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Scientists warn of $2,000bn solar ‘Katrina’
ft.com ^ | Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for | Clive Cookson

Posted on 02/20/2011 3:24:50 PM PST by BenLurkin

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To: Zeppo

Overcast in So. NE ...supposed to be stormy for a few days. DARN! We’re on the very edge!


61 posted on 02/20/2011 6:40:08 PM PST by Daffynition ( Live EACH DAY as if it were your last, but EXPECT that there still may be a tomorrow.)
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To: BenLurkin

Just pass a huge tax on sunscreen, that’ll fix everything.


62 posted on 02/20/2011 6:54:47 PM PST by Islander7 (There is no septic system so vile, so filthy, the left won't drink from to further their agenda)
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To: Daffynition

I live in Alaska and I haven’t seen much change.

Still waiting


63 posted on 02/20/2011 6:59:48 PM PST by hattend (Obama got his 3am call about Egypt. The call went right to the answering machine.- Sarah Palin)
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To: hattend
The lazy way out....Click on a cam
64 posted on 02/20/2011 7:21:52 PM PST by Daffynition ( Live EACH DAY as if it were your last, but EXPECT that there still may be a tomorrow.)
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To: RegulatorCountry

It does not matter if the device is “plugged in” to the grid or not. If it has conductive components, like wires, it can be fried. EMP is fairly poorly understand by most people, just like other forms of radiation.


65 posted on 02/20/2011 8:47:27 PM PST by ronnyquest (Barack H. Obama is the Manchurian Candidate. What are you going to do about it?)
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To: ronnyquest

We’re not talking about a full-blown EMP attack, we’re talking about a solar flare. Electrical surge is the primary threat, to my understanding.


66 posted on 02/20/2011 8:50:24 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: RegulatorCountry
And we're talking about conducting material being hit by a surge. Do you remember the satellite hit by the effects of a solar flare in 1998 or 1999? That took out a lot of the financial communications infrastructure for a time. Also, reference the solar disturbance of 1859, which resulted from an unusually large coronal mass ejection. Less severe storms occurred in 1921 and 1960, when widespread radio disruption was reported.

This will be latched onto by the junk science (global warming, et al) crowd, but it does present a real danger to a technological society, especially if unprepared for such an event. Being fully prepared is not so difficult, once one understands the real dangers and how to defend against or circumvent them.

67 posted on 02/20/2011 9:09:34 PM PST by ronnyquest (Barack H. Obama is the Manchurian Candidate. What are you going to do about it?)
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To: ronnyquest

If the effects of this severe solar flare that are being contemplated in the article were to approximate a full scale military EMP attack, I’d understand the comments about Faraday cages and unplugged electronics frying. I’m under the impression that they won’t, though. Satellites in orbit would be much more exposed. The two trillion dollar solar “Katrina” referenced in particular the electrical grid, with the primary danger being power surge. That’s why I replied as I did, and it still strikes me as being a logical and relatively easily implemented approach.


68 posted on 02/20/2011 9:16:44 PM PST by RegulatorCountry
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To: 1scrappymom

8 billion with no food is a problem that solves itself.


69 posted on 02/20/2011 9:29:18 PM PST by SunkenCiv (Apropos of nothing, John Wilkes Booth was a Democrat.)
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To: muawiyah

no doubt that would make sense but there would be damage to multiple systems all over the world....

Just saying that there would be a huge financial impact...


70 posted on 02/20/2011 10:22:06 PM PST by N3WBI3 (Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari)
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To: BenLurkin

It is about the huge step-up/step-down transformers. We have about 2,000 in USA. One in Quebec was taken out by a weak flare in 1989 - all of Quebec in blackout. A flare (CME) the size of 1921, which was ten times larger than 1989, would fry all 2,000 as would the ten times larger than that CME in 1859. Here’s the thing, it takes about 3 years to replace a single one of these huge transformers. That means most of the USA would be without electricity for years. Mr. Graham, Chairperson of the EMP Commission report to Congress believes that 250,000,000 (80%)of the US population would die from starvation, disease, exposure and murder within 6 months after the loss of these transformers, be it via and EMP, CME or cyber attack.

Read “How Long Can You Tread Water” by Tom S.

These huge flares happen frequently, but the sun is a sphere and only rarely is the Earth in the line of fire. Our luck could run out any time.


71 posted on 02/21/2011 8:30:12 AM PST by Any Fate But Submission (How Long Can You Tread Water)
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To: BenLurkin

Thanks!

Yes I was reading about that!

We are cooked electronically if that should happen...

Back to the Pioneer Days!
:)


72 posted on 02/21/2011 8:38:28 AM PST by TaraP (An APPEASER is one who feeds a crocodile - hoping it will eat him last)
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To: ConservativeMind

I was wondering about that. There used to be a lot of posts on FreeRepublic about the solar minimum causing climate change.

Then as soon as we get a flare, the left is celebrating the possible return of global warming, but also Katrina-like destruction.


73 posted on 02/21/2011 9:04:07 AM PST by Eva
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To: SunkenCiv

How to serve man.

I’m thinking a lot of marinatin’ first.


74 posted on 02/21/2011 1:57:47 PM PST by txhurl
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