Stop the Parade! Should we be wasting our dwindling supply of helium on floating cartoon characters?

[doc03]

3. Interesting, I worked in a steel mill where we had what we called an oxygen plant

I know we produced oxygen, nitrogen and argon. I never worked at the oxygen plant but I just assumed they also produced helium. On checking I see helium is only a tiny fraction of a percent of air. I just thought it was in the air and you could just separate the gases and have all you need. I had read that before about the Hindenburg and wondered why the Germans didn't just build a plant to produce it. Learn something new every day.