World-wide 72 hour power blackout

I have several bookmarks to web pages that I call "the paranoid press"

Speculation is beginning that the recent power outages in US/Canada, Italy and Scandanavia where trial runs for terrorists to take power down for a 72 hr period. Presumedly this would occur in the middle of winter/summer (Northern & Southern hemispheres).

I don't know what to make of this speculation other than that's exactly what it is at this point. Normally I wouldn't even go out on the limb to post something like this, however the rarity of very large-area blackouts as we have been happen make me stop and wonder.

Comments? Speculation?

GregR

Sounds like fun to me! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Lets see:
Loosing power in Central Texas in the middle of winter--I laugh at their demands. I break wind in their general direction!

Loosing power in CenTex in the middle of summer--I'll give you my entire flashlight collection if you'd just get the A/C running before noon! Damn terrorist!
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

-Jason

I don't think anyone could coordinate such an attack.

Here's an interesting, thoughtful article:

http://www.analogzone.com/grn_ed.htm

"Instead of simply patching the problems with our electricity supply with traditional solutions we should treat this as an opportunity and initiate a Manhattan Project-style program to rethink our energy future."

PhotonBoy-

I glad your confident it can't be done. I just wish I had your insight. I hope it is allowable to quote a portion of an article...

THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 16, 1998
Bill Gertz

Using software obtained easily from hacker sites on the Internet, a group of National Security Agency officials could have shut down the U.S. electric-power grid within days and rendered impotent the command-and-control elements of the U.S. Pacific Command, said officials familiar with the war game, known as Eligible Receiver.

"The attack was actually run in a two-week period and the results were frightening," said a defense official involved in the game. "This attack, run by a set of people using standard Internet techniques, would have basically shut down the command-and-control capability in the Pacific theater for some considerable period of time."

Pentagon spokesman Kenneth Bacon said, "Eligible Receiver was an important and revealing exercise that taught us that we must be better organized to deal with potential attacks against our computer systems and information infrastructure."

They broke into computer networks and gained access to the systems that control the electrical power grid for the entire country. If they had wanted to, the hackers could have disabled the grid, leaving the United States in the dark.

GregR

I hope they wait till I get my torch collection out!

Truthfully, I hope something like this does not happen. Up here in The Last Frontier it could be devastating, no heating (0 degree outside temp), no constant form of informaion...My family does have some extra batteries on hand but I do not know how long it could last.

I think too many people have too much time on their hands and aren't taking their meds the way they're supposed to... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I wouldn't be able to charge up my electric wheelchair - and the elevator here would also be nonfunctional. So even if some downtown stores were open by candlelight, I wouldn't be able to get to them. And getting money out of the bank to spend at such a store would be even more troublesome, because the ATMs would be out and the tellers wouldn't know how much is in your account because they couldn't use their computers. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif

The most technologically sophisticated nations, even cooperating together, don't have the capability or resources to pull off a 72 hour world-wide power blackout. Terrorist organizations, having to deal with improvisational make-shift technology and underground maneuvering, certainly doesn't. Speculations that they could is like speculating that a man flapping his arms fast enough will fly. It's not within the realm of possibilities. Put it out of your mind and get a good night's sleep.

They'd certainly need a large staff of wrench-and-wire-cutter-equipped terrorists to go around removing all the PV panels from the roofes around here! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Sasha, what do you mean by that?

GregR

[ QUOTE ]
Double_A said:
Sasha, what do you mean by that?

GregR

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't worry... I wasn't referring to you... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Double_A--she was most likely refering to my statement of "I break wind in their general direction".

I ran out of Bean-O and had the afternoon off today. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif


-Jason

Power grids would a very tempting target. Remember, Possibility and Probability are two different things. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I ain't about to sweat it!

Ain't a damn thing I or any of you could do to stop it anyhow!

And I agree pretty much with Flownosaj... middle of winter? I fart in their general direction!

As to summer, GIVE ME MY AC!!!

I'm glad to see a few other Monty Python fans here with their sense of humor.

GregR

Power grids being a tempting target is worlds apart from a "world wide 72 hour power blackout". What damage can occur if a power grid is targeted isn't difficult to imagine, but it would take much more than that to produce a worldwide disruption.

We're told that "speculation is beginning". That in itself shows it's a "what-if" game of imagination. So now, with nothing to go on, these "genius speculators" decide that the period of time the terrorists (with whom they have no connection, and can't begin to know their plans) are going to chose the number of hours as "72 hours". We're told by these geniuses that the target for all the extremely well orchestrated sabotage is going to be every power grid, and every generating plant independent of the power grids throughout the earth, simultaneously and effectively enough to disable them for "72 hours".

Now, the question is why? While dependencies on power are apparent, and the impact significant, the terror of the situation compared to many more easily orchestrated malicious acts is minor. It'd make the headlines of the newspaper, but terrorists seek more than headlines.

Even George Bush could not orchestrate such an event.

You breathe in my neighborhood and we lose power. Lots of old trees. Thank God for my generator... got it after Hurricane Floyd. ~300$ worth of food down the crapper because Denville must be on GPU's poop list. We were out for 3 days. In a metro-suburban area??

Things got better since First Energy took over and brought back Jersey Central, even if in name only. Even so, during Isabel we were out for ~12 hours.

What did I use the most? ARC LSH.

Rich

What's even more frightening is if there is a powerful solar flare up, that alone has the potential to shut down power grids. Doubtful if it can cause worldwide blackout, but it is something to think about. Sources from Space Environment Center can be found here.