Federal helium reserves? (Congress, rating, parties, financial)
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Everyone has benefited, to some degree, from research made possible by liquid helium. Cell phones, iPads and laptops are possible because of experiments enabled by liquid helium. In the medical world, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is but one example of a host of diagnostic and treatment tools that exist only as a result of groundbreaking experiments carried out by using helium. In fact, the strong and extremely stable magnetic field that MRI devices require to work is accomplished by immersing powerful superconducting magnets inside liquid helium. Manufacturers of fiber optics cable and semiconductors used in electronic components rely on helium. And these are just a few examples of the importance of helium.
Those who are particularly hard hit are members of the scientific community. An interruption in helium supply can cause weeks or even months of work to become useless. For many of these researchers, helium costs are a significant fraction of their operating budgets. The large increases in helium prices that they have experienced over the last few years have placed them in a tight financial bind.
If I remember correctly there is essentially only one major helium plant in the entire USA. The entire industry is heavily subsidized by the US gov and would cease to exist without the gov support. I'm not sure if that really relates to your post, I just thought it was interesting.
The Helium Reserve was started in the dirigible days of the 1920s and 30s. After the Hindenburg crashed, and crashes of U.S. airships such as the Akron and Macon in storms, dirigible usage declined though they are still in limited use today. Helium is sometimes used as a coolant, used in weather balloons, and as an anitoxidant in welding processes.
The Helium Reserve was ordered into existence in the 20s and 30s. Being run by government, it was done inefficiently and racked up huge debts, of course. They've been thinking of phasing it out for a few decades now since there is far less govt usage of helium needed today.
Now Congress says they want to run the Helium Reserve right. I see no evidence that they will do it any better than they have done for the last 80-plus years.
Those who are particularly hard hit are members of the scientific community. An interruption in helium supply can cause weeks or even months of work to become useless.
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.
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For many of these researchers, helium costs are a significant fraction of their operating budgets. The large increases in helium prices that they have experienced over the last few years have placed them in a tight financial bind.
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.
The entire industry is heavily subsidized by the US gov
True.
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and would cease to exist without the gov support.
"Cease to exist"??? What makes you think that?
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?
Well, my Birthday is coming up. I'm guessing they are planning on throwing me a pretty kick-ass party.
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..
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