I am getting so sick of these "news articles" that accuse those of us in communications (my field) and electrical power distribution (an industry my industry serves - among others) of being stupid.
(I spent most of last year working with a large electric utility and now I am on a project in a nuclear power plant.)
We get these warnings about the sun taking out our power grid every so often. And sure, if we had an incident as we had in 1859, there would be SOME disruption - but much of what you are reading was written by those who have no clue what they are talking about. 1859 was disruptive, but remember, telegraph lines had virtually NO protection back then. It was simply long wires strung between stations with no spark gap to ground EXCEPT for the telegraph sounder.
The satellites placed in orbit over the past 50 years were DESIGNED with solar activity in mind. Just because the average person on the street is oblivious to the effects of the sun, does NOT mean that those who work for a living in communications are stupid. I have installations that can take a DIRECT HIT of a lightning bolt to an antenna and keep on operating.
I HAVE SEEN IT HAPPEN. Sure, only the most critical installations are built to withstand that, but fact is, we know what we are doing. I've had installations take direct bolts of lightning with the only glitch that we lost power (and sometimes, we don't even loose power). You think a solar flare or CME is going to stop my stuff from working?
PLEASE, everyone, ask yourself, the next time you read something like this:
"Now, am I to believe that the guy who wrote this article figured out something that engineers in communications and power distribution are too stupid to think of?" And be VERY wary of those they 'interview' as 'experts'. Go ask someone in the industry who is NOT trying to get interviewed on TV and see what answer you get.
Ok? Thank you.
Mark Christopher
Kenwood System Group
Suwanee, Georgia
I know this is not a debate forum, but I did want to point out something:
Then we have mans attempt at harnessing global conditions.. "H.A.R.R.P" ..its laughable but extremely dangerous.. myself i prefer putting my trust in Gods version..
tob
HAARP is not aimed at "harnessing global conditions". It is simply a research facility used to study the ionosphere and, to some extent, the troposphere.
Not directed at you, but at those you are listening to:
I am so tired of people with no knowledge of physics making claims about HAARP and what it supposedly is for. It is an open program, ANY university physics department can apply for time to use the facility and many have. It is simply high powered HF radio, with some radar and other instruments thrown in for making measurements.
No black magic, no evil plans to destroy the world, just boring old physics.