Gratitude Month - Natural Resources

Did you know that in about 40 years we will have used up all of the Earth's supply of helium?  

 

 

I first heard about a helium 'shortage' several months ago, but brushed it off as some conspiracy theorists new way of panicking the public.   However, I found out first hand that this conspiracy theory might have some truth to it, when trying to find helium to finish Delaney's birthday present.   I went to three locations, and all three of them were completely out of helium and they didn't know when they were getting more.   Hmmm....

 

One might say that the depletion of helium reserves isn't that important, who really NEEDS that Hello Kitty balloon anyway, right?   Well helium obviously isn't just used for balloons.

 

A recent article on Slate.com has this to say...

 

"While its best-known use may be filling balloons and making people who inhale it squeak like Mickey Mouse, the element’s scientific uses are arguably more valuable. No other gas is as light without being combustible. Those properties, as well as its very low boiling point and high thermal conductivity, make it indispensable for aerospace engineering, deep-sea diving, and cryogenics. So, while a world with no more balloons is a sad specter, without liquefied helium we wouldn’t be able to make superconducting magnets like those in MRIs"

 

So, say what you will about those nutty environmentalists who are always harping on the public to be more conscious of how we use our natural resources, I think they have a point....and it isn't about whether you swing red or blue in your political persuasions, the environment obviously affects us all and is affected by us all.

 

Enjoy the parade tomorrow, and when you see that new Hello Kitty balloon go by, take a moment to be thankful for helium.