Alva Review-Courier -

Computer riddle: “What do you do for a bad chip?” Answer: “Good bean dip.”

The problem is not one of bad chips, but no chips at all. The shortage has crippled industries making everything from vehicles to toasters; chips have sometimes been called “The New Oil.”

This supply chain imbalance is the result of pandemic disturbance combined with the world’s dependence on China and Japan to manufacture and distribute the little beasties.

These infamous chips are made from silicon, the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust. How many chips are necessary? A vehicle contains many modules to...