Think New York Has a Small Carbon Footprint? Watch This [VIDEO]

Bigger isn't always better -- at least, that's what New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is conveying to New Yorkers with a new report on the city's large carbon footprint.

The mayor's Office of Long Term Planning and Sustainability released a study, along with a video, that looked at how just much carbon dioxide (CO2) escapes into the Big Apple's air each day.

The video, above, assumes that one ton of CO2 would fill a sphere about 33 feet across -- represented by the large, turquoise orbs you see floating up from the streets. It then assumes what would happen if all the CO2 emissions from vehicles, buildings and factories -- in their spherical form -- were to emerge together at the same spot in downtown Manhattan.

According to the video, the gas bubbles would form a pile about half the height of the Empire State Building after the first hour. After a day, the bubbles would almost completely cover the building and its surrounding area. Finally, after a year, the entire island of Manhattan would be buried under a pile of turquoise.

The video also adds that nearly two tons of CO2 are released from the city every second; 75% of the emissions come from buildings. In 2010, New York added more than 54 million metric tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, it says.