No More Balloons

Lyons in the Sea of Red. said:
Another depressing side note, the fountain in front of the union was also drained this past week because of the cities mandatory water restrictions.
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That's been happening on and off for years, they got rid of the mall fountains a decade ago because of that and maintenance costs.

 
Landlord of Memorial Stadium said:
accountability said:
Can someone in the know clarify something for me without actually reading the article? Is the actual issue here the fact what we dont want to pay extra for helium or is it simply we can't get it at all. Because they always say oil shortage this, gas shortage that, jack the prices, but yet you never see dry pumps. If it is that we dont want to spend the extra, wouldnt you think we could use the extra money saved if we didnt do alternate unis and from Barney's salary?
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My understanding of it is probably both. The price of helium through retail channels has more than doubled, and seeing how helium is used for much more important tasks than filling up balloons (to cool MRI machines and used in the engines of spaceships as two examples) I believe the government is or will very soon be cracking down on unnecessary or excessive usage of it.
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You mean Helium doesn't solely exist to fill balloons and make funny voices??? Color me shocked!! :lol:
 
ZRod said:
All you'll ever want to know on the helium shortage:

http://www.popularme...ortage-10031229

This probably should have happened long ago. I was watching a show a year ago that was talking about how big of a deal this really was, but we don't really feel the effects since the government sets the price it is usually artificially low.
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Wow, after brushing up on all of this I'm stunned by the extreme lack of responsibility demonstrated by the US government in setting this policy.

I can't believe the lack of public awareness and outrage that has occurred since this mind-numbingly awful idea became law in 1996. There's a funny relief effort called the Helium Stewardship Act of 2012 that would extend the 2015 deadline for sell-off, but look at this, how lovely:

...Congress has taken no action on the bill since its introduction in April.Read more: Helium Shortage - Why Is There a Helium Shortage? - Popular Mechanics
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Write to your local Congressmen, tell them they're numb nuts. This isn't even just a national issue.

 
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Even if you're completely disillusioned by the government, this still has to be stunning. Oil is a pretty far-off problem and considerable, though never enough of course, study has been going into alternative energy sources for decades.

Helium is a non-renewable resource which appears to be immediately heading towards crisis, is something we are critically dependent on, and :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh what are we going to do, make alternative helium?! :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh

 
zoogies said:
Even if you're completely disillusioned by the government, this still has to be stunning. Oil is a pretty far-off problem and considerable, though never enough of course, study has been going into alternative energy sources for decades.

Helium is a non-renewable resource which appears to be immediately heading towards crisis, is something we are critically dependent on, and :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh what are we going to do, make alternative helium?! :ahhhhhhhh :ahhhhhhhh
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Yeah! What would we ever do!!


 
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