Why we're short on blood, water and helium

“One in seven patients entering a hospital will need a blood transfusion,” Jessica Merrill, communications director for the American Red Cross, says on this episode of The Indicator from Planet Money. “Blood is really what we would say is a quiet backbone to modern medicine.” But that backbone is under strain. Hosts Adrian Ma, Ricky Mulvey, and Waylon Wong run through three separate shortages—blood, helium, and water—that are all hitting critical points at once, each with its own mix of climate, geopolitics, and economic incentives driving the scarcity.

The blood supply: a seasonal and climate-driven crisis

The American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis for only the second time ever. The first was during the pandemic. This time, the problem is both demand and supply. Summer is a high-demand season because more people are injured while active outdoors, putting pressure on hospitals. At the same time, supply drops: younger donors, who typically give blood through school blood drives, are out of school during the summer. This year, environmental factors are compounding the issue. Extreme heat, poor air quality, and even foodborne illness outbreaks are keeping potential donors at home. “Honestly, like thinking about extreme heat and poor air quality, that's climate related,” Wong notes. “And now you think about the knock-on effects from climate change an