Jennifer Smith | July 11

Newsday - More sweltering, 100-degree summer days. Extreme and more frequent coastal flooding. An extended growing season that could spell trouble for crops such as apples and blueberries that need long cold winters to produce fruit.

Those are among the dramatic environmental and economic consequences New Yorkers can expect if the region's current reliance on fossil fuels continues, according to a report issued today by the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, a joint project of the Union of Concerned Scientists and more than 50 scientists and economists.

Coupling climate change predictions with a call to action, the analysis recommended that nine Northeast states embark on "a strong, sustained, and well-coordinated effort" to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and speed the transition from fossil fuels to cleaner, more renewable fuels. Those states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine) comprise the seventh largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from energy use when compared with entire nations, the report found.

The analysis offered a two contrasting visions of how climate change could affect the Northeast: one that assumes global warming emissions will continue to increase; and another that assumes decreased emissions due to a shift away from fossil fuels. It used the same methodologies developed by the United Nations-sponsored Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, whose February report stated the the earth's climate is warming and said the change is "very likely" due to heat-trapping gases from human activities.

For instance, the regional analysis released today said "Late-century summers in the Tri-State region around New York City could resemble those of South Carolina today under the higher-emissions scenario, and those of Virginia under the lower-emissions scenario."

Sounds like we don't have much choice (2 state leeway) in any case... -Raja

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Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment