Grid vulnerable, already attacked in Silicon Valley, imagine no electricity!

[GALTGULCH8]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-03-19/government-agency-warns-if-9-substations-are-destroyed-power-grid-could-be-down-18-m

<<<" there have actually been recent attacks on some of our power stations. Here is just one example…

The Wall Street Journal’s Rebecca Smith reports

that a former Federal Energy Regulatory Commission chairman is acknowledging for the first time that a group of snipers shot up a Silicon Valley substation for 19 minutes last year, knocking out 17 transformers before slipping away into the night.

The attack was “the

most significant incident of domestic terrorism

involving the grid that has ever occurred” in the U.S., Jon Wellinghoff, who was chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission at the time, told Smith.

Have you heard about that attack before now?

Most Americans have not.

But it should have been big news.

At the scene, authorities found "more than 100 fingerprint-free shell casings", and little piles of rocks "that appeared to have been left by an advance scout to tell the attackers where to get the best shots."

So what happens someday when the bad guys decide to conduct a coordinated attack against our power grid with heavy weapons?

It could happen.">>>

<<<"Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

What would you do if the Internet or the power grid went down for over a year? Our key infrastructure, including the Internet and the power grid, is far more vulnerable than most people would dare to imagine. These days, most people simply take for granted that the lights will always be on and that the Internet will always function properly. But what if all that changed someday in the blink of an eye? According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's latest report, all it would take to plunge the entire nation into darkness for more than a year would be to knock out a transformer manufacturer and just 9 of our 55,000 electrical substations on a really hot summer day. The reality of the matter is that our power grid is in desperate need of updating, and there is very little or no physical security at most of these substations. ">>>

Read the article please.

gg

[BaalChatzaf]

Why are my lights still on?

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

I moved this to the Living Room.

It was in Events and Happenings, which is a section to announce things like seminars and so on.

Michael

[moralist]

<<<"Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

What would you do if the Internet or the power grid went down for over a year? Our key infrastructure, including the Internet and the power grid, is far more vulnerable than most people would dare to imagine. These days, most people simply take for granted that the lights will always be on and that the Internet will always function properly. But what if all that changed someday in the blink of an eye? According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's latest report, all it would take to plunge the entire nation into darkness for more than a year would be to knock out a transformer manufacturer and just 9 of our 55,000 electrical substations on a really hot summer day. The reality of the matter is that our power grid is in desperate need of updating, and there is very little or no physical security at most of these substations. ">>>

Read the article please.

gg

It would be even worse if there was an atmospheric EMP detonation, or if a large Solar coronal mass ejection was to strike the earth. I just read today that on July 23rd 2012 a very large Solar event missed the Earth. Had it occurred just 9 days earlier, it would have hit the Earth full force, wiping out every electrical grid on the exposed side of the Earth..

The book, "One Second After" describes a perfectly logical sequence of events following an EMP event. No water, no electricity, no sewer, no vehicles, no phones, no satellites, no GPS, no computers, no internet... an instantaneous plunge back into the 1800's. After finishing the book, I got a low tech non powered water purifier that renders water from any source into sanitary drinking water, and a rocket stove that can cook with any biomass.

Greg

[BaalChatzaf]

<<<"Submitted by Michael Snyder of The Economic Collapse blog,

What would you do if the Internet or the power grid went down for over a year? Our key infrastructure, including the Internet and the power grid, is far more vulnerable than most people would dare to imagine. These days, most people simply take for granted that the lights will always be on and that the Internet will always function properly. But what if all that changed someday in the blink of an eye? According to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's latest report, all it would take to plunge the entire nation into darkness for more than a year would be to knock out a transformer manufacturer and just 9 of our 55,000 electrical substations on a really hot summer day. The reality of the matter is that our power grid is in desperate need of updating, and there is very little or no physical security at most of these substations. ">>>

Read the article please.

gg

It would be even worse if there was an atmospheric EMP detonation, or if a large Solar coronal mass ejection was to strike the earth. I just read today that on July 23rd 2012 a very large Solar event missed the Earth. Had it occurred just 9 days earlier, it would have hit the Earth full force, wiping out every electrical grid on the exposed side of the Earth..

