1) wringing its hands about a problem that probably has less of an impact on construction prices than a single NIMBY catching a cold and missing the next zoning meeting
2) suggesting an alternative that would charitably be 1000x the current market clearing price, ignoring the fact that there are probably alternatives at 1.2x, 1.3x, and 1.8x the current price that will kick in long before the 1000x solution would become relevant
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There are many things that markets handle poorly, but this is not one of them, and the stupidity on display in this comments section is a stark reminder why markets are a good default choice for coordinating human activity.
No kidding. Sand is one of the cheapest substances you can buy, and always has been. If it increases enough in price, builders will use something else. They're still using sand...
