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Failure to Protect U.S. Against Electromagnetic Pulse Threat Could Make 9/11 Look Trivial Someday
Forbes ^ | July 31, 2014 | Peter Kelly-Detwiler

Posted on 04/07/2015 9:26:37 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Exploding A Nuclear Bomb In The Sky Creates An Interesting Phenomenon

In 1962, during the depths of the Cold War, the U.S. military exploded a nuclear weapon high above an atoll in the Pacific Ocean. Dubbed Operation Starfish, this exercise was part of a larger project to evaluate the impacts of nuclear explosions in space. The missile, launched from Johnson Island, 900 miles from Hawaii, was armed with a 1.4 megaton warhead, programmed to explode at 240 miles above the earth. It detonated as expected. What was not entirely expected was the magnitude of the resulting electromagnetic pulse (EMP).

The EMP was powerful enough to affect the electric grid in Hawaii, blowing out streetlights, and resulting in telephone outages and radio blackouts.

Dr. William Graham was active in the follow-up to the project, working out of the Air Force weapons lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After the blast, it was his job to understand the data collected, find out just what had happened in Hawaii, and what the defense implications were of this phenomenon. In a recent interview, Graham commented,

(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Extended News; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy; Russia; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: americanblackout; coldwar; collapse; electricity; emp; energy; griddown; infrastructure; iran; military; missiles; northkorea; nuclearwar; preppers; russia; superemp; terrorism; warheads
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To: dhs12345

True enough.

The scariest part of all this is the idiots and how functionally illiterate they are. No common sense...........

One thing about a collapse: Political Correctness would disappear. Many would simply freak out and die.


41 posted on 04/07/2015 10:43:36 AM PDT by laplata ( Liberals/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: ansel12

I am too, in fact, I know plenty of ways to handle life without power. The only problem is when you or I end up with mobs of people who gang up on those who are prepared for the problem. The second problem are those people who depend on power to stay alive, such as catatonic hospital patients, those on dialysis, etc. Also, without power, plenty of pharmaceuticals are also dangerous. I am trying to do the best I can if I lose power, but the problem is what to expect when people get desperate and know that they are doomed - they often try to take as many people as they can down with them.


42 posted on 04/07/2015 10:44:06 AM PDT by Morpheus2009
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To: laplata

Or many of those supported by modern infrastructure, such as those who depend on modern drugs in mass production, dialysis, etc. Would find themselves suddenly doomed. It gives plenty of good reasons not to acquire certain diseases as part of being prepared for said disaster, but if you have a health condition like bad kidneys and depend on modern tech to survive, you are screwed.


43 posted on 04/07/2015 10:45:59 AM PDT by Morpheus2009
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To: Morpheus2009

Excellent points.

Staying healthy is the key to survival.


44 posted on 04/07/2015 10:47:54 AM PDT by laplata ( Liberals/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: Morpheus2009

It is a fun exercise to work through problems, like losing electricity for the long term.


45 posted on 04/07/2015 10:49:03 AM PDT by ansel12 (Palin--Mr President, the only thing that stops a bad guy with a nuke is a good guy with a nuke.)
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To: buckalfa

“Why worry about EMP when computer hackers could bring down the nation’s power grid?”

Yes so true. EMP is the least of our worries. Everyday Iranian and Chinese hackers attack our power grid with cyber attacks. Its just a matter of time until the grid is so weakened IMO by the continued power plant closings that we will see probably the NE grid go down. That’s me and Mr GG2 and most of our family. So an alternative source of power is a really good idea.


46 posted on 04/07/2015 10:49:55 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose o f a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: buckalfa
Why worry about EMP when computer hackers could bring down the nation's power grid?

Um, because they're both hazards and we have a lot of people dedicated to cyber-security?

47 posted on 04/07/2015 11:10:44 AM PDT by Carry_Okie (ObamaCare IS Medicaid: They'll pull a sheet over your head and send you the bill.)
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To: DuncanWaring

That’s mostly why the studies I’ve seen predict 90% of the US population would die within a year.

95% of everything we have that’s electronic would be destroyed.


