For the first time in it's 81 year history, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade recycled the helium in their balloons. 300,000 cubic feet of helium helped the parade's giant balloons stand tall to capture the spirit of the holiday. There's a real demand for helium in manufacturing and in medicine, as it's used to cool the equipment that run those fancy scanning tests. Because of the demand, there's also a shortage, which drives up the price, and makes recycling feasible.
The Helium used to fill Spidey and the other breathtaking balloons begins its journey from the American heartland. Crude helium is purified and liquefied in Otis, Kansas, then trucked across the country in 11,000-gallon tankers to a plant in New Jersey. From there, liquid helium evaporates into helium gas, which is compressed into high-pressure tube trailers a day or two before the Parade. On the day before the Parade, near the Museum of Natural History in Manhattan, workers begin inflating the balloons. Early Thanksgiving morning the balloons are topped off and sent on their way.
We're helping conserve Helium by not using any in our Christmas Parade appearances this year.
Every Green Thursday we blog about issues important to sustaining our planet.
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