The book, "One Second After" describes a perfectly logical sequence of events following an EMP event. No water, no electricity, no sewer, no vehicles, no phones, no satellites, no GPS, no computers, no internet... an instantaneous plunge back into the 1800's. After finishing the book, I got a low tech non powered water purifier that renders water from any source into sanitary drinking water, and a rocket stove that can cook with any biomass.

Greg

A large CME could in principle fry all the major transformers on the side of the earth it hits. However they can be predicted and the transformers could be shut down and grounded until the CME hits and thereby be saved. You can save any transistorized items by putting them in a well grounded Faraday cage.

[BaalChatzaf]

By the way. There is -always- electricity. Electrons do not disappear just because of an EMP. What could disappear is the circuitry that delivers electrical energy to your appliances. Transformers can burn out. Wires can heat up and burn or explode. But the electrons still would exists and charge would be conserved.

In 1859 there was the grand-daddy of CME which caused Morse telegraphers to be shocked and burned. The only electrical apparatuses in existence at that time were telegraph lines and telegraph clickers. Telegraph wires were also burned and exploded by the overload. At that time insulator technology was not well advanced.

There were Auroras as far south as Mexico City. It was quite a light show. The Earth's magnetic field was complete overwhelmed by the 1859 CME.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[GALTGULCH8]

I am glad that my post of an armed attack on an electrical substation of the national grid brought so many other things to your minds. My point was that some organized group meticulously planned the attack with prior surveillance which led to an identification and marking of locations for the shooters to have the best shot at the targets within the substation. They demonstrated knowledge of the vulnerabilities of the grid. Taking out that one substation had minimal annoyance effect because power could be fed to users bypassing the damaged and disabled substation.

Although there are 55,000 such substations, the article points out that only nine of them are crucial for disabling them could bring down the entire grid.

This unidentified group no doubt know which ones are among those crucial substations. They probably realize that their attack in Silicone Valley will draw attention to their expertise and intentions. The entire grid was built as the article stated when the world was a more benign place. The substations were isolated and protected with nothing more than chain link fences. The vulnerable transformers were visible and accessible and not shielded.

Hopefully this problem is being dealt with by the proper government agencies. Hopefully replacement transformers are being built to facilitate a more rapid recovery should these destructive enemies carry out their plans.

I intend to buy a water filter too and know of a source from www.peakprosperity.com. But we might be spared the hardships if the government does its job.

If you read the list of things that would not work without power you realize the country would be immobilized and in the dark and cold if such a disaster were to be carried out.

The authorities have not a clue who pulled off this stunt. I imagine there is a greater chance these bad guys will attempt to make this happen than that the EMP or CME will make it happen first.

Be forewarned and be prepared. You know the government is not doing what it is supposed to because it is so busy doing what it should not be doing.

gg

[Peter]

Gulch8 wrote:

If you read the list of things that would not work without power you realize the country would be immobilized and in the dark and cold if such a disaster were to be carried out.

end quote

What if we had no “power grid” due to a catastrophe? I was reading about the U.S. protectorate of the Marshal Islands which are about three feet above sea level and they only have a trickle of reliable electricity from solar energy. Generators require the importation of fuel which can be very expensive. If I lived there I would suggest a power plant that ran on propane or natural gas with an occasional tanker delivering fuel but even that would not be affordable to the local economy without U.S. mainland support. Of course, a holding tank would be vulnerable to a terrorist attack.

I had a friend who lived on nearby Guam just off the base which he fondly remembers but also that it was sticky hot most of the year. With naval and air force support Guam has plenty of electricity.

