Posted on 02/20/2011 3:24:50 PM PST by BenLurkin
The sun is waking up from a long quiet spell. Last week it sent out the strongest flare for four years – and scientists are warning that earth should prepare for an intense electromagnetic storm that, in the worst case, could be a “global Katrina” costing the world economy $2,000bn.
Senior officials responsible for policy on solar storms – also known as space weather – in the US, UK and Sweden urged more preparedness at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington.
Please respect FT.com's ts&cs and copyright policy which allow you to: share links; copy content for personal use; & redistribute limited extracts. Email ftsales.support@ft.com to buy additional rights or use this link to reference the article - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/67444b2c-3d13-11e0-bbff-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz1EXnmMIXP
“Predict and prepare should be the watchwords,” agreed Jane Lubchenco, head of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “So much more of our technology is vulnerable than it was 10 years ago.”
A solar storm starts with an eruption of super-hot gas travelling out from the sun at speeds of up to 5m miles an hour. Electrically charged particles hit earth’s atmosphere 20 to 30 hours later, causing electromagnetic havoc.
Last week’s solar storm may have been the biggest since 2007, but it was relatively small in historical terms.
It caused some radio communications problems and minor disruption of civil aviation as airlines routed flights away from the polar regions, said Dr Lubchenco.
A more extreme storm can shut down communications satellites for many hours – or even cause permanent damage to their components. On the ground, the intense magnetic fluctuations can induce surges in power lines, leading to grid failures such as the one that blacked out the whole of Quebec in 1989.
(Excerpt) Read more at ft.com ...
“we simpleton lower societal level humans are helpless and we need government to protect us from the sun.”
Some medieval English king once commanded the sea to retreat. He intended this in order to demonstrate to his people that even a king’s power has limits. Even during the dark ages they were way ahead of today’s political scientists.
>> I believe that it doesn’t matter if it is plugged in or not <<
Depends on the equipment in question — solid-state stuff will be most vulnerable. For example, antique cars, vacuum-tube radios and your 30-year-old refrigerator should be fine as long as unplugged.
But when it comes to your new car, desktop computer and flatscreen TV, you’ll probably want to stash them in a big Faraday box.
On the other hand, your cell phone, digital camera and small AM-FM radio should do OK if wrapped in a layer or two of aluminum foil, then attached by a ground wire to the nearest water pipe — assuming of course that you don’t have vinyl plumbing!
Anyone know what transpired?
I was kidding you actually.I know how ill prepared/stupid most people are.
King Canute. I also heard Dumbo Obama declare he was going to restore the sea levels...he’ll be just about as effective at that as everything else he has touched.
Just another case of understanding that the Sun and its activity has a major effect on our environment.
Seems to be something that scientists (global warming variety can NOT fathom)...
I was wondering what happened to him too.
Site requires registration to read the article. No thanks.
Actually, it is so-called (I hate it when the media overuses this term) scientist’s bank accounts are getting low and they need a new gubermint grant for next week’s tofu slog.
I'm ready. Been ready for years. Stupid to not know how to do basic stuff.
/johnny
But only New Orleans would be affected, if I understand the BS right.
Did Alabama fans get you as well...............
May I still drive my SUV? Keep my Assault Rifle? Inquiring minds want to know.
I’d be more worried about a gamma ray burst.
bump
That was the best recent opportunity that I've seen... (I last saw one, a particularly brilliant, vibrant one, in about 1976 or 1977 - been hoping for another one since then, but it hasn't happened.)
$2,000 billion is $2 trillion. Hell, Obama can spend that over a weekend.
See ya down at the Sonic drive in. I’ll be in my F350 Dually Longbed Quad Cab!
I’ll be able to make my popcorn in my tin-foil hat and never have to leave the basement.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.