Errr we just had a close shave.....

[Hoofy]

The number of cars on today's roads is directly proportional to how much we'll be affected by CME. We should have a CME tax built in to the price of petrol.

[grumbledoak]

CMEs are increasing in proportion to mankind's emissions of CME gases, particularly methane. So, the vegetarians were right all along and to save the planet we all have to join them in their self imposed dietary misery selfless self-sacrifice.

[Hoofy]

And the number of immigrants in the UK is directly proportional to how much we will be affected by CMEs. You know who you need to vote for come 2015.

[Cotty]

rhinochopig said:

Rather than bash the author perhaps do your own research. CME's are a very real hazard and in theory can cause major infrastructure damage.

We had a biggie in 1989 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagneti...

And the biggest to date - the Carrington Event - would have made a real mess of modern electrical systems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_storm_of_1859

"Telegraph systems all over Europe and North America failed, in some cases giving telegraph operators electric shocks.[7] Telegraph pylons threw sparks.[8] Some telegraph systems continued to send and receive messages despite having been disconnected from their power supplies.[9]"

Yep similar to a an EMP.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electromagnetic_pulse

If you wanted to cripple a country or area exploding an EMP in the atmosphere would knock out everything electrical, cars, buses, trains. Fridges and freezers would stop working, some people might try and cook the food rather than let it spoil, but will probably have an electric oven, hob, microwave all of which will not be working. No internet or radio to find out what's happening. Supermarkets will run out of food in days as there are no working trucks to restock them. Outside of the freezer most people would have less than a few days of food and water. I assume mains water is pumped electrically so no tap water.

So what happens after three or four days? This is why there are people called preppers, stocking up their houses with long term food supplies.

I am currently reading Going Home: A Novel http://www.amazon.co.uk/Going-Home-Novel-Survivali... its about an EMP going off over Florida and a guy trying to get home. Shocking how quickly people turn on each other.

[Alucidnation]

Do they really think that anyone believes the bullst that they report in that newspaper??

[Cotty]

Alucidnation said:

Do they really think that anyone believes the bullst that they report in that newspaper??

What bullst? It a naturally occurring phenomenon, its like saying you don't believe in volcano's

[Puggit]

Alucidnation said:

Do they really think that anyone believes the bullst that they report in that newspaper??

As per Rhinochopig - these events are possible and have happened in the past. It's just Rao crying wolf again.

[Blue383]

ruggedscotty said:

If the recent news was anything to go by we had a huge lucky escape in 2012.

It would have been terrible indeed and something like this would probably resulted in more deaths than all the wars put together. Working in a data centre and critical comms environment I think it would have been pretty much life over as we know it.

I know how had it is to source a basic power transformer, so to try and replace thousands. To repair a grid that was burned out and to try and recover from this sort of event would have been a nightmare of epic proportions


http://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/494438/End-of...

Ahhh..The Express. Like The Daily Mail, but more desperate.

[Cotty]

Blue383 said:

Ahhh..The Express. Like The Daily Mail, but more desperate.

What exactly is your issue with the story? or are you just jumping on a bandwagon slagging off something because other people are?

[Alucidnation]

Cotty said:

What exactly is your issue with the story? or are you just jumping on a bandwagon slagging off something because other people are?

I guess you are a fan of the Daily Express's accurate weather reports?

[Puggit]

Cotty said:

Blue383 said:

Ahhh..The Express. Like The Daily Mail, but more desperate.

What exactly is your issue with the story? or are you just jumping on a bandwagon slagging off something because other people are?

The problem with this story, is that Nathan Rao churns out daily scare stories, normally about the weather (he predicted 90 days of snow last winter, and 40oC temperatures in the upcoming August). The man should be locked up for terrorising the gullible readers of the Express.

[Cotty]

Puggit said:

The problem with this story, is that Nathan Rao churns out daily scare stories, normally about the weather (he predicted 90 days of snow last winter, and 40oC temperatures in the upcoming August). The man should be locked up for terrorising the gullible readers of the Express.

Ok I didn't know that, I don't read the paper. But a CME or EMP are possibilities that could affect us.

[Some Gump]

Cotty said:

What bullst? It a naturally occurring phenomenon, its like saying you don't believe in volcano's

I do believe in volcanoes.

I don't believe that some daft report by a student saying "the would could end AT ANY TIME" is news, in any way shape or form. Of course, due to the nature of probability, the world could be destroyed at any time. However, the probability of such an event is rather low.
Since this probability has been understood for quite some time, i'd be quite happy to state that any journo picking up on a recent revelation written by a postdoc student then concluding that the end of the world is nigh is guilty of writing sensationalist bks.

[ruggedscotty]

So the conduit may not have been the est of examples - however the actual news that triggered the story is worth reading and digesting. The risk associated with these events is indeed very real, and the risk of it occurring when it would have an effect on us is starting to sink in.

Its an event that would rip the fabric of normality from our life. If be believe it or not its not going to go away..... And it is going to occur. One day the sun will flare and we will be bombarded with high energy. Its a regular occurrence and a naturally occurring one at that, and its unpredictable...... wed have at most 24 hours warning.

Its worth looking into. Forget the sensationalist crap that was written about it and do your own research. Make up your own mind on it aswell.

National Geographic are not usually known for sensationalism ....

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/11...

Edited by ruggedscotty on Sunday 3rd August 20:27

[Cotty]

ruggedscotty said:

Its worth looking into. Forget the sensationalist crap that was written about it and do your own research. Make up your own mind on it aswell.

National Geographic are not usually known for sensationalism ....

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/11...

I have, if it happens it would knock us back almost to the stone age
"Imagine large cities without power for a week, a month, or a year," Baker said. "The losses could be $1 to $2 trillion, and the effects could be felt for years."

Forget the money how will people eat? Supermarkets will run out of food in days.

[Asterix]

Moonhawk said:

Love the headline "Killer solar superstorm could destroy Earth "

Then the article goes on to say

"Scientists warn communication systems will be crippled, vital services such as transport, sanitation and medicine will close, and loss of power will plunge the planet into darkness."

So.........not destroy Earth then. It may have a detrimental effect on human technology - but it sounds like 'earth' would be just fine.

It's the same doom and gloom language used in the climate debate - "we are destroying the planet"...........no we arent - we may be making it a little less habitable for us and a few other species - but i'm sure the planet will be fine and will carry on quite happily once we are dead and buried.

If earth can survive the late heavy bombardment and being hit by an object large enough to create the moon from the debris - i'm sure a few Aston martin V8s and the odd solar storm are nothing to worry about (from the earth's perspective).

Absolutely.

[Cotty]

ruggedscotty said:

we have at most 24 hours warning.

Maybe but you have from now until it happens to prepare, if you chose to.

[petrolsniffer]

Intresting..

So cotty are you a 'prepper'?

All seems to be pointless one way or the other if you're well prepared you'll soon be fked over by anyone who wasn't?

[Some Gump]

Well if you're both that bothered, can i suggest you buy 3 years worth of beans and build yourself a little shelter in the woods somewhere? That is where most of the survivalist nutters congregate..

[Terminator X]

"The likelihood of one occurring in the next decade is as high as 12 per cent, they added."

Eh, so it happens every 8 decades does it

TX.