From the GPA website:

Guam is growing and our needs for electricity are growing as well. All the electrical power we use is generated right here on island by the Guam Power Authority. In recent years, GPA has greatly improved its capacity, reliability and efficiency for making our power, but the cost of making electricity is still expected to rise because the cost of oil and its delivery to Guam is expected to continue to rise. GPA is already seeking alternative, renewable sources of energy that can be used on Guam to keep our rates down while protecting the environment. The mission of GPA is to provide reliable electric services, efficiently, and economically to you!

end quote

The TV show “Revolution” shows America without any electricity (brought about my nanobots released into the atmosphere) but I don’t envision that happening. However a solar flare or a nuclear explosion called an EMP or electric magnetic pulse could knock out huge sections of the country. I heard of a non nuclear EMP device that the U.S. developed that can be delivered by truck, but it will only knock out a few square miles, then you would move it and knock out more territory. We considered using it in Iraq, if I remember correctly.

[moralist]

I am glad that my post of an armed attack on an electrical substation of the national grid brought so many other things to your minds. My point was that some organized group meticulously planned the attack with prior surveillance which led to an identification and marking of locations for the shooters to have the best shot at the targets within the substation. They demonstrated knowledge of the vulnerabilities of the grid. Taking out that one substation had minimal annoyance effect because power could be fed to users bypassing the damaged and disabled substation.

It wouldn't take much for a terrorist to knock out major electrical transmission lines where they pass through large uninhabited areas. Just a rifle with a good scope and a box of shells. The US is SO vulnerable in SO many ways.

The real danger lies in in "Black Swan" events which are improbable, unforeseen, and unprecedented. The recent Malaysian Airline incident is one such event that caught everyone flatfooted.

I intend to buy a water filter too and know of a source from www.peakprosperity.com. But we might be spared the hardships if the government does its job.

I got a small Berkey because it's rated as a water purifier rather than a water filter, because it uses the best element. It's a totally passive drip system, and the elements clean up with just a scrubbie. Each element is good for purifying 1,500 gallons of water.

These are its statistics:

Black Berkey® Purification Elements are more powerful than any other gravity filter element currently available. In fact, we tested the Black Berkey® purification elements with more than 10,000 times the concentration of pathogens per liter than is required by standard test protocol. This concentration of pathogens is so great that the post filtered water should be expected to contain 100,000 or more pathogens per liter (99.99% reduction - the requirement for pathogenic removal). Incredibly the purification elements removed 100%. Absolutely no pathogens were cultured from the effluent or were able to be detected, even under an electron microscope, setting a new standard in water purification.

Black Berkey® purification elements are so powerful, they can remove red food coloring from water without removing the beneficial minerals your body needs. Virtually no other filtration element can duplicate this performance.

The powerful Black Berkey® purification elements also remove or reduce pathogenic cysts, parasites, harmful or unwanted chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides, VOCs, detergents, organic solvents, trihalomethanes, cloudiness, silt, sediment, nitrates, nitrites, heavy metals, foul tastes and odors, yet they leave in the healthful and beneficial minerals that your body needs and....

Because Black Berkey® purification elements fit most gravity flters, existing gravity filtration systems can be upgraded. This vastly improves their ability to remove unwanted contaminates.

The powerful Black Berkey purification elements remove or reduce the following:

•Pathogenic Bacteria and Cysts (E. Coli, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Raoltella Terrigena, Bacillus Atrophaeus) - Reduced to > 99.9999%

•Viruses (MS2 - Fr Coliphage) - Reduced to > 99.999%

•Parasites - Reduced to > 99.9999%

•Herbicides and Pesticides

•Chlorine - Removed to Below Detectable Limits

•Detergents

•Organic solvents

•THM's (Trihalomethanes - Bromodichloromethane, Bromoform, Chloroform, Dibromochloromethane) - Removed to Below Detectable Limits

