Posted on 05/17/2011 6:56:07 AM PDT by jda
GENEVA (AP) -- A senior official at the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says solar storms pose a growing threat to criticial infrastructure such as satellite communications, navigation systems and electrical transmission equipment.
NOAA Assistant Secretary Kathryn Sullivan says the intensity of solar storms is expected to peak in 2013 and countries should prepare for "potentially devastating effects."
Solar storms release particles that can temporarily disable or permanently destroy fragile computer circuits.
Sullivan, a former NASA astronaut who in 1984 became the first woman to walk in space, told a U.N. weather conference in Geneva on Tuesday that "it is not a question of if, but really a matter of when a major solar event could hit our planet."
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Given the resemblance of the climate scaremongers to Chicken Little, your skepticism is understandable.
Unfortunately, in this case it's also somewhat wrong.
We know for a fact that the sun can produce and has produced flares big enough that if they were directly in our path, would do some serious damage to our infrastructure. In the 1800s, there was an event just like this. Fortunately, back in the day the only infrastructure that was succeptable to the electromatic effects were telegraph lines because we'd yet to develop other electrical infrastructure.
The question we can't answer is how often these kind of events are, so we similarly can't generate realistic threat assessments. It could turn out to be something that only happens once in a thousand years, which would make the overall threat less, though not zero, since we'd be talking about a probability, with no way to predict exactly when an event might occur. We don't know if these events happened prior to the 19th centrury because there was no way to tell when they happened. The bottom line is, we just don't know, so should probably take reasonable and prudent measures to protect what we can.
Could you imagine the impact a flare big enough to toast all computers that are not adequitely shielded? The kids running cash registers in grocery stores can't even count change. Everything depends upon computers to run, right down to microwave ovens, and any modern car/truck. The implications are staggering, really. Mandating milspec shielding on all CPUs is not the answer, but there are probably recommendations that it would make sense for people and businesses to take a look at.
So, while I wouldn't run around with my hair on fire, I think it's reasonable to be aware and informed of the issues.
Fyi - I was being cynical about the cause of the increased solar activity, not skeptical about its reality (e.g., the Chicken Little imitation was in regard to global warming).
I understand. It's hard sometimes to read sarcasm here. Partly my response was to take the opportunity to talk about some of the implications of this issue. There have been some other great replies on the thread as well. This is one of the strengths of FR, we can always learn from each other. Though you were probably be familiar with it, others might not have.
Thanks for posting the thread btw.
I agree the snark is a bit much for a serious situation but after Y2K and global warming can you blame anyone for being snarky?
There’s snark-worthy and there’s serious. It’s discouraging to encounter those who can’t tell the difference.
The government that cried wolf.
What world power in history committed suicide because they felt guilty about being powerful? How many years have we listened, and frequently been blamed, for "environmental disaster" within some nebulous "few years?"
How about rounding up every bald old man with a pony tail and Birkenstocks, and withered old woman with waist length hair and that Dachau look so popular with vegetarians, and going ape$hit with a samurai sword, until the streets look like league night at a bowling alley?
I prefer option B, but you will pardon our use of option A...
If there is a solar EMT event, say, on the 21st of May, or on 12/21/2012, there isn’t enough Mylar in the world to prevent a system frying crash, but I don’t believe ammo will be affected...
I don’t have a clue what you are yammering about, but you sound somewhat unhinged and possibly dangerous.
So ... what did you add to the conversation?
“Maybe we could send AlGore there to check out the situation.”
He’ll be OK if he travels by night.
“SNARK!! the bitter Freeper sings ... falalala lalalala
Don’t!! you joke about such things ... falalala lalalala”
Lighten up. While I didn’t write any of it until this post, I find your doom and gloom lecturing to be over the top. If somebody wants to poke a bit of fun at the ever-changing solar storm predictions (and yes, it’s been all over the map), why not let them do it?
If you get intelligent discourse from 2 people on a thread, you are doing good.
90% of Freepers don’t read the articles. They just spout off. They read the title and then spout off about this because they assume the article is about global warming.
Of the 10% who read the article, you are lucky if you get 5 posting on it. Of those, 2 will have something to really contribute or at least try to connect and relate regarding the subject matter.
This is FreeRepublic. You have to have a thick skin and get ignore the 95% of all posts on any thread that are just regurgitated tripe.
Not directly on the topic of solar flares, but not completely unrelated, I am still wondering if we are in the early stages of a polar magnetic shift of the earth’s magnetic fields and what the impact will be upon us when the magnetic fields are their weakest, and how long this shift will take.
I understand the earth’s magnetic field is weakening and I have to wonder if we are not in the early stage of this reversal, which is also a “when” and not an “if”.
Appearently you didn’t read post #12 Mr. Snark.
As one who has been studying solar activity since 1972, this Cycle (Cycle 24) is not that impressive. FYI, we can observe the big flares when they happen. The shockwave of solar wind from such flare takes about 36 +/- hours to reach here. Some seem to think large solar flares are something new./s
will women and children will be hardest hit. . .?
No, we’ll all be in the same boat.
So ... what did you add to the conversation?
It got a response from you.
Well lets hope you are right.
but *if* the flare is large enuff, dont forget to flail yer arms too ...8^}
does 'stop, drop, and roll' work vs solar flares, or in hell ???
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