It's one of the backbones of the world economy. We use it to fill our balloons and our blimps. Thousands of teenage grocery store employees sneak huffs from its tanks and amuse themselves with their chipmunk voices while avoiding the watchful gaze of their day managers. It's lighter than air, and it's running out. The world's largest helium deposit outside of Amarillo, Texas (who knew?) is projected to run out of the amusing gas within the next eight years. But it's not just the silver-backed "Lordy, Lordy, Somebody's Forty" novelty balloon industry that's worried. Helium is also used in the manufacture of microchips and other scientific apparatus. It's also widely used as a coolant. Though the most sophisticated laboratories recycle their helium, many do not. We're now taking bets on how long it'll take whatever third world president is sitting on an unknown helium stockpile to declare himself emperor for life. More details here.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
No Blood for Helium
