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Helium would get more expensive. People using it (from researchers to weather balloons to ad blimps to party balloons) would pay more, and would probably cut back some as a result. But are you saying that nobody would use it at all and so demand would completely vanish?
There isn't enough demand to support the industry. I'm not saying we should support it. Rather, just repeating what my prof said from his tour at a helium plant. Take it for what it's worth - which might not be much.
I actually heard audio of a Congressman talking about how we need to helium balloons for peoples parties and how tragic it would be if they werent there..
Haha...good thing they are focusing on the important stuff, huh?
I actually heard audio of a Congressman talking about how we need to helium balloons for peoples parties and how tragic it would be if they werent there..
Cab you guess who it was? I'll give you a hint. Guam may tip over.
You gotta here him talk about this and even the Guam quote. It sounds like something from SNL
read the you provided. They are selling it off, i.e. privatizing it. The helium reserve was established in the 1920's during the era of dirigibles, when it was a national security consideration.
It remained in place long after dirigibles were needed by the military. In 1996 under Gingrich, a bill was finally passed to phase it out. It required privatization be carried out between 2005 and 2015. This is the result of the phaseout that that was passed back then:
Though helium is the second most abundant element in the universe, after hydrogen, on earth it is rare : 0.00052% by volume in the atmosphere.
The [politically incorrect expletives deleted] are wasting this scarce element in party balloons. Once it gets in the atmosphere - good bye He!
Most terrestrial helium present today is created by the natural radioactive decay of heavy radioactive elements (thorium and uranium), as the alpha particles emitted by such decays consist of helium-4 nuclei. This radiogenic helium is trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to 7% by volume, from which it is extracted commercially by a low-temperature separation process called fractional distillation.
Is there any reason to think the supply will be interrupted? The present reserve is huge. I doubt they will just open all the valves and let the stuff float away.
If the govt gets out of the business, that means its subsidies will go away. Which means that people using helium will have to pay the full (unsubsidized) price instead of being shielded by the taxpayers as they have been for the last ninety years.
Nobody likes a price rise. But the advantage of getting government out of as many things as possible that it doesn't absolutely have to be in, can outweigh that.
It's going to get tighter. Withdrawl from an addiciton (in this case, the addiction to govt subsides) can be painful. But ultimately it can be beneficial once the dependency is gone.
One of the main causes of the current shortage is the nature of the helium market itself. Helium, unlike most other gases, is a minor byproduct in the production of natural gas. Those fissures and crevices that have trapped natural gas below the Earth's surface are also capable of trapping helium, although typically in small amounts. It takes a certain minimum level of helium concentration to make it economically viable to separate out the helium from the natural gas.
As a consequence, out of the thousands of sources of natural gas that exist, only 14 are being processed for their helium content. And when more than a few of those helium sources are shut down for maintenance and repair, as they have been over the last few months, helium shortages can occur.
Oil is considered a vital strategic natural resource, but is helium? Can we do without fiber optics, cell phones, iPads, semiconductors, and MRIs if we should run out of helium?
Personally, I am in favor of eliminating all government subsidies. However, keep in mind that there are consequences. It is not the manufacturer who will be paying higher prices, but rather the consumer who will foot the bill. I do not pretend to know how much more someone will have to pay for an MRI, or cell phones, laptops, or other electronic components made from helium, but it will increase prices for the consumer.
Why did the U.S. ban helium to the Germans for the Hindenburg?
Quote:
The American ban on helium exportation was not directed against Germany in particular, and had nothing to do with the Nazi regime. The ban on foreign helium sales was due to the Helium Control Act of 1927, which applied to all foreign nations and was enacted by the United States Congress six years before the Nazis took power in January, 1933.
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Why did the U.S. ban helium to the Germans for the Hindenburg?
