Conservative media sustain alarm about a possible electromagnetic-pulse catastrophe

Conservative media sustain alarm about a possible electromagnetic-pulse catastrophe

National Review and others emphasize an “existential threat” in an EMP from a high-altitude nuclear burst—but solar activity stirs the fear too.

 

Conservative media sustain alarm about a possible electromagnetic-pulse catastrophe

Journalists and commentators mainly on the political right, prompted partly by a government report in March, have been seeking to keep public attention on the possibility of a society-devastating electromagnetic pulse, or EMP.  They focus mainly on a nuclear bomb as the cause.

EMPs, whether caused by a bomb or the sun, are an old concern. In 2011, the New York Times’s William Broad reported that former Republican speaker of the house Newt Gingrich had been “ringing alarm bells” about them. In the present venue, a 2014 media report quoted commentators in asking “Could an ‘electric Armageddon’ bring civilization ‘to a cold, dark halt’? Observers in the media consider huge electromagnetic disruptions, both solar and human-caused.” Last September, Physics Today’s David Kramer reported on EMPs.

In recent months, however, conservative media have emphasized them. And though that government report called EMPs a “risk,” reporters and opinion writers have been calling them a “threat.”

In a bland statement about the federal report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) summarized what it called “electromagnetic risks caused by a man-made EMP or a naturally occurring solar weather event.” Either, the GAO said, “could have a significant impact on the nation’s electric grid as well as other infrastructure sectors...such as communications. These risks could lead to power outages over broad geographic areas for extended durations.” Responding to “congressional requesters” and recalling a 2008 report, the GAO called for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to “identify internal roles to address electromagnetic risks, and collect additional risk inputs to further inform assessment efforts.” It also called for DHS and the Energy Department to “collaborate to ensure critical electrical infrastructure assets are identified” and to “engage with industry stakeholders to identify and prioritize risk-management activities” including R&D.

 

Full article:http://scitation.aip.org/content/aip/magazine/physicstoday/news/10.1063/PT.5.8178