by Michael Salla, Ph.D.

March 27, 2009

from TheExaminer Website

A report issued by the National Research Council (NRC) in January 2009 (Severe Space Weather Events - Understanding Societal and Economic Impacts) has warned of the far reaching consequences of a solar storm hitting the Earth as the sun becomes more active during solar cycle 24 which began in 2008 and peaks around 2012.

A March 23 article in the New Scientist (Space Storm Alert - 90 Seconds From Catastrophe) discussed the significance of the NRC report which details how a solar storm could wipe out the electrical power grid causing massive disruption in the U.S. and around the planet.

The impact of the plasma energy directly bombarding the Earth during a solar storm could lead to electrical power stations being off line for weeks and months at a time, as overworked workers try to repair badly damaged electrical equipment.

According to the NRC report (see page 3, in PDF file), this would lead to,

“disruption of the transportation, communication, banking, and finance systems, and government services; the breakdown of the distribution of potable water owing to pump failure; and the loss of perishable foods and medications because of lack of refrigeration.”

Imagine life without running water from a tap, no refrigeration for storing food, gas for your car, or mass transit due to the power grid being off line for months. Millions of Americans could subsequently die in such a scenario described by Michael Brooks author of the New Scientist article, "Space storm alert - 90 seconds from catastrophe."

Such disturbing scenarios are very possible according to the National Research Council report. Now is the right time for bold action to replace the outdated electrical power grid with a decentralized form of fuelless or 'new energy' generators that can be mass produced for homes, small businesses and essential services.

A workshop was convened on May 22-23, 2008 by the Committee on the Societal and Economic Impacts of Severe Space Weather to,

“consider both direct and collateral effects of severe space weather events, the current state of the space weather services infrastructure in the United States, the needs of users of space weather data and services, and the ramifications of future technological developments for contemporary society's vulnerability to space weather.”

The panel of scientists that met and issued a report warning about the impact of a severe solar storm hitting the Earth based their findings on data concerning the sun becoming more active around 2012.

At the time of their meeting, they did not consider what was later revealed by NASA on December 16, 2008 to be a giant hole in the Earth’s magnetosphere that will last the entire 11 year duration of cycle 24.

What this means is that the low possibility discussed by the May 2008 panel for solar storms impacting the Earth, is in fact much more likely to occur around 2012 as the sun become increasingly active.

Nikola Tesla, circa. 1896

Indeed, the increased possibility of solar storms directly impacting the Earth due to the magnetosphere breach will last for the next ten years.

The National Research Council report and the December 2008 NASA announcement concerning a rip in the magnetosphere, together point to:

• severe solar storms directly impacting the Earth

• taking out the electrical power grid for extended periods of time around 2012

• or collapsing altogether

Therefore, the U.S. and other nations have only two or three years to prepare for life where a centralized electrical power grid become increasingly unreliable or disappears altogether.

The need for an alternative electrical power supply for the U.S. and the planet has never been more urgent. Fortunately, a possible solution was supplied by an early 20th century inventor.

An innovative attempt to develop power generators independent of the centralized electrical grid based fossil fuels are found in patents developed by the great inventor, Nikola Tesla (1856-1943).

Tesla claimed that he could harness energy from the environment to power electrical devices.

He said in 1933:

"This new power for the driving of the world's machinery will be derived from the energy which operates the universe, the cosmic energy, whose central source for the earth is the sun and which is everywhere present in unlimited quantities.”

On November 5, 1901, Tesla was granted his first patent for his 'free' or 'new energy' device which he called: "Apparatus for The Utilization of Radiant Energy."

Many inventors, inspired by Tesla’s theories and patents, have claimed they have been able to replicate and improve on his basic models. Numerous research papers have been written supporting the feasibility of Tesla’s ideas and patents.

Nikola Tesla - The Forgotten Wizard

Unfortunately, many inventors of 'free energy' generators and supporters of Tesla’s ideas have been harassed or intimidated by unknown government agencies and/or corporate entities opposed to creation of such devices.

Fuelless energy generators threaten vested interests dependent on conventional fossil fuels for providing electricity to the general public.

A number of non-governmental initiatives are underway to support inventors wanting to develop new energy generators. These include the New Energy Movement, the New Energy Congress and the Orion Project, all of which are privately funded and seeking public assistance. The time has arrived where inventors and organizations seeking the creation of new energy generators need to be supported.

The alternative is to watch the centralized electrical power system become increasingly unreliable and even collapse as solar storms sweep over the planet as Solar Cycle 24 moves into its active phase.

President Obama needs to urgently support an ambitious plan to develop and supply American families, small business and essential services with small scale new energy generators.