Global lumber demand is expanding at the same time wildfires and pests are destroying some forests and around the world countries are under pressure to preserve trees and implement afforestation practices. Carbon sinking efforts have prompted capital to prevent the felling of trees to provide offsets to emissions by other sectors of the economy. Chicago lumber futures are at three times their level of just a year ago. There are alternatives to lumber but not without limits. The CO2 emitted in cement production is almost kilogram for kilogram the weight of the final product, and for steel the emissions are pound for pound nearly double the final product weight. The use of bamboo is expanding, and research is expanding the use of waste plast...