The Sun Also Flares - If we get hit with a once-in-a-century solar storm, we’re history.

NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE ^ | January 28, 2010 | Clifford D. May

[neverdem]

An EMP attack or massive solar flare is the main argument for expensive renewable energy with disseminated power generation, IMHO.

[edcoil]

This just in:

WE ARE DOOMED.

[Kenny Bunk]

.....buildings are often shoddily constructed, infrastructure is weak, and governance is incompetent.

That's Floriduh!

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

CO2 is a non-conductive gas so we are increasing our protection each day.

Praise Gore!

[al baby]

While reading that article, I forgot Obama was black man imagine that

[Badabing Badablonde]

.....and if my uncle had a uterus, he’d be my aunt.....

[Blueflag]

As I understand it, it’s the ‘high-tension’ high-voltage long-line distribution system that is most vulnerable to the double pulse of man-made nuclear-caused EMP. So I am not so certain that this is a report specifically pointed at re-structuring the grid, but rather protecting the control points of the distribution grid.

I don’t know much about solar EMP, but ... I am pretty confident that modern vehicles would survive to run again. (this is supported by a policy paper that you can link to from the back of “One Second After” I am just too lazy to walk over to my bookshelf, open the book, and get you the reference.)

I can agree though that either man-made EMP or solar EMP would put a terrible hurt on what we call civilisation.

Bottom line though is that man-made EMP or sever solar EMP *WOULD*

[DannyTN]

I think hardening the grid, and making it more flexible and redundant, while stockpiling key components, is smart. It would be useful not just in an EMP or solar storm, but in natural disasters like Katrina.

The faster you can get power back up in an area, the faster the supply of essentials are restored, and the faster repair and clean up can occur.

I think every city of 50,000 or more should prepare a site and an electrical tie in for a small portable nuclear generator to be dropped in place. You stock pile these generators around the country and then when a disaster strikes, you deliver one or more and quickly restore power.

[TonyInOhio]

I read One Second After. I read it in a day. It was terrifyingly compelling.

Our enemies won't need a vast arsenal to destroy us completely; two or three nuclear weapons would send us back to the 1850s.

[Carry_Okie]

Similar to our lack of preparation to mitigate or deflect an asteroid impact, this is the type of instance that convinces me that our government is not our friend. Mitigating this type of risk is cheap. Reacting to it is virtually impossible. It could be fatal.

Yet our "protectors" do nothing.

[PresidentFelon]

You are correct. We are doomed. We just don't know when.

One of my favorite websites is Spaceweather.com, run by NASA. Spending some time on that site, especially when they are learning what really happens during a deep solar minimum or what may happen during a Coronal Mass Ejection, is an eye-opener to just how fragile this planet is.

It is a pure miracle we can converse today. And yes, we are most definitely “doomed”.

[AFreeBird]

So, is our quieting sun the proverbial calm before the storm? When she decides to get active again, is it gonna be with a bang, or a nice gradual buildup.

[netmilsmom]

>>While reading that article, I forgot Obama was black man imagine that<<

You made me spew!
XD

[netmilsmom]

We keep our crank radio in the Microwave of our camper, have chains hanging off both cars and solar flashlights.

I’m less prepared for the internet to go down!!!!

[thinking]

no one promised you a “Rose Garden”...

[trickyricky]

In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king.
The Amish shall inherit the Earth.

[poindexters brother]

Just so everyone is clear on this point...

If such a flare occurs it will be George Bush’s fault.

[SJSAMPLE]

They will toil for me and my “Boom Stick”.

Shop smart.
Shop S-Mart.

[SJSAMPLE]

Pat Robertson says it’s because God’s mad at us.

[USCG SimTech]

We keep our crank radio in the Microwave of our camper, have chains hanging off both cars and solar flashlights.

Your crank radio, your watch, your car all contain microcircuits NOT MilSpec nor shielded against EMP. Plugged into anything or not, turned on or not, PN junctions in microcircuits will be blown open and blown shorted. - Electronics is my life since 1971.