From time to time, information appears on the pages of the world’s leading news agencies, Internet sites, and printed publications about the impending irreparable shortage of many material non-renewable resources in the very near future. This applies not only to oil, rare metals, iron ore, water resources, the reserves of which are being depleted every decade at an incredible rate. So, for example, sometimes there are rumors that the time is coming for the onset of a global shortage of one of the most common and highly demanded gases – helium.
However, are these assumptions correct? After all, the global gas industry is showing good growth rates. In many parts of the world, transnational concerns are searching for, improving methods, methods of development and production of natural gas and other hydrocarbons. For example, in the same USA, the volume of shale gas production has recently increased significantly, which even leads to a decrease in prices in the domestic American market. However, in practice, everything is not so simple. Probably, the fact is that the global demand for the products of hydrocarbon corporations exceeds the capabilities of the extraction and processing of raw materials, and this despite the crisis processes in the global world economy that have been taking place over the past four years.
But back to helium. Indeed, quite often information appears that inspires rather serious fears for the fate of entire industries that affect the life support of the economic structure of a modern industrial society. After all, a possible shortage of gas can lead to a temporary shutdown and subsequent shutdown of nuclear power plants, a significant decrease in the quality of medical care, a deterioration in the work of the service sector, etc.
Such informational messages, at first glance, are not critical, but at the same time they say a lot. So, for example, relatively recently, one harmless, at first glance, news appeared in the information flow of world news agencies. Its essence lies in the fact that in Tokyo Disneyland, one of the largest entertainment centers for children and adults, they suddenly stopped selling bright, weightless balloons with very beautiful images of their favorite cartoon characters.
The Agence France-Presse news agency reports that the Disneyland administration made such a decision due to the elementary lack of helium in balloons. The reason for the gas shortage was the termination of helium supplies by American companies, which were unable to form the required volume in due time due to a sharp reduction in its production. So far, the situation is not critical and the park administration is doing everything possible so that uplifting balloons reappear in the hands of adults and children, making the visit to the park unforgettable.