Nifty New Tool

[BrotherBart]

If you like to watch fossil fuel sources getting wiped out in real time.

The EIA and NOAA put this up using the ERSI GIS system.

http://www.eia.gov/special/disruptions/?scr=email

 

[fossil]

My golly, there's a mind-boggling amount of information there.

 

[BrotherBart]

When you can click on every source and get that kind of info, you're right. This thing is gonna get used for a lot of things.

Mostly Wall Street traders when a storm is brewing.

 

[jebatty]

It is difficult to comprehend how fragile the US energy infrastructure actually is. For those of us who are lucky enough to be able to plan for a major disruption and at least provide just heat for our homes, the picture still is bleak. Still at high risk are fuel supplies for transportation; water distribution and sewer system function; the food chain; disease and medical infrastructure; transportation infrastructure; etc. The entire US infrastructure is built on a "normal" which depends on everything working, all the time. This is unrealistic, short-sighted, and dangerous.

From the householder who fails to plan to have food and water available for at least a week (what happens after that?), to infrastructure industry focused solely of profits (emergency supply and backup is not profitable), to a medical infrastructure based on a need to meet only non-emergency care levels, to a government (that's you and me) which refuses to provide the taxes and funding for a real emergency and for an infrastructure that is minimally disruptible, we all are not in very good shape, and we have no one to point a finger at except ourselves. The people of the second and more likely the third world countries will be the survivors.

 

[Grisu]

It is difficult to comprehend how fragile the US energy infrastructure actually is. For those of us who are lucky enough to be able to plan for a major disruption and at least provide just heat for our homes, the picture still is bleak. Still at high risk are fuel supplies for transportation; water distribution and sewer system function; the food chain; disease and medical infrastructure; transportation infrastructure; etc. The entire US infrastructure is built on a "normal" which depends on everything working, all the time. This is unrealistic, short-sighted, and dangerous.

From the householder who fails to plan to have food and water available for at least a week (what happens after that?), to infrastructure industry focused solely of profits (emergency supply and backup is not profitable), to a medical infrastructure based on a need to meet only non-emergency care levels, to a government (that's you and me) which refuses to provide the taxes and funding for a real emergency and for an infrastructure that is minimally disruptible, we all are not in very good shape, and we have no one to point a finger at except ourselves. The people of the second and more likely the third world countries will be the survivors.

I agree. I am in medical research and talked a few times with physicians from our state's largest hospital. They were at the max of their capacity with the very mild 2009 "swine flu" pandemic. Have a real one and all bets are off. Another stat says we have food for 5 days on our grocery store shelves. Add in a few day provisions that people have at home and any major disruption lasting more than 10 days will be absolutely devastating. Our modern life is built on the "life as normal" illusion. It took approx. 50,000 years to wipe off the dinosaurs from earth after a major natural catastrophe. I am sure us humans will be gone much quicker in such an event.

 

[woodgeek]

Fortunately (?) we have lots of little disasters from time to time (like Sandy) to highlight where the weakest links are (no heat or elevators in high rise apts, gasoline distribution, etc).