•MTBE's (Methyl tert-Butyl Ehter) - Removed to Below Detectable Limits

•Other VOC's - Removed to Below Detectable Limits

•MBAS (Methylene Blue Active Substances)

•Cloudiness

•Silt

•Sediment

•Radiologicals - Radon 222 - Removed to Below Detectable Limits

•Nitrates & Nitrites - 95% and greater

•Selenium and Thallium - 95% and greater

•Heavy metals - 95% and greater

•Iron

•Foul tastes and odor

VIRUSES >99.999%

Exceeds Purification Standard (Log 4):

MS2 Coliphage - Fr Coliphage

PATHOGENIC BACTERIA SURROGATE >99.9999%

Exceeds Purification Standard (Log 6): Raoultella terrigena

TRIHALOMETHANES - Removed to >99.8%

(Below Lab Detectable Limits):

Bromodichloromethane - Bromoform - Chloroform - Dibromochloromethane

INORGANIC MINERALS

Removed to below Lab Detectable Limits: Chlorine Residual (Total Residual Chlorine)

HEAVY METALS:

Aluminum (>75%), Antimony (>97.5%), Barium (>80%), Cadmium (>99.5%), Cobalt (>95%), Chromium (>95%), Chromium 6 (>99.85%), Copper (>95%), Lead (>97.5%), Mercury (>98%), Molybdenum (>90%), Nickel (>95%), Vanadium (>87.5%)

ALSO REMOVES OR REDUCES:

Arsenic (>99%), MBAS (>96.67%), Nitrites (>95%), Selenium (>97.5%), Thallium (>99.5%), Rust, Silt, Sediment, Turbidity, Foul Taste and Odor

If you read the list of things that would not work without power you realize the country would be immobilized and in the dark and cold if such a disaster were to be carried out.

The authorities have not a clue who pulled off this stunt. I imagine there is a greater chance these bad guys will attempt to make this happen than that the EMP or CME will make it happen first.

Be forewarned and be prepared. You know the government is not doing what it is supposed to because it is so busy doing what it should not be doing.

gg

You are so right, Peter.

Some events are foreshadowed like these transformer shootings (and also the 1993 World Trade Towers bombing). In my opinion, the shootings were just test runs in preparation for a larger attack.

My wife and I have gone over every detail of how we would have to live with no infrastructure and no outside help, and came up with contingencies for the loss of each utility or all of them at the same time.

I watch YouTube instead of TV and found this video of a really neato outdoor cook stove that was built out of just a few cheap cinderblocks!

So I came up with my own version of the same stove with a raised perforated metal firebox floor for more airflow from underneath for a hotter fire. It has a small space for twig storage and fore and aft landings for utensils and a place to put pots and pans when taken off the burner.

Total cost: $20 Including the burner grate I got off ebay.

With it, you can literally cook a meal just with small twigs. For such a simple design, it's amazingly efficient.

Greg

[Peter]

Greg wrote:

With it, you can literally cook a meal just with small twigs. For such a simple design, it's amazingly efficient.

end quote

Thanks to Greg and everyone for their suggestions, and I am glad people understood my real life situation of the Marshal Islands which “brings it home to me.” I should also mention that virtually all low lying islands like Bermuda (where water collection off of roofs is mandatory) and the Marshals, collect as much rain water as they can, in culverts, ponds, or barrels. If we have a major power outage rainwater would be purer than ditch, lake or pond water. I have two cut off, plastic, 55 gallon barrels that can be filled by hose or by rainwater. The Black Berkey purification element is an extraordinary find!

If a person does not want to invest in “catastrophic” remedies they can still keep plastic jugs of water on hand as well as enough food for a couple of weeks, and a firearm. Think of the situation this way: if you have burglaries and theft within 20 miles of your home now, the thefts would greatly increase if there is a major power outage. Some experts like Cresson Kearny, former head of the Atomic Energy Commission, estimate that America is three missed meals away from distress, and three days with missed meals away from aggressive scavenging and looting. The next step after minimal food and water storage? Get to know your neighbors, and discuss joining them in a irregular, self defense force, with ABSOLUTELY NO “LEADERS.”

