states of the U.S. are now dominated by trucks that have taken over cars in the past few years. It’s considered bad news for safety as well as climate.

The world has also largely returned to fossil fuels, with hundreds of new oil and gas projects approved.

Meanwhile, the effects of climate change continue to be felt in the form of extreme weather.

Some good news: the south of Turkey boasts strong potential for solar power generation.

And Europe decreased its energy consumption this winter, partly thanks to mild temperatures and partly due to high energy costs caused by the war in Ukraine.

Global trade is expected to lag this year due to the Ukraine war and inflation.

Finance and insurance companies reported the largest gender pay gap in the U.K.

And Uganda and the U.S. passed bills targeting LGBTQ rights.

Although more Americans now take parental leave, other social programs introduced during the pandemic have ended.

Other notable charts this week covered the tweets of Brazil’s president Lula, the effects of AI on productivity, and the importance of a good night’s sleep.