I replotted Henry’s graph. Here’s my version:
I would argue that this graph is not only prettier and better for communicating to the world, but that it can also help us understand the patterns better. In particular, we now see 2008 in the context of the 1950s-1960s peak, and we can also see how the 2004-2008 jump compares to other recent historical changes.
See here for my discussion of the choices involved in making this graph. (I also posted R code, which I would never do at the Monkey Cage…)