#10 – Helium
Helium allows balloons to soar upwards, and when inhaled makes a squeaky voice. Also it's used where required cooling to extremely low temperatures - from scientific experiments to the superconducting magnets in industry and medicine.
Helium is extracted from the bowels of the earth, where it is formed by the decay of uranium and thorium. Uranium decays very slowly, the whole period of existence of the Earth is needed to restore those reserves of helium, which we have already spent. Two years ago, the US Congress signed the "Act on the responsible use of helium and control over reserves of it."
#9 – Coffee
The coffee deficiency threat is hanging over us since last year, when the incredible drought happened in Brazil, and plantations of Central America were hit by "coffee rust". Fortunately, reserves formed in the previous years helped to survive tough season. But the demand still exceeds supply, which leads to an increase in coffee prices. In the future it may be even worse. Regions, which produces a significant amount of coffee, suffer from irregular rainfall and record high temperatures.
#8 – Chocolate
In 2014, drought, diseases and pests struck the harvest of cocoa beans, reducing the average annual world cocoa production by 30-40%. The demand for chocolate is huge and growing. This does not mean that we are about to be left without a favorite delicacy. But deficiency of chocolate leads to prices increasing. And in the future, chocolate can be a luxury.
#7 – Medications
The turnover of the global pharmaceutical market is more than $300 billion. One third of this amount accounted for 10 giant companies who turn up their prices and crowd out smaller firms. Uncoupling production means a lack of communication between manufacturers, pharmacists and doctors. As a result, there is a worldwide shortage of drugs. In Venezuela, the problem got so acute that the government introduced a system of fingerprint for buying drugs.
#6 – Preparations for Lethal Injections
Since 1976, in Texas 524 executions were made with the help of lethal injections. By the spring of this year, stocks of phenobarbital in the state there are only two "prick of death", while April was appointed four executions. The problem is in the pharmaceutical companies, who one after another abandoning the production of drugs for lethal injections.
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