**10. Increasing density of forests**

Increased fossil fuel consumption causes global warming. (Figure 7), and increased greenhouse gases, especially CO2 (Figure 8). These may be used to analyze the changes in vegetation and forestry around the world, and the changes in marine life.

Fig. 7. Global mean land-ocean temperature index, 1880 to present, with the base period 1951-1980. The green bars show uncertainty estimates. [Courtesy: Wikipedia.com]

encouraging mass transit like buses and subways. This would be more sustainable in the

In the ongoing decline in the housing market in North America, prices in distant suburbs have gone down by 66 %, whereas prices in the urban areas have gone down by about 20 %. While many explanations have been given for this crash in the housing market, it could also be evidence of the non-sustainability of urban sprawl, in the face of rising fuel costs. Faced with fuel costs at \$ 3 - 4 per gallon, commuting over long distances is becoming an increasingly expensive option. With high fuel costs, housing in distant suburbs, and an

The presence of trees and vegetation around and on houses and buildings is another simple proven method of keeping energy costs low (Akbari, 1992, 1997, 2001; Raeissi, 1999). Trees cool buildings both by shading the walls and roof from the sun, and by cooling the ambient temperatures by their evaporation processes. A rooftop garden on a five-story commercial building gave savings of 0.6–14.5% in the annual energy consumption (Wonga, 2003). Increasing of soil thickness and its moisture content would further reduce the building

Increased fossil fuel consumption causes global warming. (Figure 7), and increased greenhouse gases, especially CO2 (Figure 8). These may be used to analyze the changes in

Fig. 7. Global mean land-ocean temperature index, 1880 to present, with the base period 1951-1980. The green bars show uncertainty estimates. [Courtesy: Wikipedia.com]

vegetation and forestry around the world, and the changes in marine life.

**9.3 Recent decline in housing market in North America** 

automobile-dependent lifestyle has lost much of its former appeal.

**9.4 Role of trees to reduce cooling costs** 

energy consumption substantially

**10. Increasing density of forests** 

long run.

Fig. 8. Carbon dioxide concentrations as directly measured at Mauna Loa, Hawaii. (courtesy Wikipedia).

Deforestation over the decades and centuries has brought down naturally forested areas to less than 10 % of their prehistoric levels. Paradoxically, it has been observed that forest densities have significantly increased over the decades (Figure 9). Forests in many regions of the world have actuallly become of higher density, according to researchers in Rockefeller's Program for the Human Environment.

The reason cited in the above study is better management of the forests. One contradiction of the above explanation is that increased density of forests have also been observed in places where there has been no maintenance of forests.

Fig. 9. These photos from the same spot in Finland, taken in 1893 (left) and in 1997 (right) show that while the forest area is the same, the trees have become larger (Courtesy: newswire.rockefeller.edu).

Modern Transitions in Saving Energy and the Environment 209

An additional reason for increased density of forestation is proposed here to be increased carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. Besides increased temperatures, vegetation and forests are very dependent on CO2 for photosynthesis, and creation of living tissue. The fossil fuel burnt artificially releases increased carbon dioxide into the atmosphere over the decades. This increasing carbon dioxide would cause a shift in the dynamic equilibrium of forest density, favoring the growth of forests. With other factors remaining unchanged, the increase in carbon dioxide levels would cause more dense vegetation and forests. It is known among aquarium enthusiasts that pumping CO2 from a cylinder into an aquarium increases the density of aquatic plants. An increase in CO2 into the atmosphere would be

The global decline in wildlife over the last few decades is largely attributed to loss of habitat such as rainforests, and the encroachment of man. The decrease in wildlife has also been attributed to the pollutants and contaminants introduced into the atmosphere. **The large decline in the numbers predatory birds such as eagles and hawks was first indicated in the study some decades ago, where DDT introduced into the food chain was found to have been the cause.** Owing to a lack of other explanations, the huge decline of birds today

Also sensitive to environmental toxins are amphibians such as frogs. About a decade ago, mutations in frogs causing extra limbs were found to be have increased alarmingly.

Animals such as bison, elephants, etc. deal with depleting grasses/vegetation and annual weather patterns by migrating over large geographic distances. The artificial fences crisscrossing our continents could be another reason for the large decline in wildlife

Having looked at the changes in global forests, we look at the present widespread decline in marine life, fisheries, coral ecosystems, etc. It is widely acknowledged that marine life has been decreasing at an alarming rate over the last few decades (Reynolds, 2005;

The most common explanation for the decline of marine life is global warming (SFGate.com, Dec. 2011). Global warming as the cause of declining marine life raises questions which cannot be easily answered. It implies that fish which used to live at the equator would shift to higher latitudes (Figure 10). Fish formerly of higher latitudes would now shift to the arctic circle. Instead, marine life, including plankton, is found to have decreased

The issue arises as to why trees and vegetation have benefited, at least marginally, whereas

dramatically worldwide, strongly indicating a cause other than global warming.

marine life has declined alarmingly over the decades.

**10.3 Increased carbon dioxide as cause of increase of forestation** 

expected to cause a similar increase in forests and vegetation.

could be attributed to their great sensitivity to toxins in the environment.

Pollutants and contaminants were cited as the reason for these mutations.

**10.4 Wildlife** 

populations.

**11. Declining marine life** 

Marinebio.com, 2011).
