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Peter1469
05-13-2019, 08:47 AM
We have discussed the US's vulnerability to EMPs (natural or man-made) many times here. The US seems to be getting serious about it. (https://www.realclearenergy.org/articles/2019/04/30/us_ups_its_game_in_catastrophic_grid_protection_11 0432.html) It will take time and a lot of money, but much of our grid is badly in need of modernization anyway. That modernization should include protections against EMPs.


On March 26, President Trump issued an executive order (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-coordinating-national-resilience-electromagnetic-pulses/) to coordinate the activities of the highest levels of the U.S. government to identify and take key near-term actions to protect the American grid, while also laying the foundation for longer-term, sustainable measures.

The Secretary of Defense is to, “provide timely operational observations, analyses, forecasts and other products for naturally occurring EMPs.” The Director of National Intelligence is to double down on collecting and analyzing EMP threat assessments.


Perhaps most important, by late June the Homeland Security Department is to “list the national critical functions and associated priority critical infrastructure systems, networks, and assets, including space-based assets, that, if disrupted, could reasonably result in catastrophic national or regional effects on public health or safety, economic security or national security.”


Also, pivotally important, the Secretary of State is to coordinate with “allies and international partners regarding enhancing resilience to the effects of EMPs.”


Ending Apathy


Nuclear atmospheric testing and prior solar events show that the effects of EMP can be quite disruptive. Yet, there seems to be a natural human tendency to become complacent and ignore these rare but potentially catastrophic events. As business sage Arnold Glasgow observed, “One of the tests of leadership is the ability to recognize a problem before it becomes an emergency.”


EMP threats are rising for several reasons. North Korea and other rogue nations have or are developing nuclear weapons. On-the-ground terrorists have assessed ways to disable power grids and wreak havoc. And, as time passes, the odds of a naturally occurring solar event rise.


NASA (https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/23jul_superstorm) has warned that a major EMP solar storm like the 1859 Carrington Event, which would cause widespread electric system disruption, has a 12 percent chance of occurring each decade. The National Academy of Sciences (https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12507/severe-space-weather-events-understanding-societal-and-economic-impacts-a) has estimated the damage could exceed $2 trillion, 20 times the cost of Hurricane Katrina.


Next Steps