We just put up a new wood fence around our yard. Yesterday oru fence guy, Heath, came by for a final walk through and payment. He told us that we got it done just in time as new tariffs on Canada, will skyrocket the price of wood.
This will effect a lot more than just fencing contractors. It will increase construction costs of new housing, the price of furniture, and anything else made of wood or from wood, such as paper too.
If peopelcan't afford to buy stuff, then it doesn't sell and peopel get laid off, which means even fewer peopel cn afford to buy stuff and, well you can see how this coudl create a cycle into another great depression.
OR people could take advantage of the new hemp laws and start using hempcrete to build fireproof, mold-proof homes, make paper, plastics, clothing, use 3-D printing with hemp powder to make furniture. Then people will maybe stop clear-cutting virgin timber and leave the land in peace.
Trying to get industries to retool for such changes would be very hard. If they are makign profits, they want to keep making profits. Look at all the resistance from fossil fuel companies in chaning over to renewable energy sources. Or the car companies resisting changes to hybrids and electric cars.
The increased costs of lumber may make it feasible for some companies to start up production in the areas you suggested, which in the long term would be better in the long run. However, if we have a recession, putting monty into such ventures would not be as likely. When times are hard, tried and true methods get financed, while new technologies are considered "high risk".
I truly hope we do go forward with new more climate friendly technologies.
I listen to the NPR Marketplace with Kai Ryssdal during my lunch break and a few of their articles focus on the people that are hurting due to the GOP/trump tariffs debacle. It is not MAGA........surprise surprise
Ga Public Broadcasting airs Marketplace in the evening, which I catch nearly every weekday. Really good show.
@bingst There is always something that they present that catches my interest...always.