New York Skyline
November 09, 2004
Provided and copyright by: Billy Chasen
Summary authors & editors: Billy Chasen; Jim Foster
This captivating photo of New York City was taken on September 30, 2004, from a roof deck 32 stories up. The view on this particularly clear night shows the skyline of Manhattan. The 5 boroughs (Manhattan, Bronx, Staten Island, Queens, and Brooklyn) that compose New York now have more than 8 million inhabitants, gaining more than 1 million people in the last 40 years.
While there has been some long-term trend toward improved air quality in New York City, as is the case with most all major cities, there's considerable room for improvement. New York City is still designated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as being in "severe non-attainment" under the national ambient air quality standard for ground-level ozone, a colorless, odorless gas associated with smog that causes eye irritation at lower concentration levels and respiratory problems at higher concentrations. However, in some cases, the "Big Apple" is environmentally relatively harmless. For instance, because of its high population density, many New Yorkers live in apartment buildings, which are energy efficient compared to single family homes. Additionally, since most of its residents utilize public transportation, gasoline consumption per capita is very low in comparison to other urban centers and to consumption in rural areas as well.
Photo details: Composed of 11 original (digitally stitched) photos (the original resolution is 12,200 x 946). Each shot is a 10 second exposure on a tripod.
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