Protecting our critical civil infrastructure against EMP threats would play an important role in deterring such an attack, and the Pentagon’s failure even to mention that role in its Nuclear Posture Review illustrates a serious gap in our overall strategy and plans to protect the American People. And the problem is bigger than in the Pentagon. The President should take this issue on by an appropriate White House initiative. Read Full Story
Yesterday’s eclipse captured major attention across America as those in its direct pathway saw nighttime in the middle of a hot summer’s day. It was the first time in nearly a century for an eclipse over the entire nation. There is an even rarer and most unpleasant solar event that last occurred in 1859, almost happened again in 2012, and will certainly happen again in the future—possibly in the near future. We are unprepared and courting a disaster when it does occur. Read Full Story
Yesterday, Retired Marine General and now former Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly was sworn in as the White House Chief of Staff, hopefully to demonstrate his well-deserved reputation of bringing order out of chaos to help greater success for President Trump’s agenda. Among his many agenda items, we hope they will address the government’s dysfunctional efforts to deal with the existential electromagnetic pulse (EMP) threat now confronting the nation. Read Full Story
“I strongly support missile defense and a robust U.S. nuclear deterrent as important components of defending the U.S. against catastrophic threats. In addition, however, there is much the Department can do in helping to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from these catastrophic threats and events. Should I be confirmed, I will pay particular attention to these threats . . .” Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly Read Full Story
“There’s a very, very dangerous decision being made today by the Federal] Energy [Regulatory] Commission on how we protect ourselves from electromagnetic pulse [EMP]. It is being designed as stupidly and as destructively as possible . . . If I were [President Trump] it’s one of the things I would literally repeal late tomorrow . . .” Newt Gingrich on Fox and Friends, January 19, 2017 Read Full Story
“I think the initial instinct of industry back when this first started a few years ago was, ‘Let us do many years of research and then order us to do something . . . And we said, ‘No, no, no. You’re going to get started sooner than that,’ and then we had to figure out what was the prudent thing to require — a no-regrets strategy.” ~ FERC Commissioner Cheryl LaFleur . . . No regrets for whom? Read Full Story
“In anticipating the event of a power grid going down . . . the process will have to be streamlined and rehearsed. During the time that it takes to alert and dispatch military personnel and to mobilize the National Guard, local and state police will need to immediately secure the stores and warehouses containing essential supplies that will otherwise be stripped bare in a matter of hours. The authority exists, but without the regular conduct of combined exercises specifically designed to respond to the aftermath of a grid going down, critical supplies will be gone before law enforcement even arrives on the scene . . .” ~ Ted Koppel, emphasis added. Read Full Story
“[The federal government’s] purpose is to safeguard the American people and pursue our interests in the world, not to solve the world’s problems on our dime and, occasionally, by using us as laboratory mice. As free people, we can try to save the planet. The federal government, however, was not created to do it for us, much less to coerce us into implausible “humanitarian” schemes that always manage to line some crony’s pocket. National interest is our government’s only reliable compass, yet it has been discarded.” ~Andy McCarthy Read Full Story
The Foundation for Resilient Societies challenges the latest inept FERC-NERC pronouncements! Time for some changes???? I think so, one way or another! Read Full Story
We will be adding key policy briefs as we progress.