While the world’s governments spend billions of dollars a year trying to prevent or mitigate a probably imaginary change in global temperature a century or more in the future, a very real threat is going largely unnoticed. An electromagnetic pulse attack (EMP), executed by exploding a single nuclear bomb 300 miles above Kansas, could paralyze all of North America.
There would be no blast damage, because the bomb would explode in airless space 300 miles above Earth’s surface. The gamma rays released would interact with the upper atmosphere and the Earth’s magnetic field to create several types of electromagnetic pulses. Likely there would be great damage to all types of computer equipment. Very high voltage transformers essential to the distribution of electricity could be damaged beyond repair. This would disable the electric grid for a year or more.
A natural EMP can also be created by a solar storm. There were natural EMPs in 1859, 1921, and 1989. A natural EMP does not harm computers, but it does put the electrical grid transformers at risk, possibly causing a loss of electricity for years. For the full article click here
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