Northeast U.S. may feel like South if climate continues changing, says study
The days of mild summers in the Northeastern U.S. may be numbered, says a study by the Union of Concerned Scientists. If global greenhouse-gas emissions were reduced by 3 percent each year, the average temperature in the nine Northeast states would still likely rise between 3.5 and 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit by the end of the century; but if emissions and resultant climate change are left unchecked, the average temp could rise by up to 12.5 degrees, causing the region’s weather to begin to resemble the South’s, with longer, hotter summers and milder winters. The change could strain agriculture, tourism, the power grid, and the whole economy. “This has enormous implications for human health. It puts a lot of stress on the energy system. It could lead to blackouts,” says Katharine Hayhoe, an author of the two-year study. “The very notion of the Northeast as we know it is at stake,” says coauthor Cameron Wake.
