Saturday 5 January 2013

The Independent: "A ballooning problem: the great helium shortage"


Link to web site

"The supply of helium, an inert element with the lowest boiling point of any known substance, has now become so erratic that scientists are calling for a ban on all but the most essential uses – which could mean no more helium-filled party balloons. "Peter Wothers of Cambridge University, who gave the 2012 Royal Institution Christmas lectures, said:
“The scarcity of helium is a really serious issue. I can imagine that in 50 years’ time, our children will be saying: ‘I can’t believe they used such a precious material to fill balloons'.

There is a finite supply of this lighter-than-air gas on Earth, so if we keep using it for non-essential things like party balloons, where we’re just letting it float off into space, we could be in for some serious problems in around 30 to 50 years’ time."

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