Solar Flare Knocks out Some GPS service

[Junkdrawer]

http://www.weather.com/weather/videos/news-41/top-stories-169/solar-flare-knocks-out-some-gps-service-29602

Buckle up kids. Peak of this 11 yr. solar cycle is NEXT year.

Of all the "End of the world as we know it" scenarios I've heard, this is the one I actually worry about. If we get an 1859 type event, it could well be Game Over.

http://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/12/solar-flare-could-wreak-havoc-on-earth

[Junkdrawer]

1. Analogy: A drunken neighbor is shooting his double barreled shotgun in random directions...

Yesterday, he took out a good piece of your chimney. And he's going to keep shooting for the next two years.

[siligut]

2. 35% of people who responded to the poll agree with you

But 37% think it is all silly. I certainly don't think it is silly, I am thinking that solar panels that can stand up to the flares would be a good investment.

I couldn't tell from the article where GPS service was disrupted; could you?

This is the poll from the article:

POLL
Do you believe the world will end in your lifetime?

11%
Yes, all indications point in that direction.
307 votes

35%
Maybe, but nobody knows for sure.
1022 votes

37%
No, this is all silly.
1069 votes

12%
No, aliens will save us.
357 votes

4%
Not sure, too busy to check into it.
123 votes

[Junkdrawer]

3. Biggest initial problem would be water.

I use city water. A year or two ago a big main burst (Pittsburgh = crumbling infrastructure) and we had no water for two days. Real wake up call.

Besides no drinking water, no toilets, no bath.

[siligut]

4. I think a smart grid would help with that and so many other problems

I know it would be quite expensive, but it would be more efficient, safer from both terrorists and environmental hazards and widespread outages. Well, that is some of what I remember anyway.

You had a wake-up call, you are more aware than most people. I read all of the problems associated with strong solar flares and that we are just at the beginning of what is to come in a few years, according to the cycle.

[Occulus]

5. A so-called smart grid would in no way protect us from another Carrington Event, though

Were we to face the sort of thing that went down in 1859, it wouldn't be "just" our whole power infrastructure. Every computer not hardened against solar radiation facing the flare would fry. That includes those in our cars, big rigs, trains, and planes. Such an event would set us back to a state resembling that of the early industrial revolution literally instantly, and the only warning we would have would be when SOHO and other satellites facing the flare went dead.

This is one of those nightmare events that is all too possible. In the words of Ren & Stimpy's Mr. Horse, "no, sir... I don't like it."

[siligut]

6. Yes, exactly where my mind went when I read Junkdrawer's post

I get the urge to leave the city, take my money out of institutions, buy a little gold ( at these prices), land and ammo, build a fortress and farm. Get off and stay off of the grid. It's not like that would be undesirable even before a catastrophic event, but we are comfortable here and try not to get too paranoid. We do have a generator.

[Junkdrawer]

8. Seriously thinking of investing $75 in a 55 gal. Emergency Water Barrel for the basement....

Given all the ways water could be cut off...

[siligut]

9. I have 3 gallon jugs of water in the garage, not enough.

I have read that for long-term storage you need to add bleach to the water. A backup water supply is a real good idea for you. Has your city's water supply system been updated?

[Junkdrawer]

10. Pittsburgh: Bandaids on top of duct tape held together with bailing wire....

We still have combined sewer and runoff.

As for bleach:

Do I need this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0010OI5WK/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3UA9GHGU33U4N

or will a little bleach do the trick?

[siligut]

12. Sodium hypochlorite is bleach, but you know that

The product says it contains stabilizers and one of the reviewers says that it releases over time. From what I know from people who store water for survival, the bleach works just fine though. If I store more water, I will use bleach.

Sorry about your crumbling infrastructure.

[FarCenter]

11. The mass of the earth is about 5,972,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 kilograms

It's not going anywhere except in its orbit around the sun.

If it did disappear, say by converting to energy, it would produce a LOT of energy.

About 5,972,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 * 90,000,000,000,000,000 joules.

[Evasporque]

7. Now would not be a time to invest in local solar power

Guns, survival supplies, more handouts to oil and utilities...why would we want to distribute electrical generation to each home with wind and solar....ALL HAIL THE GRID and CAPITALISM!!