[moralist]

Greg wrote:

With it, you can literally cook a meal just with small twigs. For such a simple design, it's amazingly efficient.

end quote

Thanks to Greg and everyone for their suggestions, and I am glad people understood my real life situation of the Marshal Islands which “brings it home to me.” I should also mention that virtually all low lying islands like Bermuda (where water collection off of roofs is mandatory) and the Marshals, collect as much rain water as they can, in culverts, ponds, or barrels. If we have a major power outage rainwater would be purer than ditch, lake or pond water. I have two cut off, plastic, 55 gallon barrels that can be filled by hose or by rainwater. The Black Berkey purification element is an extraordinary find!

We also divert the rainwater from our roof into a 200 gallon horse trough. It's a shame to let such a valuable commodity just run off.

If a person does not want to invest in “catastrophic” remedies they can still keep plastic jugs of water on hand as well as enough food for a couple of weeks, and a firearm. Think of the situation this way: if you have burglaries and theft within 20 miles of your home now, the thefts would greatly increase if there is a major power outage. Some experts like Cresson Kearny, former head of the Atomic Energy Commission, estimate that America is three missed meals away from distress, and three days with missed meals away from aggressive scavenging and looting. The next step after minimal food and water storage? Get to know your neighbors, and discuss joining them in a irregular, self defense force, with ABSOLUTELY NO “LEADERS.”

The finest alternative to "no leaders" is cooperation.

Greg

[tmj]

Given we will still have tameable electrons, my wish list for post apocalypse would include h2o purifiers and a good electrical engineer

[GALTGULCH8]

Here is a link to the source of the Berkey Purifier systems. There are several options so I chose this one to link to because it uses the mentioned Black Berkey Elements:

http://www.directive21.com/products/berkey-light-water-purifier/#reviews

gg

[moralist]

Here is a link to the source of the Berkey Purifier systems. There are several options so I chose this one to link to because it uses the mentioned Black Berkey Elements:

http://www.directive21.com/products/berkey-light-water-purifier/#reviews

gg

The Berkey arrived a few days ago and it works great.

Simple, passive, stand alone, non electronic... perfect for emergency use. The nanocarbon filters are good for purifying 3,000 gallons of safe drinking water from any source. The solid stainless steel spigot came from an ebay vendor.

Greg

[GALTGULCH8]

Greg,

Congratulations. I hope there is a body of water nearby in case of failure of the local water supply.

I live very near a reservoir. I just have to persuade my wife to order one or more Berkey's.

From what i read daily at www.KingWorldNews.com what passes for real money but is a fiat, unconstitutional, unredeemable, doomed paper currency is on the verge of being unacceptable. That is a consequence of the trillions of dollars printed over the years since the Federal Reserve System was created in 1913. As hard as it is to believe that the day will ever come when anyone would refuse to accept the Federal Reserve Notes we use today, it may take a hyperinflation to wake people up.

In the meantime it makes sense to get your money out of the banks and converted to things which are more likely to retain their purchasing power.

[BaalChatzaf]

In the mean time I manage to pay me bills with the counterfeit scrip.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[moralist]

Greg,

Congratulations. I hope there is a body of water nearby in case of failure of the local water supply.

I live on the border between civilization and open land so there are natural sources of water there as well as plenty of fire wood readily available in an emergency.

I live very near a reservoir. I just have to persuade my wife to order one or more Berkey's.

Even just one would do you just fine. I got the smallest one, the Travel Berkey. It's 7.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall. When stored, the top nests into the bottom to make it 12 inches tall. It still holds two full sized filters, but stores less water than the larger models. We can always dispense the purified water into other containers for storage when necessary.

