Will hydrogen balloons come back?

[Ed Pawlowski]

It was a lame attempt at humor that you failed to see.

[Bill]

Just curious whether there is a reasonable way to extra Helium from the atmosphere (in case there really was a shortage)?

Bill

[Malcom "Mal" Reynolds]

oh no, now the helium industry will become the biggest supporter and provider of reasons as to why we need new nuclear plants...to fill up those mylar balloons

[Bill]

Sorry, that was supposed to be *EXTRACT* Helium, not extra Helium.

[gfretwell]

Gary Johnson

[gfretwell]

If we could get that fusion thing going we would have plenty of helium but you won't get much from a fission reactor.

There is also not much in "air", it quickly goes up and off into space.

[gfretwell]

The helium we have comes from natural gas wells in a fairly small part of the US. It is not everywhere natural gas is.

[David Kaye]

wrote

This is going to have the opposite result, of course. Helium for MRI scanners will, uh, balloon in price because the price for helium for recreation will be high. Same thing happened with corn. Corn for eating is expensive today because so much corn is being diverted into the more profitable biodiesel market.

[Stormin Mormon]

Wish some one who is a real conservative could be nominated. But, seems that the parties give us a choice like 1994, was it? Fascist B, or socialist C.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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On the other hand, that Obama fellow got his ideas from some guy named Romney, who tried something pretty close to the Canadian system in Massachusetts.

Is Ron Paul running?

[Stormin Mormon]

The Dollar Tree stores near me were without helium for a while. OTOH, hydrogen is fairly easy to make.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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I was talking to a balloon shop lady the other day and she said they were having trouble getting any. The places that sell the party balloons like grocery stores and flower shops are tacking on another 50 cents to a buck on the price.

I was just wondering if big balloon users like advertisers and weather balloons might switch to hydrogen. So what if the giant floating gumby went up in a big fireball. The fire would all go up.

[Stormin Mormon]

I've also heard that, helium found in natural gas. Of course, the Obama admin doesn't want any gas or oil production in the US territory.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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The helium we have comes from natural gas wells in a fairly small part of the US. It is not everywhere natural gas is.

[Stormin Mormon]

So, you think the tax system should be used to change peoples behaviour? Sounds like you are a liberal. Get out of America, we don't need you.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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It makes me sick. There should be a 2000% excise tax on non-indurstial uses of helium.

[Stormin Mormon]

Micky is a big government liberal.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Why? Is it bad for our ozone layer? Other reason?

[Stormin Mormon]

And, there appear to be liberals in the Nobel prize department?

"Two years ago, the shortage of helium prompted the American Nobel Prize-winning scientist, Robert Richardson, to call for the price of one party balloon filled with the gas to cost more than £60."

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Thank you. That was worth knowing. I noticed, though, the following "dumb" quote: "There are a finite number of helium atoms on the planet".

[Stormin Mormon]

Shhh.... don't confuse them with facts.

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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Absolutely WRONG! New helium atoms are being create continuously from radioactive decay.

Paul

[Stormin Mormon]

Perhaps someone on this list can squeak to that issue?

Christopher A. Young Learn more about Jesus

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[Fred Jones]

Yes because only the wealthy should be allowed to waste helium on a birthday balloon.

[Stormin Mormon]

Yes because only the wealthy should be allowed to waste helium on a birthday balloon.

[micky]

You can google "air products" corporation and see what they do. I used to drive by the place and I know they separate nitrogen and oxygen, but I suppose they would keep any helium they found, but I don't know if enough is in there to matter. Like someone said, it probably floats away to the highest part of the atmosphere, like hydrogen probably does. That is, it does iiuc.

[micky]

Not around here. Baltiomre. I only see them for sale at a dollar store, and since there is one chain of "dollar" stores where most things cost more than a dollar, I figured they were charging more too, but no, only a dollar, and I've never noticed them not selling. Oh, yeah, they have them at the supermarket too, probably for a lot more. They are always up at the ceiling with strings hanging down. And I almost never see anyone at checkout with one. I wonder if the helium leaks out after they've been filled, and how long that takes.

Maybe there is a little bit of sour grapes here, but I'm probably actually fortnate at my age, 65, to have had even one helium ballooon as a child, and that's what I had, one. When we were out of town. I had to let it go before the 4 hour drive back (although now I think I really could have kept it.) Still one is enough to learn all there is to know that helium balloons teach. Children don't get more pleasure out of 10 than out of one.

Seems to me thtey have been able in the past to apply an excise tax to some uses and not to others. If MRI's need helium, it's no secret who has an operating MRI, or even how many images they take each month.

Maybe if the balloon use dropped by 90 or 98% that would drive the price down for MRIs,etc.

Maybe we could have ration cards for helium balloons and every person could get one at a the untaxed price, maybe a dollar, and then have to pay 10 dollars tax for every balloon after that.

Someday we will run out of the stuff.