Obama just signed an Executive Order on October 13th acknowledging the danger of solar activity possibly affecting the electrical grid of the United States. This new Executive Action sets up governmental organizations and delegates responsibilities for research and implementation of programs to forecast, detect, and respond to solar activity.
This is a major position shift of the US Government who in 2008 received testimony on July 10th, 2008 in front of the House Armed Services Committee from the EMP Commission and took no action as a result. The EMP Commission provided a full report to Congress. To summarize – this report concluded an EMP attack could result in a 90% die-off of all US citizens.
Although this Executive Order specifies solar activity as its focus in it my belief that its true function is EMP preparedness.
Of interest is Section 4 sub-section D –
(d) The Secretary of Energy shall facilitate the protection and restoration of the reliability of the electrical power grid during a presidentially declared grid security emergency associated with a geomagnetic disturbance pursuant to 16 U.S.C. 824o-1.
Beyond the language dictating responsibilities for research, communication, and reporting there are suggestions of overreach.
(e) The Secretary of Homeland Security shall:
(i) ensure the timely redistribution of space weather alerts and warnings that support national preparedness, continuity of government, and continuity of operations; and
(ii) coordinate response and recovery from the effects of space weather events on critical infrastructure and the broader community.
Section (ii) above could reference an authority for Homeland Security to do whatever they deem necessary in recovery such as seize private materials and supplies and even people – as evident in the National Defense Security Act(NDSA).
Overall the United States preparing its infrastructure for solar/EMP activity is long overdue. It is at a minimum interesting the timing of this Executive Action and the current activity going on between Russia and the United States.
J Rourke
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This is just another move by the America hating, communist, dog eating, Trojan Horse, Muslim usurper to explode the size of government. EMP risk mitigation should be covered by one of the many already existing useless government agencies. Nothing good ever has or ever will come from this Indonesian Marxist squatting in our White House.
I’ve subscribed to FlareAware.com to get early warnings after some discussions at PrepperCamp. We also are packing radios etc in Behrens garbage cans sealed/joint covered with 3M 3340 aluminum tape. We also have layers inside with heavy foil and some TechProtect bags. I’ve also heard 3M Dri-Shield 2000 and 3000 series bags are good shields as well, or used to be when made by 3M (now by a company called SCS). We are not exactly sure on the shield bags at this point. Using books from Dr Arthur Bradley (non-fiction and fiction author) and engineer Don White, and Emp DVD by Scott Hunt (PracticalPreppers). We are crunching on emp prep right now given the news.
Jonathan (cleaning up from Matthew too…)
I downloaded an app called solar alert to my phone that alerts you to solar flare activity.
Thanks, I appreciate the info. It looks very good! I am unable to install as I’m still running iOS 6 on an iphone 4S, it require iOS 8. The $2.99 subscription cost is an excellent deal.
Meant to mention before that the “emp” bags we use are 7mil thick and pass Mil spec MIL-B-81705-Rev-C, unlike many bags being sold that are simply thin anti-static bags. We try to use these mil spec bags, plus heavy aluminum foil, insulation layers, and galvanized/taped trash cans. Like Shrek said, LAYERS.
Yep, and that is a yearly fee not a monthly like FlareAware
What I would like to see is the reinstatement of the civil defense program or just have the states be supportive of it if a community decides to have one.
Rourke Rourke Rourke….. please don’t jump to conclusions… you have not been paying attention to our sun lately have you… we do need to prepare… only with the sun in mind ( and other cosmological objects )…. yes prepare…
No jumping on my part – just putting the pieces together. I am well are of the solar activity over the past few years and the many significant spikes in activity level. My point is the action taken now is being masked with the statements surrounding solar activity where I believe the real concern from the government.
Many years ago Newt Gingrich presented to Congress a plan to protect our grid from solar flares and “other threats” .He was ignored completely. Most of our transformers are made in other counrties now and it would be a 2 year waiting list
to get new ones. They need to be made in the USA again a.s.a.p
A free alert is on Spaceweather.com
Thanks ZenB for FlareAware.com.I hadnt been aware of it.
Thanks Rourke.
As usual the Pres. is a dollar late and a day short.
We also need to be prepared for another ice age which can occur at any time.These ice ages are usually preceeded by extreme heat .
Please read Not by Fire but By Ice by Robert W.Felix and Cold Sun by John L. Casey . Upstate NY broke a record today when we hit 84 degrees.
Lightning
You can read One Second After and sequel by Forschen, I think. Pretty sad and grim realistic EMP novels IMO.