From what i read daily at www.KingWorldNews.com what passes for real money but is a fiat, unconstitutional, unredeemable, doomed paper currency is on the verge of being unacceptable. That is a consequence of the trillions of dollars printed over the years since the Federal Reserve System was created in 1913. As hard as it is to believe that the day will ever come when anyone would refuse to accept the Federal Reserve Notes we use today, it may take a hyperinflation to wake people up.

In the meantime it makes sense to get your money out of the banks and converted to things which are more likely to retain their purchasing power.

One of the best things to do with money is to use it to pay off debts.

All that gives the dollar its value is our belief that it has value. So far it's been holding up pretty well but there is no way of knowing what will happen in the future. There's always the potential for another Black Swan event like 2008, and 1929.

I live like it's always a Depression and keep next to nothing in the bank. Instead, I invest in businesses as well as all of the practical items we use in our everyday life.

Greg

[BaalChatzaf]

Greg,

Congratulations. I hope there is a body of water nearby in case of failure of the local water supply.

I live on the border between civilization and open land so there are natural sources of water there as well as plenty of fire wood readily available in an emergency.

I live very near a reservoir. I just have to persuade my wife to order one or more Berkey's.

Even just one would do you just fine. I got the smallest one, the Travel Berkey. It's 7.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall. When stored, the top nests into the bottom to make it 12 inches tall. It still holds two full sized filters, but stores less water than the larger models. We can always dispense the purified water into other containers for storage when necessary.

From what i read daily at www.KingWorldNews.com what passes for real money but is a fiat, unconstitutional, unredeemable, doomed paper currency is on the verge of being unacceptable. That is a consequence of the trillions of dollars printed over the years since the Federal Reserve System was created in 1913. As hard as it is to believe that the day will ever come when anyone would refuse to accept the Federal Reserve Notes we use today, it may take a hyperinflation to wake people up.

In the meantime it makes sense to get your money out of the banks and converted to things which are more likely to retain their purchasing power.

One of the best things to do with money is to use it to pay off debts.

All that gives the dollar its value is our belief that it has value. So far it's been holding up pretty well but there is no way of knowing what will happen in the future. There's always the potential for another Black Swan event like 2008, and 1929.

I live like it's always a Depression and keep next to nothing in the bank. Instead, I invest in businesses as well as all of the practical items we use in our everyday life.

Greg

I also buy groceries with my money.

[moralist]

Greg,

Congratulations. I hope there is a body of water nearby in case of failure of the local water supply.

I live on the border between civilization and open land so there are natural sources of water there as well as plenty of fire wood readily available in an emergency.

I live very near a reservoir. I just have to persuade my wife to order one or more Berkey's.

Even just one would do you just fine. I got the smallest one, the Travel Berkey. It's 7.5 inches in diameter and 18 inches tall. When stored, the top nests into the bottom to make it 12 inches tall. It still holds two full sized filters, but stores less water than the larger models. We can always dispense the purified water into other containers for storage when necessary.

From what i read daily at www.KingWorldNews.com what passes for real money but is a fiat, unconstitutional, unredeemable, doomed paper currency is on the verge of being unacceptable. That is a consequence of the trillions of dollars printed over the years since the Federal Reserve System was created in 1913. As hard as it is to believe that the day will ever come when anyone would refuse to accept the Federal Reserve Notes we use today, it may take a hyperinflation to wake people up.

In the meantime it makes sense to get your money out of the banks and converted to things which are more likely to retain their purchasing power.

One of the best things to do with money is to use it to pay off debts.

All that gives the dollar its value is our belief that it has value. So far it's been holding up pretty well but there is no way of knowing what will happen in the future. There's always the potential for another Black Swan event like 2008, and 1929.

I live like it's always a Depression and keep next to nothing in the bank. Instead, I invest in businesses as well as all of the practical items we use in our everyday life.

Greg

I also buy groceries with my money.

Yes, Bob. That's a practical item used in everyday life.

Greg