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.Our Grid is very weak compared to most Countries like in Europe or Australia which have upgraded grids.... In Europe there grid can handle an EMP or Solar storm , same with Aussieland ....ours would fail...although that depends on the region. Out west , the grid is newer then the east... As for Smart grids if done right , they can save the consumer 1000s in wasteful energy usage...the company can send just the amount you need at that time....which in turn helps the grid during heat waves and other natural disasters. Newer trains and Trolley buses use less electricity and put some back into the grid. As for a cyber attack it happens , I honestly don't think its a good idea to put Hydro or Nuclear plants on open source like the Internet , some European countries forbid this for that reason. As for the Japan incident , they cut corners and there are a few other plants like that one in Japan and Asia....ticking time bombs....
lifelongMOgal : Why do you want the Govt to tell the private sector what to do , i thought you were a small Govt person?
Clue: Off-grid as in self-sufficient/energy independent.
You're still dependent on whatever energy was used to produce the computer you type on, build the applications that you use, and develop / maintain the servers and routers that enable you to access and transmit data across the web.
Unless you live like a hermit from the last century, your energy independence is an illusion.
You're still dependent on whatever energy was used to produce the computer you type on, build the applications that you use, and develop / maintain the servers and routers that enable you to access and transmit data.
Unless you live like a hermit from the last century, your energy independence is an illusion.
Oy vey.
When I start selling power to the electric company, I'll tell them you said that.
.Our Grid is very weak compared to most Countries like in Europe or Australia which have upgraded grids.... In Europe there grid can handle an EMP or Solar storm , same with Aussieland ....ours would fail...although that depends on the region. Out west , the grid is newer then the east... As for Smart grids if done right , they can save the consumer 1000s in wasteful energy usage...the company can send just the amount you need at that time....which in turn helps the grid during heat waves and other natural disasters. Newer trains and Trolley buses use less electricity and put some back into the grid. As for a cyber attack it happens , I honestly don't think its a good idea to put Hydro or Nuclear plants on open source like the Internet , some European countries forbid this for that reason. As for the Japan incident , they cut corners and there are a few other plants like that one in Japan and Asia....ticking time bombs....
lifelongMOgal : Why do you want the Govt to tell the private sector what to do , i thought you were a small Govt person?
Clue: Hardening the grid is a matter of National Security. Bailing out too big to fail banks and other corporations, jobs bills created to pay back donors/bundlers via DOE loans and sending troops and weapons to undeclared wars at the bidding of the UN/NATO in the ME is not.
The timing of the EMP report: it was released on 9/11/2001. It has been around for more than a decade and no POTUS has taken it seriously enough to address it. This is negligence and dereliction of duty by both the Bush and Obama administrations when it comes to National Security.
You're still dependent on whatever energy was used to produce the computer you type on, build the applications that you use, and develop / maintain the servers and routers that enable you to access and transmit data across the web.
Unless you live like a hermit from the last century, your energy independence is an illusion.
It is not so much an illusion when those creating their own energy off grid still have lights and refrigeration during an outage (be it short or prolonged) while those who choose to remained grid-tied without providing themsleves alternatives are helpless and in the dark.
Oy vey.
When I start selling power to the electric company, I'll tell them you said that.
Think about it. You effectively depend on others not to truly be energy independent in order for you to be able to use the internet - it is of such scope that it fundamentally wouldn't exist without key players who leverage large interdependent energy markets. And the same thing goes for your cell phone, your car, the planes you travel on, the items you buy, the health care and services you use...
I'm not saying that having a few generators and some stockpiles for your home is a bad idea...just that the distance it really takes you "off the grid" is tenuously thin. So long as you chose to live in the modern world and don't change your consumption behavior in very draconian ways, you're always still going to be on the grid with the rest of us.
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Seriously?
