Helium Supplies Endangered, Threatening Science And Technology

If you think we have an energy crisis with the oil supply, wait till you hear about the impending crisis with the helium supply. Helium, you say? Yes, helium!

"Helium is non-renewable and irreplaceable. Its properties are unique and unlike hydrocarbon fuels (natural gas or oil), there are no biosynthetic ways to make an alternative to helium. All should make better efforts to recycle it."

With large facilities such as the LHC at CERN, and the proposed ILC (the latter may be moot since it is on life-support right now) using superconducting technology, be it in the magnets and/or the accelerating structure, the use of helium will certainly shoot up, even if these facilities have a recycling program.

Zz.