It smells bad and it ruins anything made of copper or silver. The gases given off by wallboard imported from China may also sicken homeowners and their families. Some say the affected homes will have to be gutted or bulldozed. But others say a simple solution is possible, if the focus is shifted to how the foul odor is produced.

“They say that copper must have a Ph.D. in economics, because of the way its price moves in lock step with the peaks and valleys of the gross national product. We're also beginning to suspect that it may have advanced degrees in consumer product safety, international relations, and warranty management, based on the central role it's taking in the so-called Chinese drywall controversy.” From Warranty Week.