- Target:
- United Nations, WHO, Governments of Australia, England, Canada, USA, India and China.
- Region:
- GLOBAL
- Website:
- science.nasa.gov
Hi Folks - thanks very much for being part of my petition "Prepare the Grid for Severe Space Weather", which I set up in June 2011.
Unfortunately I withdrew from pushing this petition as a result of my tumours growing back aggressively. I no longer have an interest in putting my neck on the line and my health is much better.
The petition is now officially closed. Thank you for making the effort to sign this petition. We were only able to secure 145 signatures - hardly enough to squat a fly and unfortunately unable to compete with petitions against banning Hello Kitty, building a real sky scraper out of Lego and setting up legal Marajuana houses etc etc.
Apparently the need to tackle the threat of severe space weather to the power grids of the world, is not perceived as a worthwhile cause.
May you all be well, Bright.
In 2008, the National Research Council of the National Academies released a workshop report entitled - Space Weather Events - Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts
(http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=12507). In this report many different researchers from a wide range of industries and academic backgrounds, discussed the impact that severe solar weather - in particular powerful Earth facing X-Class Solar Flares and Corononal Mass Ejections could have on Earth.
They noted that the impact could be catastrophic, given the interconnectedness of modern civilization and our dependence on electrical power. The major risks that were highlighted in this report, are associated with the potential of a single strong or series of strong coronal mass ejections, to cripple the electrical power grids of many nations - particularly the USA (which is the country the report is focused upon). Millions of people could be affected within a matter of hours and days of the Earth being struck by a powerful CME - as in the case of the Carrington Event of 1859 and the CME which affected Quebec in 1989.
The current solar cycle, number 24 is not particularly strong. It is thought that most significant space weather occurs during a strong solar cycle or near the solar maximum. But the Carrington event occurred during a weak solar cycle. It is not unreasonable to assume that severe solar weather could occur any time. Scientists are now predicting a peak in solar activity sometime in 2013. But between now and then it seems likely that the sun will increase in activity.
Should a major solar flare/CME be aimed in our direction, Earth would be exceptionally vulnerable. The above report acknowledges that it is not difficult or expensive to fit transformers with appropriate devices, which prevent transformer meltdown, in the case of the power grid being overloading by energy from a major CME. The lead in time for the manufacture of large transformers is 12-24 months normally and would be impossible to assess if the grid were shut down. It is unclear and uncertain if any government in the world has taken these preventative steps.
I urge you to join this cause and take action to bring this issue to the attention of both the public, media and your government. If you know how to create a website, please do so. If you know how to blog about this, please do so. If you know how to read, please read the report. Please let others know about this issue and this cause. Lets get it off a touchy feely feel good cause page and into the real world.
Preparation of this kind is critical to the survival of our species. We are like children coming of age in the Milky Way and at some stage, we will have to learn think differently about our place in the cosmos and our relationship with the Lord of Fire.
You can find more information about space weather here :
http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2009/21jan_severespaceweather/
http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/journalists/solar_dynamics_ws/papers/lowres%20Severe%20Space%20Weather%20FINAL.pdf
http://www.space.com/10906-space-storms-threat.html
http://www.solarham.com/
http://www.spaceweather.com/
http://www.solarstorms.org/index.html
http://incaseofemergencyblog.com/2010/06/19/painfully-unprepared-for-space-weather/
http://securitydebrief.com/2010/06/15/painfully-unprepared-for-space-weather/
http://www.nswp.gov/swef/swef_program.html
Thank you.
May all beings experience great joy and freedom from suffering, Bright Garlick.
We, the undersigned, call upon the United Nations, the World Health Organization and governments of Australia, England, Canada, USA, India and China to engage openly in the following :
1. Bring all knowledge associated with the risks of severe space weather into the public domain
2. Disclose what measures have been taken to prepare national electrical power grids for the threat of severe space weather (in particular strong X-Class Solar Flares and Earth bound Coronal Mass Ejections)
3. Begin preparing national electrical grids for the potential impact of severe space weather
4. Begin a campaign of educating the public about the risks associated with severe space weather and what preventative measures are being taken
5. Organize an ongoing series of public discussion forums (both internet based and face to face) on the issue of severe space weather, aimed at all levels of government, corporate, NGO's and the public.
We, the undersigned, we, the people of Earth, thank you.
The Prepare the Grid for Severe Space Weather petition to United Nations, WHO, Governments of Australia, England, Canada, USA, India and China. was written by Bright Garlick and is in the category International Affairs at GoPetition.