Investing in helium?

[4 bit]

According to this article from The Independent, the U.S. government is selling off helium from the National Helium Reserve. This is making helium artificially cheap, which causes overconsumption, which could lead to shortages. Federal law requires all of the helium in the reserve to be sold off by 2015. According to the article, some experts are warning that Earth's supply of helium could be depleted within 25 to 30 years.

This got me to thinking that it might not be a bad idea to buy some helium. I wonder how one would go about this. Party stores sell helium tanks. I wonder if it would be a good idea to buy some and put them away for a few years.

[Kurr]

Let's not make light of this...



If the helium is to be depleted in just 25-30 years why would the government be completely emptying it's reserves?

[Ardent Listener]

Let's not make light of this...



If the helium is to be depleted in just 25-30 years why would the government be completely emptying it's reserves?

Why did they empty their silver reserve? You can,t count on common sense when it comes to the government. Shame is most of it is use to blow up party balloons to be let lose to litter the ground,power lines and water ways. Happy birthday!

[68Camaro]

Let's not make light of this...

It's bound to go up...

[Rodebaugh]

Ballooning profits for sure with the reserve being drained.

[silverflake]

When will the helium bubble POP?

It's obviously being manipulated by high powered, high voiced clowns!

[Kurr]

Helium is the second lightest element and is the second most abundant element in the observable universe, being present at about 24% of the total elemental mass, which is more than 12 times the mass of all the heavier elements combined.

The second most abundant element in the observable universe. And we are running out. Kroger used to used to give out free baloons to the kids, small little helium filled ballons to carry around the store. GREAT draw, the kids love to go to THAT grocery. But the last time we went a day or so ago, they charged my wife, ONE DOLLER PER BALLON!!! Talk about a markup!!!

And the reason?!? The girl at the counter said there was talk of them running out of helium in the next 20 years!!!

How do you run ouyt of the second most common element ever?

The government of the United States set up the National Helium Reserve in 1925 at Amarillo, Texas, with the goal of supplying military airships in time of war and commercial airships in peacetime.

Maybe we just don't "need" a national reserve since we don't use derrigbles and such much? The rest just fear mongering and panic spreading with oppertunistic profeteering. IMHO

[fb101]

did they close the helium mines?
I'm waiting for Nadler to says it's a good buy!

[IdahoCopper]

Helium is inert, not like hydrogen which readily combines with other atoms. When helium is released into the atmosphere, it rises to the top where solar wind can blow it completely out of the Earth's gravity well.

We get helium from underground sources. When its is extracted, used and discarded, it is gone from us forever.

During the era between the two world wars, the US.gov instituted underground helium storage facilities; because it was a strategic element useful for military airships. That era has passed, so the need to maintain those facilities has waned.

[shinnosuke]

Do the grocery stores near you still sell helium balloons? Yes, for our town. Ten years have passed since this thread was started and Covid killed off everyone in the meantime so there are no more birthday parties and therefore no need for helium-filled balloons, but a search for “helium supply shortage” on the Internet produces many doom and gloom articles. It just seems so unlikely that the supply issues are so dire and yet we still have something as unnecessary as balloons filled with the happy gas. Are we running out gradually and then all at once?

[IdahoCopper]

Today, I opened the box at my mail drop in Tucson with the helikite.

It is a hybrid balloon/kite with a long, radar-reflecting, metalized mylar tail.

The mylar balloon is filled with helium. It will ascend in zero wind, and its attached kite will keep it aloft directly overhead in high winds. So it won't crash into the sea from low or high wind.

After the yacht sinks and the crew is in the liferaft, the helikite will hoist a large radar reflector 200 feet above the raft. This greatly increases the chances a ship within 50 miles will have its radar alarm go off, and the crew in the raft may be rescued.

I bought a 33 cu ft aluminium helium tank to fill the balloon multiple times, if it is ever needed.

Technology advances bring products to market that 10 years ago were unknown. Helium is far from being useless, however I certainly hope I will never need to fill and launch my helikite.

[shinnosuke]

That is one cool lifesaver which I hope you never use.

[68Camaro]

Any statistics on the probability of another ship being with a 50 mile radius and having their radar turned on and pointing in the right direction at any given time and place?

Related, do you have reflectors on the mast to help keep from being run over by a giant container ship in the middle of the night?

[IdahoCopper]

Nearly all ships always have their radar on. The beam is constantly sweeping 360, so it is intermittently pointing at you as it sweeps around.

It is common to sail near shipping lanes, as ships go from/to the same places yachts do.

It is essential to stand night watches to lookout for ships that may collide with your boat. Someone must visually scan all around the horizon every 10 minutes, looking for ships' lights.

Radar reflectors are a good idea. Also, a radar alarm will warn when a ship is nearby.