Urban Survival Planning - Collapse Catalyst: Solar Storms

UrbanSurvivalSkills.com was one of the early groups that discounted the potential for Solar Storms to wreck havoc on our infrastructure. However, after having reviewed several sources concerning the potential for solar storms to precipitate a infrastructure disaster, we now think we have to take the threat seriously.

Analysis of the Threat:

Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/massive-solar-storm-to-hit-earth-in-2012-with-force-of-100m-bombs.html

Astronomers are predicting that a massive solar storm, much bigger in potential than the one that caused spectacular light shows on Earth earlier this month, is to strike our planet in 2012 with a force of 100 million hydrogen bombs. Several US media outlets have reported that NASA was warning the massive flare this month (August 2010) was just a precursor to a massive solar storm building that had the potential to wipe out the entire planet’s power grid. Despite its rebuttal, NASA’s been watching out for this storm since 2006 and reports from the US this week claim the storms could hit on that most Hollywood of disaster dates – 2012. Similar storms back in 1859 and 1921 caused worldwide chaos, wiping out telegraph wires on a massive scale. The 2012 storm has the potential to be even more disruptive.

"The general consensus among general astronomers (and certainly solar astronomers) is that this coming Solar maximum (2012 but possibly later into 2013) will be the most violent in 100 years," News.com.au quoted astronomy lecturer and columnist Dave Reneke as saying. A bold statement and one taken seriously by those it will affect most, namely airline companies, communications companies and anyone working with modern GPS systems.




Source: http://www.csmonitor.com/Science/2010/0609/Solar-storms-to-erupt-soon.-What-will-be-the-impact-on-Earth

The sun is about to get a lot more active, which could have ill effects on Earth. So to prepare, top sun scientists met Tuesday (8 June 2010) to discuss the best ways to protect Earth's satellites and other vital systems from the coming solar storms. Solar storms occur when sunspots on our star erupt and spew out flumes of charged particles that can damage power systems. The sun's activity typically follows an 11-year cycle, and it looks to be coming out of a slump and gearing up for an active period.

"The sun is waking up from a deep slumber, and in the next few years we expect to see much higher levels of solar activity," said Richard Fisher, head of NASA's Heliophysics Division. "At the same time, our technological society has developed an unprecedented sensitivity to solar storms. The intersection of these two issues is what we're getting together to discuss."

People of the 21st century rely on high-tech systems for the basics of daily life. But smart power grids, GPS navigation, air travel, financial services and emergency radio communications can all be knocked out by intense solar activity. A major solar storm could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina, warned the National Academy of Sciences in a 2008 report, "Severe Space Weather Events—Societal and Economic Impacts."


Source: http://www.solutionsfromscience.com/

John Kappenman and other experts have discovered a shocking secret of the sun; a solar cycle that produces magnetic storms so powerful they can literally turn our electric grid into a giant antenna, funneling enough power down the lines to fry sensitive and critical components like transformers.

And when those transformers go, experts say it may take as long as 10 years to replace them all. That's because there are only a few firms-mostly foreign-that make these sensitive and expensive grid components, and even more worrisome, there's already a 2-3 year waiting list.

Unfortunately, the protective bill passed by the US House of Representatives has been hijacked in the Senate and is unlikely to be passed in its original form, leaving our national infrastructure naked and defenseless. This means that when the electromagnetic storm hits, and experts agree it is a matter of when, not 'if', the backbone of our electrical system will be fried.

Threat Counter-Measures:

Assumptions – power solutions of a total collapse of the electrical grid cannot be primarily based on the use of fossil fuels as an collapse of the electrical grid would drastically effect all modes of transportation and therefore fuel availability as well as some percentage of crude oil previous destined for gasoline and diesel production would have to re-directed for use in power generation and heating that previous was received through the electrical grid.

How to keep the lights on when the grid goes dark:




What threat to our country is so great that the US House of Representatives voted unanimously to fund protection measures? Something so dangerous to the very foundations of our nation to unite people like socialist Dennis Kucinich and libertarian leader Ron Paul?

The answer will frighten you.

Neither you or I can do much about that, but what we can do is take some steps to keep the lights on in our own homes. Portable solar power generators like the Powerhub 1800 provide enough electricity to power your basic household needs and are separate from the grid and so therefore won't be effected by the solar storms that could ravage the grid.

The key to off-grid living and self-reliance has always been to detach ourselves from dependence on public infrastructure, and the Powerhub 1800 gives you just that; true energy independence. With two 150 watt solar panels, you can harness the power of the sun to keep your food fresh, preserve your medicines, power emergency devices and communications equipment, or just keep the lights on after dark. It's like having your own personal backyard power plant... one that will work cleanly and quietly even if the grid as we know it does collapse.

Check out Solutions from Science at the upper elft side of this page, or click here.