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Blackout
Space storm alert: 90 seconds from catastrophe
Hurricane Katrina's societal and economic impact has been measured at $81 billion to $125 billion. According to the NAS report, the impact of what it terms a "severe geomagnetic storm scenario" could be as high as $2 trillion. And that's just the first year after the storm. The NAS puts the recovery time at four to 10 years. It is questionable whether the US would ever bounce back.
"I don't think the NAS report is scaremongering," says Mike Hapgood, who chairs the European Space Agency's space weather team. Green agrees. "Scientists are conservative by nature and this group is really thoughtful," he says. "This is a fair and balanced report."
3 comments:
Duck and cover?
"Scientists are conservative by nature and this group is really thoughtful," he says. "This is a fair and balanced report."
I don't know about you, but I know that's how I like my dire predictions, thoughtful, fair and balanced and with my morning cup of coffee.
Michael
Considering how Obama wants to make major infrastructural improvements to the domestic power grid, I wonder if there is any cost-effective (or not too much more expensive than what is being planned now) way to design into what gets built/budgeted, power lines and related circuit breaker and/or computerized, automated [upon secure, confirmed orbital solar-sensor warning] transformer-disconnect circuitry and/or EMP protective isolation technologies?
EMP means electromagnetic pulse, which have the reverse effect of neutron bombs on people; EMP nukes, exploded 200 to 300 miles up in the atmosphere, have lightspeed radiation impact which usually destroys most unshielded electronics/chip circuitry over very broad areas, leaving people (and non-EM structures) mainly intact. Well, until lack of energy and communication infrastructure begins to cause starvation, etc.
It would only require 4 to 6 such EMP-enhanced missiles to pretty much devastate the U.S.
It's more likely an aerial EMP nuclear ICBM-launched blast could have an even more deleterious effect, and is probably more of an immediate potential threat. Wonder if protective engineering designs could be developed for both contingencies? Hmmmmm.....
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