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Two national-security experts have issued a report through the Heritage Foundation that warns Obama administration officials to start working now to prevent – and mitigate the damage from – an electromagnetic pulse attack on the United States because of the potential for "unimaginable devastation."
"Not even a global humanitarian effort would be enough to keep hundreds of millions of Americans from death by starvation, exposure, or lack of medicine. Nor would the catastrophe stop at U.S. borders. Most of Canada would be devastated, too, as its infrastructure is integrated with the U.S. power grid. Much of the world's intellectual brain power (half of it is in the United States) would be lost as well. Earth would most likely recede into the 'new' Dark Ages," states the report by James J. Carafano, the deputy director of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International Studies and director of the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, and Richard Weitz, senior fellow and director of the Center for Politial-Military Analysis at the Hudson Institute.
"The last 'great' geomagnetic storm was in 1859, called the Carrington event. Modern civilization, so dependent upon electronic systems, has not yet experienced a 'great' geomagnetic storm. Many scientists think we are overdue," he wrote. "Some scientists believe that, as we approach the solar maximum over the next two years, since the solar maximum brings increased solar flare activity, the possibility of a "great" geomagnetic storm will also increase."
Originally posted by speculativeoptimist
I have heard of this and my question is if one goes off that is big enough to affect the whole country, how long does everything stay down, and what would be involved in recovering from such a scenario. Does an EMP just fry everything electrical or does it just knock it out temporarily?
Either way, it sounds like horrible thing to ever happen.
spec
Originally posted by antar
Very concerning article. If people would not panic and begin looting and criminal behavior we could probably make it through an emp attack or natural occurring event such as the Carrington event.
This is certainly some fresh doom to consider. I wonder if this was why Obama pushed so desperately in the beginning for a new form of energy, one that would be generated by natural means like wind, solar and hydro? Seems someone put the halt on those ideas since we have seen no results come forth as he promised we would see in the job markets and new factories built to create our new energy.
Originally posted by HunkaHunka
reply to post by Vitchilo
The thing that gets me about this form of weapon, is that it doesn't kill anyone directy, it simply incapacitates critical dependencies... Plunging us into a very real darkness, figuratively, metaphorically, and literally...
The unconscious would run free across the land...it would be terrifying
Originally posted by silent thunder
Great info, OP, thanks.
It's worth keeping in mind that the Heritage Foundation has a pronounced ideological slant to the right. Whether you agree or disagree, they always have an agenda and are not unbiased, dispassionate seekers of the truth.
On this matter, however, I think its certainly something worth planning for.
I've never heard of the Carrington Event, so I'm off to do a bit more reading on it. Thanks again!
On September 1–2, 1859, the largest recorded geomagnetic storm occurred. Aurorae were seen around the world, most notably over the Caribbean; also noteworthy were those over the Rocky Mountains that were so bright that their glow awoke gold miners, who began preparing breakfast because they thought it was morning.[3]
Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed.[4] Telegraph pylons threw sparks and telegraph paper spontaneously caught fire. Some telegraph systems appeared to continue to send and receive messages despite having been disconnected from their power supplies.