re: I am doing my part :)
Concrete, steel, rock, plastic and foam are much better building materials than wood. They tend to have better R factors (insulation) can be cheaper, most are not flammable, they are stronger and their useful lives are longer than wood.
We have such a bad termite problem here in the Desert that many people are now using epoxy or plastic "beams" which are molded to look like wood. It is difficult to tell the difference. I must admit, I do really love my Alder cabinets though...