Power Grid Peril
The narrative below was written by former New York District Attorney Judge Jeanine Pirro.
Reading it sent shivers down my spine.
We hear news out of Washington all the time: debt.... spending limits.... immigration.... gay marriage.... disfunction. and on and on and on.
But we don't hear about this.
WHY?
If and when it happens.... oh my, life as we know it is changed.
Out for now.....
Matt
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This week, I went to a meeting in Manhattan in the freezing cold.
But when i came out of that meeting, I was frozen - not from the bitter temperatures - but from fear.
I learned things that no one is talking about, things that can change my life, your life, and the lives of everyone you know forever.
I started thinking about how fragile life is and how ill-prepared we are for this.
The story I'm about to tell you is about the vulnerability of America's power system, our grid. And it's also about a series of forces and individuals who instead of doing the right thing for you are interfering with the ability to protect your way of life.
Who of us could ever envision 9/11 happening? But the difference between 9/11 and what I'm about to tell you is that we know this can happen - the question is not will it happen but when will it happen. But Washington is doing little to prevent it.
And the consequences would be a million times worse than 9/11. One day you're enjoying the comforts of life, the next, everything is different. Civilization as you know it is gone. The death toll would be staggering.
Even a blue ribbon congressional commission predicted a major catastrophe with mass American fatalities.
Government studies prove an electromagnetic pulse would destroy all electronics and the transformers that power everything - anything with an on/off switch. Your hot water heater. Your refrigerator. Your dialysis machine. Hospitals are closed. Grocery shelves are empty. Most of the food you have at home is spoiled.
And forget about your bank accounts. What you have in your pocket is all you can access.
The disaster I'm talking about can be unleashed naturally by intense solar flare or deliberately by an enemy detonating a nuclear weapon in the earth's atmosphere.
The earth is exposed to intense solar flaring roughly every 150 years. The last time it occurred was 1859. Do the math - we're due.
Reports are that our grid has already been penetrated by our enemies, leaving behind software programs that can compromise it.
I'm not saying this to panic anyone, but everyone - including our enemies - knows that an artificially created electromagnetic pulse will shut down all power, which risks our survival.
What's even more frightening is that this can be prevented, but as with most problems, greed, self-interest, and politicians who care more about their next election than the American people and a lack of leadership interfere with our safety.
The shame is that the principle federal regulator that establishes standards for local power companies is also tasked with promoting the interests of the utilities. How do you regulate and promote private companies at the same time?
Legislation intended to protect us has been blocked in Washington. The fight, of course, about money. Private companies that control 85 percent of the grid think the Department of Defense should pay to improve the infrastructure and vice versa.
There is one bill that can help us prevent this catastrophe and remedy our vulnerability. And make no mistake - it can be remedied.
And one person holds the keys to the kingdom. Congressman Fred Upton from Michigan is the chair of the House Energy Committee where these kind of laws are funneled. Bills that can protect us are bottled up in his committee.
They shouldn't be. This is a nonpartisan issue. This should be recognized as one of the most important bills pending in Washington today.
Curiously though, almost 60 percent of Congressman Upton's campaign contributions are from electric utilities, lobbyists, and oil and gas investors.
