There is a lot more to a house than its curb appeal. When all of the houses on a street, in a city, in a state or a country are combined, the sum of their impacts has a tremendous influence on our larger environment. Environmental Impact Buildings use natural resources in large amounts. Forty percent of the electricity in the United States is used by buildings, nearly all of it generated from oil, gas, coal, nuclear power, and dams. Buildings also use an enormous amount of water, trees, and other natural resources.
Buildings also impact the site upon which they stand, a local effect on the natural environment.
Many building sites are first cleared and leveled before construction, so that any and all natural inhabitants of the site, including plants and animals, are destroyed or severely disrupted. Ornamental landscaping then follows construction, often with manicured grass and non-native species that require watering and chemical fertilizers. Alternately, buildings can enter into the landscape they inhabit, instead of disrupting and replacing it. Careful site design can identify features, trees and habitats that should be protected and preserved. Contractors can then clear only the land required, and build the house among the existing natural features.