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Dem Congressman: ‘Imagine a World Without Balloons’

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posted on Apr, 26 2013 @ 07:52 PM
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reply to post by ThirdEyeofHorus
 


Economic viability takes a backseat to public good. It's not the US government's fault that helium prices have risen. They've been selling off the reserve for the past seven years. This has kept the price low in America while it gets higher and higher in Europe and Asia.

On a personal note: No natural resource should be owned by private interests.



posted on Apr, 26 2013 @ 08:07 PM
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reply to post by links234
 


I'm just still astounded they store it in Texas, these people have proven time and time again they cannot be trusted with any sort of gas or fuel or substance, (heck, these people can't even be trusted with a curve in a road) even though helium is inert, Texans probably would find a way to make it blow up.



posted on Apr, 26 2013 @ 08:40 PM
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reply to post by Aleister
 


But you're not the only one!!



posted on Apr, 28 2013 @ 01:18 AM
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This is an example of what happens when politics and ideology meet physics.

In reality, helium is a critical and depleting resource---it is produced, extremely slowly, by the radioactive decay of minerals in the earth.

The idea that private industry can "manufacture" helium is preposterous---they can only tap and deplete, far more rapidly, a limited reserve.

The Federal government may be screwed up (it is!) but the notion that a private industry which gets paid by flow, and without regard to long-term depletion, would be better is insane. They would just deplete it faster for short-term profits---as did the 100% capitalist oil companies who depleted the United Kingdom's North Sea oil reserves at $15 a barrel during the 1990's, all following impeccable return-on-investment spreadsheets and capitalist logic.

Helium is literally irreplaceable for superconducting magnets in MRI and other critical physics apparatus.

Screw birthday parties, fundamental science and engineering is on the line.

Think. What would the Chinese do? They are interested in developing a successful civilization over then next 500 years.



edit on 28-4-2013 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)

edit on 28-4-2013 by mbkennel because: (no reason given)




 
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