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Air quality and climate change issues are of particular concern for New Englanders due to the regions unique geographic location and setting:
- New England lies directly downwind of major urban and industrial centers in the United States.
Our air quality is, at times, significantly affected by pollution transported into the region from these upwind sources. Even relatively remote regions, such as Acadia National Park and the top of Mt Washington suffer from serious ozone problems and decreased visibility.
- The climatic gradient across New England is one of the steepest in the country, even though the region is a small physiographic area of the United States. The region is influenced by both polar and tropical air masses. Elevations ranges from sea level to greater that 6000', over a relatively short distance. The region is under the influence of several different oceanic currents (i.e., Gulf Stream, Labrador Current). It is within the fluctuating track of the jet stream and commonly in the path of significant storm tracks.
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