Posted on 05/04/2010 5:12:37 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
There is renewed alarm about the possibility of an EMP attack – electromagnetic pulse – on the United States because of Iran's work on a multi-stage Space Launch Vehicle, according to a report from Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin.
And experts forecast if such an attack were a success, it effectively could throw the U.S. back into an age of agriculture.
"Within a year of that attack, nine out of 10 Americans would be dead, because we can't support a population of the present size in urban centers and the like without electricity," said Frank Gaffney, president of the Center for Security Policy. "And that is exactly what I believe the Iranians are working towards."
A recent launch of an SLV by Iran has sparked renewed concern of an attack that could send an electromagnetic pulse powerful enough to wipe out computer controls for systems on which society has come to rely, officials say.
As the G2 Bulletin reported last week, Ronald Burgess, director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, revealed that Iran successfully launched a multi-stage SLV, the Simorgh. The device ultimately could be equipped with a nuclear bomb, which the U.S. intelligence community assesses Iran is developing.
Officials also report Iran has been testing detonation of its nuclear-capable missiles by remote control while still in high-altitude flight...
(Excerpt) Read more at wnd.com ...
Well reasoned but not factually accurate. Read about the Compton effect. It’s effect (manifest as EMP) is line of sight. A powerful enough nuke DOES fry electronics over a long distance.
Testing indicates otherwise. But I won't bother you with the facts ...
It doesn’t wipe out the entire world, just our part.
Look the Starfish nuclear test in 1962 knocked out power in Hawaii a thousand miles away. Later analysis showed the same blast over the Continental US would have been much stronger due to the strength of the magnetic field over the continental US. So draw a couple of circle on a map with a 0ne thousand mile radius over the US and you get an idea of how few weapons it would take to knock out huge areas of the US. The military takes this VERY seriously. They’ve been studying it and hardening equipment and facilities since the 80’s.
Yes. The EMF inducted into the long lines would indeed fry the step up/down transformers and the switching gear in the substations.
Modern tractors like cars are loaded with electronics. No electronics, no go.
The ability to grow massive amounts of food would be completely destroyed. Since we can only survive three weeks or so without food, millions would starve to death. Even people who are prepared with food storage would find themselves in deep trouble after a few months.
New America, only the Amish survive.
A nuclear weapon exploded at an altitude of 30 mi or greater will produce three distinct types of EMP.
The first type induces voltages in conducting segments of all lengths, principally affecting microelectronics via breakdown of semiconductor junctions or the thin insulating layers of transistors, which are damaged by 10s of volts or less. Most vacuum tubes are undamaged by such “low” voltages.
The third type induces large overcurrents in very long stretches (100s of miles) of conductors, principally powerlines and communication cables,
both open air and buried a few feet or less. This type destroys electric power transmission equipment and communications hubs.
The second type, similar to lightning, is both “local” to the weapon and less damaging than the other two types.
A nuclear weapon as small as 50 kT exploded 300 mi above the central plains of the US is a grave danger since its “footprint” for the first and third types of EMP effects covers all of the continental US and most of Canada and Mexico.
To protect your electronic gear from Type 1, place it in a aluminum foil-lined box and disconnect it from any objects outside the box.
To protect your home against type 3, disconnect it from all external electric (grid) power lines and communication cables.
Obviously, defending yourself from high altitude EMP (aka HEMP) requires major changes to your way of life—living self-sufficiently in a solar-powered metal box.
That is true, but to be a devil’s advocate- no one blew one up high over the center of the other nation. We did one near Hawaii.
It had a lot of potential...that’s why I liked it.
You’re right about the Blackwater comparison. Even the name of the “bad guys” was meant to echo their name. Remember? It was “Ravenwood”. Ravens are black, and wood, like water, is one of the classical elements.
Heat most people can handle, though the elderly will have problems in cities.
No electricity, and no home heating oil up north will mean a lot of frozen people in the winter. It will also mean people cutting down trees and not seasoning them properly, so you will get a lot of creosote fires in (barely used) chimneys, and no fire dept to help put them out.
Every winter, a few people die from CO poisoning because they decided to bring their charcoal grill inside for some heat. We have state laws that don’t allow utility companies to cut off utilities for non-payment during the winter months. Why? So more people don’t try to heat their homes with charcoal braziers and end up dead.
Bush, to make your book more plausible, I REALLY suggest you learn about how an extra-atmospheric detonation energizes the atmosphere to produce TWO powerful pulses over a broad line of sight area. The Compton effect is well documented.
Detonation ‘near’ the surface kills and destroys via heat, pressure, ionizing radiation, pressure and secondary fires. A near-surface, intra-atmospheric detonation does *not* produce the widespread EMP a “space” burst does. Consult with a technical advisor to help your novel.
I know folks up north get a few weeks of hot weather, but in this part of Florida, we have several months of 90+ degree weather with humidity in the 90% range. That can be oppressive and has taken the lives of elderly in this area in years past. Without electricity, much of this area would go back to the sea to fish their food and keep cool. Otherwise, those inland are likely to perish quickly.
I have some older ham gear, and can build a cw transmitter if I need to. Some people will be able to communicate.
Why do you believe the effective footprint of an extra-atmospheric thermonuclear megaton-range detonation is “quite small per device”?
Giardia.
Dysentery.
Cholera.
Dogs and cats living together...
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