Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science And Technology

rayofreason

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Mon Jan-14-08 10:01 AM
Original message

Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science And Technology

ScienceDaily (Jan. 5, 2008) �

In America, helium is running out of gas.

The element that lifts things like balloons, spirits and voice ranges is being depleted so rapidly in the world's largest reserve, outside of Amarillo, Texas, that supplies are expected to be depleted there within the next eight years.

This deflates more than the Goodyear blimp and party favors. Its larger impact is on science and technology, according to Lee Sobotka, Ph.D., professor of chemistry and physics in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080102093943.htm

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tekisui

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Mon Jan-14-08 10:10 AM
Response to Original message

1. The Helium Era is nearing it's end.

There is only a finite amount of Helium, and it has been mined for decades. We will look back and tell our grandkids how we used to have floating balloons at birthday parties.

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Ian David

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Mon Jan-14-08 10:22 AM
Response to Reply #1

2. What could possibly go wrong if we have hydrogen balloons and birthday candles together? n/t

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trotsky

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Mon Jan-14-08 02:14 PM
Response to Reply #1

4. Don't worry.

As soon as we figure out cold fusion we'll have limitless amounts. ;-)

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onehandle

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Mon Jan-14-08 10:58 AM
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3. Ground the blimps and balloons. Save it for science.

Seems obvious to me.

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caraher

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Mon Jan-14-08 02:53 PM
Response to Reply #3

5. That only helps a little

Much less than 10% of helium is used for blimps, etc. According to the USGS end-use figures, in 2003 959 metric tons of He were used for "Chromatography/lifting gas/heat transfer" out of 13,700 total metric tons used in the US, or 7%. I have no idea what fraction of that 7% was for balloons and blimps.

I have a colleague who launches balloons for upper atmosphere experiments, and they're thinking hard about switching to hydrogen despite its obvious hazards. This might put a damper on his ability to use the balloons as an outreach tool (working with junior high and high school students to fly payloads they design) - or at least add safety concerns.

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Ganja Ninja

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Mon Jan-14-08 03:10 PM
Response to Original message

6. "The U.S. government ran the helium industry for 70 years,"

"but since the mid-90s it has been in the domain of the oil and natural gas industries."

And everybody knows they would never lie to us about their reserves.

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