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EMP-Shielded Power Grids Under Development
An anonymous reader writes with this excerpt from MarketWatch:
"A one-megaton nuclear bomb detonated 250 miles over Kansas could cripple many modern electronic devices and systems in the continental US and take out the power grid for a long time. ... A solar storm similar to the one that occurred in 1859, which shorted out telegraph wires in the United States and Europe, could wreak havoc on electrical systems. Each of the above scenarios can create a powerful electromagnetic pulse that overloads electronic devices and systems.
IAN staff and Frostburg State University physics and engineering professor Hilkat Soysal are teaming — through a $165,000 project recently approved by the Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) program — to create renewable energy-powered, electromagnetic pulse (EMP)-protected microgrids that could provide electricity for critical infrastructure facilities in the event of a disaster."
Also available are an EMP threat assessment (PDF) written for the US Congress and an estimate of economic impact (PDF).
... be supporting the governments and their military for which an EMP would most likely come from.
Just more terrorism from those we pay taxes to.
*We* can. Those of *us* who choose to do it join communities such as the Amish. It's only up to you to choose that lifestyle. And technology doesn't cause stress, having a job does. That's why I don't have one, ahem I mean, I'm self employed.
You just got troll'd!
So if someone wants to screw up the US, and they have one atomic bomb to do so, doesn't defending against an EMP attack just make it more likely they'll go the traditional route and nuke a big city.
solar flares need to be shielded from as well.
And technology doesn't cause stress, we do.
Fixed that for you.
A one-megaton nuclear bomb detonated 250 miles over Kansas could cripple many modern electronic devices and systems in the continental US and take out the power grid for a long time.
I don't mean to troll, but you don't need a nuclear bomb to take out the power grid [1,3]. Instead, the money should be invested in renewing the outdated grid in the USA [2,3].
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2003_North_America_blackout
[2] http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/08/26/business/grid.php
[3] http://www.pubrecord.org/nationworld/239-5-years-after-blackout-power-grid-still-in-dire-straits.html
There's nothing quite like doing research in the hopes of spending billions to defend oneself against the absurdly unlikely. A nuke detonated in LOE?!? A natural phenomenon the likes of which has been recorded exactly ONCE in the last 150 years?!
If only there was some kind of Adamsian Perspective Ray we could shoot these people with.
Now that I think about it, I'm pretty sure everything I just said is completely wrong.
So you REALLY didn't mean "assets".
... I don't think MIPS means Maryland Industrial Partnerships to the slashdot crowd.
I don't mean to troll, but you don't need a nuclear bomb to take out the power grid [1,3].
There arn't too many people who have both 1MT nuclear weapons and the ability to get them to 250 miles above Kansas either. Also AFAIK none of those with such an ability are likely to only use one weapon. This is something which is unlikely to happen, but should it happen the US is likely to have bigger problems than a non functional power grid.
Instead, the money should be invested in renewing the outdated grid in the USA [2,3].
That actually makes sense. Especially if at the same time you also add generating capacity where it has not previously been. Regardless of if this is of a new form, e.g. wind/solar/etc. or coal/methane/nuclear/etc.