Up, up and extinct

The first thought that comes to mind when one mentions helium is, of course, the ocean of balloons that humans use to celebrate everything from birthday parties to weddings. But scientific studies have proven that our planet Earth is running out of the super-light gas and we may exhaust our resources within the next 30 to 50 years. Much like pop stars from the 80s, most of our helium floats off into the atmosphere never to be seen again. And the Earth has a finite supply of this gas which powers a lot more than the clowning industry. The magazine Popular Mechanics pointed out that MRI machines very much need helium to cool their magnets. It is also used in cryogenics, as well as silicon-wafer manufacturing and arc wielding. The United States has the world’s largest stockpiled supply of helium, but in 1996 the Helium Privatization Act was created and it mandated that the stockpile be sold off by 2015. That means selling 40 percent of the world’s helium at below market value – which gives humankind almost no incentive to look for more at the moment. All this has lead to a helium shortage that has seemingly been around for more than two years, with distributors buying up the gas and selling it at the best price they can get. Until a lot more helium is found, companies will be saving as much as they can in fear of running out. One Brantford business that has been around for 25 years and kept a close eye on the issue is Party Particulars at 206 King George Rd. “We have never run out of helium, but I know places up in Cambridge that have (run out) quite a few times,” says Colin Gunning-Hagey, one of the owners of the establishment. Gunning-Hagey said that one practice which has been affected by the shortage is the personal rental of helium tanks to customers, which is something Party Particulars no longer does. “(The helium distributors) are no longer able to give us 10 tanks, but they may be able to give us five.” he said. Gunning-Hagey is confident that helium will be around for at least the current and next generations, so he is not concerned for his business. He does believe that people will eventually be forced to secure helium using other scientific methods. Whatever the future brings for this valuable element, party suppliers, hospitals, airship manufacturers and everyone else who needs helium will be acquiring as much as they can while it lasts. So it’s safe to say, that at the moment – and perhaps for a long time to come – none of these businesses are willing to pass on gas.

Read more