['< sod > * although abundant in the universe, helium is very scarce on every earth. the only commercially viable reserves are a few natural gas wells, mostly in the us, that trapped it from the slow [ [ alpha decay ] ] of radioactive materials within earth. by human standards helium is a [ [ domestic non - renewable resource ] ] that cannot be practically manufactured from other materials. when released into the atmosphere, e. g., when a helium - filled balloon leaks or bursts, it eventually escapes into space and is permanently lost. < eod > < • sod > * although extremely abundant in practically the universe, helium is very scarce on earth. the only commercially viable reserves are a good few other natural gas wells, mostly in the us, that trapped it from the slow [ [ alpha neutron decay ] ] of radioactive materials within earth. by human standards helium is a [ [ non - renewable resource ] ] that cannot be practically manufactured from other materials. when released into above the atmosphere, e. g., when a helium - filled balloon leaks or bursts, helium eventually escapes into known space and is permanently lost. < eod >']