EMP Recognition Day

It's really quite amazing. I've seen some stupid things in my life, but this one ranks up there at the top. Jena McNeill and James Carafano of the Heritage Foundation want Congress to create an "EMP Recognition Day" so that we citizens can appreciate the potential damage that such an incident might cause. No, really.

If, just for one day, Congress simulated even a fraction of the impact such an attack would have, the scope of the danger would be clear. Here is a short list of what could happen on EMP Recognition Day on the Hill. Congress could:

• Close all cafeterias. After an attack transportation networks would grind to a halt and no food would be delivered.
• Walk to work. Traffic lights would no longer function, so all roads would be gridlocked. The computer systems operating mass transit would be inoperative.
• Turn off members' Blackberries. Satellites in low-earth and many of the communication support systems will be disabled. Devices such as Blackberries and GPS would not work.
• Shut off the lights. Critical computers that direct the national electrical grid would be inoperative.

Congress should take just these four steps for one day—and then all the members would understand the magnitude of the dangers posed by an EMP attack.

Yeah, right. That's what we need to do. Fortunately, we have other Very Serious People who have other opinions, such as General "Chillie" Chilton, commander, USSTRATCOM, who doesn't believe we need to resort to such efforts.

In one such scenario that defense officials have considered at length, an enemy detonates a nuclear device over international waters in an effort to sidestep the detonation being termed an act of war.

That rationale wouldn’t fly, Chilton said.

“If you affect the United States of America with a nuclear detonation, I don’t care where you detonate it, that’s an attack on the United States of America,” Chilton said. “We have been thinking about that, and we do think about … how we might respond to that. And of course, that would be up to the president.

“I’m not one who says, well, just because there’s no visible kinetic effect, that that means it doesn’t count,” Chilton added. “It counts. Because the long-term effects on the population and the economy and our lifestyle and the very existence of the United States of American being held at risk is important to deter.”

Damn straight. I find it ludicrous that some might suggest a nation-state or non-state actor could launch a sizable nuke over the United States without fear of massive retaliation. Whatever critical electronic infrastructure would be shut down, I'm pretty sure that the U.S. nuclear strike capabilities would still be functional. And yet, these fantasies are played out by a congressionally-mandated commission that is bucking to get its charter renewed for another four years.

Because it's not a matter of when, but if...

Comments

[Sam]

I celebrate EMP Recognition Day by decorating a tree with batteries and magnets, hung with copper wire hooks. The tree is decorated with electric lights, but the bulbs don't work.

It's symbolic.

[James]

I think we should celebrate EMP recognition day by ignoring scaremongers in right-wing think tanks because they'll be forced to cease their strenuous thinking and become subsistence farmers in the neoprimitive aftermath.

Bring on the nukes!

[Sock Puppet of the Great Satan]

"I think we should celebrate EMP recognition day by ignoring scaremongers in right-wing think tanks because they'll be forced to cease their strenuous thinking and become subsistence farmers in the neoprimitive aftermath."

Farmers? They're gonna be the farmed, friend.

Another Heritage hackburger, anyone?

[LT Nixon]

I had no idea that a nuclear explosion would be so harmful! Kudos to Heritage.

[Art]

What got missed by the initial report, and still ignored by this move, is that while many computerized processes will be disrupted the actual level of damage to these systems will be much more limited. An HEMP is a long wave EM effect. Those systems not connected to an antenna of significant length will not be effected.

Of those systems effected many will simply need to be rebooted. Most of those that are unable to restart, and the vast majority of all infrastructure systems, have manual backup methods. Pipelines and generation plants can, and sometimes do, operate under simple manual control. It typically is less efficient than under centralized computer control and it takes more time and manpower to complete evolutions but it is done.

Also the predictions about diesel trucks not running are simply false. All of these systems default to a less efficient and interactive default setting independent of the computer. And this assumed they will be disrupted at all. Some testing shows that even a good part of the gasoline engines will still run.

The idea that non-functional street light will gridlock traffic is laughable. It might go that way for a few hours but manual traffic control, a cop directing traffic, is a time honored approach and rural areas have long used a simple four-way stop protocols. It isn't as efficient or safe as computerized lights but it works and traffic gets through.

This even gets the basics like GPS functionality wrong. GPS satellites are not low enough or unshielded enough to be seriously disrupted. And GPS receiver antennas are typically so small they are not effected. There will be a few hours, perhaps a couple of days of, atmospheric disruption that may interfere with the signals but one this clears it should work normally.

The bottom line here is that many modern systems may be temporarily disrupted and need to be reset. Most disruption will not be due to actual electrical damage. While some parts may be destroyed most can keep working at lower efficiencies. We functioned as a nation in the 50s and the same methods and mechanisms are still largely available as existing backup systems.

There could be a considerable level of disruption, something we could moderate with planning and proper engineering, but things would normalize after a few days. It wouldn't be the end of all electrical and electronic systems as some have breathlessly predicted.

[MB]

Me, I'm holding out for Rapture Day.

[infocyde]

Art, you are dead wrong here. We have a few serious chinks in the armor. Some of your points above are accurate, some are not, and there a few big ones not on your list. Depending on the intensity of the attack, things may not normalize at all.

Fear mongering isn't in our best interest, but being aware of threats and trying to shore up the potential caused by those threats, and generating the political will to do so, is wise.

But I guess it is some people's nature to stare at everything, serious or not, through mocking eyes. Not accusing you of that Art, but that seems to be the general tone the above blog entry.