I recall talk recently about a shortage of sand appropriate for creating cement. It seems that this compressed wood turns that potential shortage into an opportunity.
Talk of sand shortages anywhere but in extremely remote and non-sandy locations is ridiculous. Sand is among the cheapest materials on earth. If it ever became difficult to procure, the price would rise.
Except that the price has risen. Easily procurable sand (typically from river beds) is being depleted, and no the desert sand isn't any good for construction.
The price has risen slowly and steadily for decades? And it's still the cheapest commodity around? I don't see the problem...
Plenty of sand in the Sahara, last I checked.
Concrete doesn't need "sand", it needs "sharp sand". You get sharp sand from river beds. You don't get it from deserts. The wind erosion causes round grains, and those are not useful for concrete.