Posted on 08/01/2009 1:50:44 PM PDT by Iam1ru1-2
There's been plenty of evidence recently that the Smart Grid could become a serious security risk for IT and households. Now comes something potentially just as troubling: A U.S. Congressman warns that the grid can be taken down by an electromagnetic weapon.
Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (Rep.-Md.) issued that warning recently. He's not your typical "the-sky-is-falling" Congressman --- he's a former research scientist and engineer and has previously has worked on projects for NASA and the military. Bartlett issued his warning yesterday at a House Science subcommittee hearing about how to roll out the Smart Grid.
At the hearing, he warned that a weapon that fired an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) could wipe out significant sections of the Smart Grid. According to a Science News account of the hearings:
EMP is a powerful and potentially devastating form of electromagnetic "fallout." It's usually associated with nuclear weapons, although it can be triggered by any major explosive bursts. Unlike radioactive fallout, this rain won't directly harm living things. It will just catastrophically fry all electronics and modern electrical systems by inducing staggeringly large and rapid current or voltage surges.
The magazine goes on to report that Bartlett warns small nations could use the weapon against the Smart Grid, when it is developed: All one needs to wreak some serious EMP damage, he charges, is a sea-worthy steamer, $100,000 to buy a scud-missile launcher, and a crude nuclear weapon. Then fling the device high into the air and detonate its warhead.
Such a system might not paralyze the entire United States, he concedes. "But you could shut down all of New England. And if you missed by 100 miles, it's as good as a bulls eye."
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
No problem will issue everyone a windmill and a beer.
Please don’t give the haloed one and his greenshirts any new ideas.
Many really key military and corporate locations are often enclosed in “Faraday Cage” style facilities. External to the plant, fiber is proliferating and impervious to EMI. I’m not so certain that a local “bomb-type” would have any impact nationally, outside the local incident naturally. Now, on the other hand, a super-storm from the sun.....completely different story.
Wasn’t a huge Northeastern outage a couple of years ago caused by a tree falling on power lines in Indiana or Illinois?
considering that we have known about the effects of an EMP pulse since the 50s, this is hardly news at all.
Why don’t they post this in the news every three months to really get the word out to the terrorists in case they don’t know. I’ve seen articles like these posted over and over the last fifteen years. It’s like an advertisement to try this.
First EMP test in the exoatmosphere Operation Teak/Hardtack using a Redstone rocket.Dr. Werhner Von Braun participated in the test. It was 3.8 megaton test
In other breaking news:
A huge meteorite could slam into Planet Earth.
An EMP could devastate Singapore or London or Hong Kong.
The Yellowstone Caldera could become active.
I knew this in the late 80’s. I have no engineering education- I am a bookkeeper!
I knew this in the late 80’s. I have no engineering education- I am a bookkeeper!”
I also would be in the catbird’s seat in one respect:
I can do old fashioned bookkeeping without a computer—all ledgers by hand, pen & ink.
How do I know the Werhner Von Braun participated? I have actual footage of the test.
Ah, but that payback....
0’s keeping his fingers crossed that will happen so he can declare martial law.
I’m certain Obama has a EMP resistant teleprompter already loaded with a surrender speech.
Yawn! another scare do I go out and buy flashlights and batteries or candles??
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