48 posted on 04/07/2015 11:21:00 AM PDT by upchuck (The current Federal Governent is what the Founding Fathers tried to prevent. WAKE UP!! Amendment V.)
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To: upchuck

with a forward by Newt Gingrich —

guess I’m gonna hafta get that.

Did the movie ever come out?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CmYcz3iGl4


49 posted on 04/07/2015 11:22:18 AM PDT by maine-iac7 (Christian is as Christian does - by their fruits ye shall know them.)
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks

Does anyone on FR know about the resilience of solar power, solar converters, and microconverters under EMP? I tried to find info with Google/Bing/Yahoo, but must have used bad search terms if the info is even out there.


50 posted on 04/07/2015 11:36:18 AM PDT by Pollster1 ("Shall not be infringed" is unambiguous.)
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To: Nebr FAL owner

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm FAL!


51 posted on 04/07/2015 11:57:51 AM PDT by petro45acp (Grubbers "stupid" electorate is starting to look very much like Romney's 47%. Just sayin...)
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To: laplata

But not everyone in bad health had a fully informed choice about it, such as an individual on life support thanks to a car accident. I know this is totally anti-PC but without infrastructure people on medication for HIV/AIDS would be in serious trouble, because without power and labs going online fast enough, they could be running out of their medication. At this point, I would like to do everything I could to avoid sex besides my wife and contaminated blood transfusions, because with both of those gone, the risk is dramatically dropped.


52 posted on 04/07/2015 12:11:06 PM PDT by Morpheus2009
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To: Tolerance Sucks Rocks
The United States has been working on depositories for information in chase of this type of attack. Each DoD agency along with several other agencies of government have taken steps to defend and protect all information.

One of the early methods was to create something akin to a chain link fence and electrically charge it to counter the effects of such pulses. At any rate, this will not be an issue for the US and we may actually be the one's to initiate such an attack on a worldwide basis as part of military planning. Imagine that China cannot communicate, period, and that we issue an ultimatum to surrender - if they can communicate they cannot see and they cannot target thus they are blind and cannot defend either - this was a scenario under consideration immediately after 9/11 in some BS sessions in the signal community. Win the next war without firing a shot, so to speak.

53 posted on 04/07/2015 12:12:29 PM PDT by Jumper
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Estimates I have seen say 90% of the US population would not survive. Most deaths would be from starvation.

The widespread disease from the millions of bodies that cannot be buried because there is no fuel. Many medications require refrigeration, diabetics will amongst the first to go.

The new currency one year in:

1. .22LR

2. 12GA shells

3. Anything antibiotic internal and external.

54 posted on 04/07/2015 12:24:13 PM PDT by USCG SimTech (Honored to serve since '71)
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To: Pollster1
Does anyone on FR know about the resilience of solar power, solar converters, and microconverters under EMP? I tried to find info with Google/Bing/Yahoo, but must have used bad search terms if the info is even out there.

The totality EMP as in "ONE SECOND AFTER" is not going to happen. The longer the power cable or wire, the greater pickup antenna it is, the greater voltage induced through magnetic field. It's all about wires acting as pickup antenna.

55 posted on 04/07/2015 12:29:23 PM PDT by USCG SimTech (Honored to serve since '71)
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To: Morpheus2009

I understand that.


56 posted on 04/07/2015 12:39:48 PM PDT by laplata ( Liberals/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: GraceG

Re cars & EMP, see info in post 31:

“It would destroy more than just the transformers. It has the potential to fry Integrated Circuit chips, think everything from your digital wristwatch to the electronic fuel injection controls on the 18 wheeler truck that stock your local grocery store. The Starfish detonation messed with communications a 1000 miles away in 1962 that was literally VACUUM TUBE TECH.”


57 posted on 04/07/2015 1:04:16 PM PDT by JoyjoyfromNJ (everything written by me on FR is my personal opinion & does not represent my employer)
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To: Pollster1

In a word... ZOT!


58 posted on 04/07/2015 1:05:34 PM PDT by MrB (The difference between a Humanist and a Satanist - the latter admits whom he's working for)
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To: ansel12

Me too.


59 posted on 04/07/2015 1:08:49 PM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: upchuck

Read that awhile back... seriously opened my eyes.


60 posted on 04/07/2015 1:10:14 PM PDT by gibsosa
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