In the previous issue of Trä! I wrote about health in the editorial. Little did I know how topical that subject would become just a month or so later. We now live in a world of restrictions that few could have imagined we would experience in our lifetime. Not being able to travel how and where we want is something most people can deal with, at least for a while. Working from home also works well for those who are able to do so. But quite quickly, most of us found that what we missed most was being able to meet and have contact with people, and that became the hardest thing to handle.
For generations, people have gathered at various meeting places to exchange ideas, have fun or simply socialise. Markets, dance halls, churches, arenas, conference facilities and many other places have served this purpose, and the need to meet appears not to have diminished in this digital age – quite the reverse in fact.
In these current times, the home becomes the natural meeting place, where our sphere of human contact shrinks to those nearest to us. We are seeing people put more energy and money into making their home more pleasant. For me, this means building a new terrace this summer, and obviously it is going to be in wood. In addition to being attractive and natural, wood also stores carbon dioxide, as most of you know. For talk about a green recovery for our communities to have any credibility, we need to champion the sustainable materials we have. Sweden has a fantastic resource in its forests and an industrial structure that puts every wood fibre to use in the best possible way. This means that every time we build in wood, we also get toilet paper, textiles, newspapers, books, toiletries, packaging and fuel “into the bargain”.
Life will eventually return to normal, but for summer 2020 my new wooden terrace will be the perfect meeting place, where close family and friends can sit and barbecue on hopefully light and warm summer evenings. There will surely be a lot of talk about the little things in life, but also about the huge potential for greater use of wood.
I wish you all a really great summer!
