NEWS

Luxury vinyl tile, which is often designed to look like wood, is created from layers of thin plastic made with fossil fuels. A new report shows that very often, that plastic is produced using forced Uyghur labor.

Resource:

The Intercept: TOXIC TILES: How Vinyl Flooring Made With Uyghur Forced Labor Ends Up at Big Box Stores

Record-breaking diesel fuel prices are forcing some logging and trucking operations to shut down. Fuel was once 25% of the operational cost of running a truck. Now, that has increased to more than 60%. "When it costs $1,118 to fill up a logging truck, plus the other expenses to operate, there is not a profit at the end of the day." 

Resources:

Despite the Russia-Ukraine war and subsequent tariffs, imports of Russian hardwood plywood grew by 44% in the first four months of this year vs. the same period last year. In April, imports directly from Russia appeared to have slowed a bit after the U.S. imposed tariffs, but imports of birch plywood from Vietnam grew by 206% to 427 million square feet. Russia is a likely source for a substantial amount of the imports of birch plywood from Vietnam.

Decorative Hardwoods Association (formerly HPVA) eNews Volume XV, Issue XI: USFWS Advances Proposed Endangered Species Listing For Bat | Growth Of Kitchen Cabinet Sales May Be Slowing | Russia Will Use Subsidies To Support Timber Industry | Congress Weighs In On Tariffs On China

Photo © Keith Shannon/USFWS

Which World War II bomber was made mostly from wood?

Answer: The de Havilland Mosquito

Resource: Second World War-era de Havilland Mosquito set to arrive at Kelowna's airport next week

Photo © KF Aerospace