It's funny for me that this sort of application is largely rooted in fossil fuel extraction to work (though I don't write it off because of that). Helium is trapped in the same geological formations that trap fossil fuels so you generally extract them together. Hydrogen similarly is currently made from fossil fuels if you wanted to instead use that. Doesn't mean I think hydrogen based balloons from electrolysis is nonsense or that it's a bad use, but it is funnily ironic tech.

[–] SlurpingPus@lemmy.world 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

As Alec of Technology Connections said in a recent video, if we extract fossils, it's better to make something from them that will work for a while instead of burning them.

[–] roguetrick@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Wouldn't include any dirigibles in the "work for awhile" category. Gotta figure out an economy for that that isn't cheap helium. It's there, of course, but it looks different than what we currently do.

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I think this balloon thing is mostly for quick electrification of places that need it, like remote locations or disaster response, not to replace regular windmills.

[–] Calfpupa@lemmy.ml 3 points 1 day ago

China has a history of leveraging fossil fuels to develop alternative power solutions