Bad news, kids…we’re approaching ‘peak helium.’ This rare gas is obtained as a by-product of the petroleum industry, and thanks to huge stockpiles this country set aside after WWI, supply has been plentiful. However, those helium reserves are dwindling as demand exceeds production…once gone, expect prices to skyrocket faster than, well, a helium filled balloon. The days of cheap helium party balloons are numbered…enjoy it while you can! On the more serious side, this gas is incredibly useful for extreme refrigeration needed in many science and medical applications, so the impact will be far-reaching. Read more over at the Guardian.
Water Shortages in the Forecast
Water supplies in our country are not only facing pressure from an increasing population, but climate change is likely to make the problem worse. So bad in fact, that by 2050 more than one in three counties in the US could face either a high or extreme risk of water shortage. Most likely, this will affect southern and southwestern states, and the southern Great Plains states. Read more over at sciencedaily.
Peak Lumber
Well, not surprisingly, it turns out that lumber is not being harvested in a sustainable manner in the tropics, raising the specter of Peak Lumber in the future, when the demand will exceed supply. The basic problem is one of greed…trees are being cut down faster than they can regrow.
Of course, this just treats forests like a resource to be exploited. The concern about Peak Lumber doesn’t deal with the damage that destruction of habitats this can result in. Logging can be done sustainably, but not when greed is allowed to drive decisions.
Read more about this over at the BBC, or check out Wikipedia for more on sustainable forest management.