東北氣候衝擊評估（Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment，簡稱 NECIA）的報告指出，假如不即刻約束溫室氣體排放，全球暖化將對美國東北部的環境與經濟狀況產生關鍵性的改變。該報告為美國科學家關懷聯盟與超過50位科學家和經濟學家合作兩年的研究成果。
這份名為「面對美國東北氣候的變遷」（Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast）的報告，綜合NECIA 2006年提出的研究基礎，這份報告描述美國東北部9個州的氣候在兩種不同狀況之下會如何改變。
第一是假設人們持續重度依賴化石燃料，溫室氣體排放量將增加；第二是假設因為人們對於乾淨能源來源的需求增加，而使排放量大幅度降低。
如果在本世紀結束前，第一種假設的氣候面貌發生，紐約市預估平均每10年會面臨相當於當代百年一次的洪水。如果是第二種假設狀況，則紐約市每20年將經歷相同規模的洪水。
該報告結論是要人們不斷努力減少東北部的排放量，就可能讓全球溫室氣體排放量降到低於該研究提出的低排放量途徑（即第二種氣候改變的狀況）。東北部需要在本世紀中之前減到少於2000年排放量的80%，以及在接下來的幾十年內每年減少3%的溫室氣體排放量。
一些應對策略已經展開。報告指出除了賓州，美國所有的州都加入區域溫室氣體協議（Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative）。該協議是首度跨多州以市場為考量的計畫，以減少發電廠溫室氣體的排放。
If heat-trapping emissions are not limited now, global warming will change critical aspects of the Northeast's character and economy, finds a new report by the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment, NECIA, a two year collaboration between the Union of Concerned Scientists, UCS, and a team of more than 50 scientists and economists.
The peer-reviewed report, "Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast," incorporates and builds on NECIA's 2006 study that described how the climate of the nine Northeast states will change under two scenarios.
The first scenario assumes an increase in global warming emissions from continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels, and the second assumes substantially lower emissions due to an increased reliance on clean energy sources.
New York City is projected to face flooding equivalent to today's 100-year flood once every decade on average under the higher-emissions scenario and once every two decades under the lower-emissions scenario by century's end.
The report concludes that sustained efforts to reduce emissions in the region - on the order of 80 percent below 2000 levels by mid-century and just over three percent per year on average over the next several decades - can help pull global emissions below the lower-emissions path used in this study.
Some steps are already underway. All the states in the report except Pennsylvania have joined the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the first multistate, market-based plan to reduce heat-trapping emissions from power plants.
全文及圖片詳見 ENS
作者
In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
