The best time to act on this was decades ago. The second best time is now.
Science and Science Fiction writer David Brin points out the obvious.
From IEET - the
Institute for Emerging Ethics and Technologies
Our Worst Frailty: An Electro Magnetic �Hit�
The Electric Infrastructure Security (EIS) Council agitates for better infrastructure protection against electromagnetic threats. EMPACT America is a bipartisan, non-profit NGO for citizens concerned about protecting the American people from a nuclear or natural electromagnetic pulse (EMP) catastrophe.
To be clear, we face other dangers of a chronic nature, for example the need to develop sustainable energy to escape dependence upon foreign oil-masters and to possibly save the planet. Educating a smarter generation and rescuing our decaying infrastructure also matter a great deal, over the longer time scale.
But acute-impact threats fall into another category. They are events that could possibly knock us flat in a single day, or instant. Those of us with memories of the Cold War know how it feels to be constantly aware of a Damoclean Sword, hanging overhead�
By that standard, an EMP calamity ranks higher than anything else visible on the horizon�unlike the trumped-up panic and distraction that were foisted upon us over �terrorism�. (We could have suffered a 9/11 hit every month for the last ten years and still maintained a vibrant, healthy civilization. Our parents suffered worse in WWII. It was one long scam.)
There are two possible ways that we might be hit by an EMP pulse strong enough to cripple a continent.
David cites the 1859
Carrington Event and also talks about nuclear EMPs.
And we are doing what about it? I know some of the more recent transmission lines and substations are protected but there is a lot of legacy infrastructure out there that is not being addressed.
Posted by DaveH at April 17, 2011 6:58 PM