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Scientists warn solar flares could disrupt power grid
NASA's depiction of a sun storm
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by Alisa Roth
Space weather scientists meet in Washington, D.C. tomorrow to discuss the potential problems of solar flares, eruptions on the sun's surface that can cause massive disruptions in the electrical power grid.
Solar flares send off little bursts of radiation that travel down to the Earth, and can impact communications systems, GPS systems, satellites, power grids, aviation interests and polar regions, according to Bill Murtagh, who works at the Space Weather Prediction Center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
And he says get ready for more: Solar activity comes in cycles, and the next one starts in 2013. "It could be ugly: a storm could disrupt credit card and ATM transactions. Cell phone networks could go." According to Murtagh, the entire power grid could get zapped, which could cause trillions of dollars of damage.
W Kent Tobiska runs a company that does space weather forecasting. He says we can predict sun storms better, but it may not help. "Frankly right now, there is probably not an immediate solution, but certainly a necessity to plan for contingencies in case those kinds of things happen.
Scientists say there have been big sun storms before, but we've never been this dependent on the technology they can disrupt.
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The periodicity of Solar Flares is not entirely erratic, but the size of each is difficult to predic very far in advance. The long lines of exposed wiring cannot be protected, but the transformers into which they run will be the vulnerable points and those can be disconnected to minimize damage if we plan ahead; that is what the government and the power companies must do and are not presently doing it at all. That is wherein the danger lies. Tell your congressmen to look into it and tomorrow is not too soon. Cheers!
Well the facts are what they are, and nothing that anyone say's will change the FACTS. FACT... The governmnet is in construction of underground cities right as we speak, and if there were no chance of surviving something like this, the government always saves it's own butt. The US debt is not from the econemy, but from the billions being spent on these bunkers that will house all the rich and elite, at a time of disaster when it comes. The Bible tells us to "look up" for signs of the coming of Christ, well maybe it means to look up to the government and what it does to fortell the future events.
Just a thought.
Interesting comments regards religion (off topic?). They all seem premised on some unproved assumptions: (a) God is a conscious entity; (b) God cares what happens to human beings; (c) praying to God influences it (remember that pure spirit is neither masculine nor feminine); (d) God wants to be bothered by humans and their constant whining about their fate; and (e) God enjoys having his infinite wisdom questioned. Any evidence adduced for these 'theories'?
What I would like to know is what impact does the solar flares have on our bodies. If it can take down all this technology, is it burning us all with cancer and cooking us? Are there any studies about all this? I am having trouble finding information on this.
Thanks for your input.
That why arming yourselves and knowing where your natural resources are, and how to utilize them come in handy. Food stores and knowledge of trapping/hunting will be handy as well. I feel for people in the city. This year will provide evidence of what's in store, and what our govts. are NOT telling us about. If this occurs, it would be wise to Prepare for the aftermath.
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