Can a wood product be stronger than steel? That‘s the claim of a team of researchers from the University of Maryland. They have refined a “densifying” process of using a soft wood, such as pine, by first soaking the wood in chemicals, then squeezing it and passing it through rollers to create a “superwood” that is 12 times stronger than steel. …Discovering more uses for wood, a renewable resource, will be an important factor as we reduce our dependence on coal, gas, and oil to make concrete, plastic and steel. Concrete and steel production now accounts for 8 percent of greenhouse emissions worldwide, which is not sustainable, given the dangers of climate change. …Overcoming wood’s disadvantages, such as its susceptibility to burning, rotting, swelling and cracking, is an essential goal of this relatively new field of research. …Many trees will need to be planted and replanted. Sustainable forestry is the only way forward.