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Think about the differences between these materials. In the 'Build A House' game you have to decide which of these materials to use to build an environmentally friendly house.
Making new concrete blocks or bricks uses up a lot of energy; therefore, it's always better to use old or recycled bricks wherever possible.
Stone is a natural material and the energy required to cut it from the quarry and shape it into the sizes needed is a lot less than for making new bricks and blocks. There is also less pollution from cutting stone than from making bricks and blocks.
Earth from the ground around where buildings are being built is often scraped away and dumped on the other side of the city. Instead this earth could be compacted and used for making walls. This would save a lot of energy both in transport and in the energy used to make new materials.
Wood is a natural material that can be re-grown. It is better to use wood that is grown locally than wood that is transported from abroad because this uses less energy.
Sometimes wood needs to be chemically treated to stop it rotting and help to preserve it. The preservatives used greatly extend the life of the wood and cut down the number of times it will need replacing. The use of wood preservatives is strictly regulated.
