NYC carbon footprint: At standard pressure and 59 °F a metric ton of carbon dioxide gas would fill a sphere 33 feet across (density of CO₂ = 1.87 kg/m³ (ref). If this is how New York's emissions actually emerged we would see one of these spheres emerge every 0.58 seconds.
54,349,650 tons a year = 148,903 tons a day = 6,204 tons an hour = 1.72 tons a second.
Emissions in 2010 were 12% less than 2005 emissions. The City of New York is on track to reduce emissions by 30% by 2017 - an ambitious target. By Carbon Visuals and The Environmental Defense Fund.
