![]() NBC News reached out to the Office of Science and Technology Policy, which said the plan is expected to be made public “within the next few weeks.” According to an official with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the report will include “recommendations to increase domestic production and reduce, reuse, recycle or substitute supplies when technologically feasible. The administration indicated at the time that a plan of action for helium would be issued as soon as last summer, but nearly a year later, the scientific community is still waiting. The executive order directed federal agencies to collaborate to safeguard America’s access to helium. That includes a very important purpose in medical imaging. Scientists said they were heartened when the Trump administration included helium in its declaration of critical minerals issued in the spring of 2018. Industries that make use of helium are struggling to meet demand due to a dwindling supply. “Someone will say, ‘Hey, we’re not getting any helium in Chicago’ and other messages will follow. The messages serve as an early warning system for when and where supplies are running low. On Party Citys website, theres a disclaimer about the helium shortage and how it could affect supplies and orders. ![]() The problem is there’s not enough helium to go around. In addition to being used as a cooling fluid for superconducting magnets, which are in turn used for experiments related to the development of pharmaceutical drugs, helium is also used by NASA to separate fuels in rockets and by the Defense Department to create cutting edge tools, including radiation-detecting sensors. Hayes said the magnets could be irreparably damaged if she didn't regularly bathe them in liquid helium. The types of magnets Hayes uses for research typically range in cost from a few hundred thousand dollars to a million dollars. it was triggered by a confluence of world events, including global supply-chain problems brought on by the pandemic and worsened by the war in ukraine, as well as planned and unplanned shutdowns at major producers such as a mid-january leak in the u.s. Concerns rising over global helium shortage. (Joyce Marshall/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT via Getty Images) Joyce Marshall / Fort Worth Star-Telegram/MCT via Getty Images file It's the second most abundant element in the universe but prices have soared for helium and it's affecting more than just birthday parties. Deward Cawthon, plant operator at the Federal Helium Reserve, walks through the Federal Crude Helium Enrichment Unit near Amarillo, Texas, on July 6, 2011. Hayes is among the nation's scientists who rely upon helium to keep their super-conducting magnets in operating condition.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |