In December 2012 and possibly many months before the Earth could become bombarded by massive solar flares which will knock out most all satellite electronics and blind the Earth for many years to come until more satellites can be built. But the greatest threat is from the CMEs or coronal mass ejections from the Sun. Solar flares have much less chance of hitting the Earth and their energy is much smaller than a coronal mass ejection. Coronal mass ejections are far more massive and carry much greater energy.
In the late 1800s when the sun was very active the telegraphs of their day were reported to work by themselves without their electric batteries. The crude telegraphs were made out of heavy gauge wires. Our electronics today are extremely fragile and even land based electronics might well be damage extensively from a mega solar flare hitting the Earth or especially a CME or coronal mass ejection.
Mankind will be in the greatest danger in December of 2012. Before this time much of the satellites above the Earth will probably be damaged beyond repair and useless junk in space. But in December the planets align with the Earth and this is when the Sun could send a huge coronal mass ejection aimed directly at the Earth. The shading effect of the planets will be in line with the Earth and a shading effect will funnel any CME directly to Earth.
In December and before most land based electronics might be severely damaged or destroyed by CMEs. If electronics are not turned off and enclosed in metal or aluminum foil to deflect heavy ion radiations then these solid state electronic devices might be overloaded and destroyed. Additional underground shielding might be required to prevent damage to critical electronics. Little research is known about CME damage so this is highly speculative but it is a logical conclusion of CMEs and high energy particles reaching the Earth during peak solar maximums.
This possible massive CME electronic damage will poise a grave risk to all modern armies that depend on electronics as their main force multiplier. If all missiles, airplanes, tanks, trucks, personnel carriers, ships, submarines, and virtually every other major military platform and communications are severely damaged or destroyed then modern armies could be severely compromised for many years to come. Armies need to learn very quickly how to fully protect their most sensitive equipment at least temporarily during peak CME activity of the 24th solar maximum beginning possibly as early as 2010 but much more likely in early 2011.
CMEs take three to five days to reach the Earth. Massive solar flares can take only hours to impact the Earth. But if all upper solar satellites are destroyed then the Earth will have only ground based observatories which is a big disadvantage. So the Earth may have little warning of a major CME event in 2012.
On the bright side all armies will be equally reduced to rubble so to speak. At least their electronics will be equally damaged. Many older tube type radios and TV might not be damaged because they are not the delicate solid state electronics. But armies will not be in any shape to attack anyone because Armies depend on oil to move forward and attack from the air. So war making will be equally reduced somewhat.
Large land based armies like China and Korea will have an advantage in soldiers and small arms which will probably be the only war fighting equipment still viable. Nuclear weapons, chemical and biological weapons’ delivery will probably be destroyed. So manual timers would have to be utilized or makeshift electronics that survived the CMEs destruction. And so no long range detonations will be possible. Most all major combat engagements will be eyeball to eyeball so to speak and detonations of major nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons would likely harm both sides of a conflict nearly equally.
2012 will likely end modern warfare for many generations to come if not entirely. Israel will be particularly vulnerable to attack and outnumbered for years to come. Surrounded on all sides by Arabs which have large conventional armies. If Israel doesn’t take steps to dramatically reduce electronic damage to planes, tanks, missiles, and communications then Israel will have to stockpile conventional ammunitons because little help will be forthcoming from the USA and little transport of any kind will be available for many years.
Only nuclear weapons used liberally on all surrounding Arab territories and cities for hundreds of miles could save Israel from massive conventional attacks from Arabs. Since Arabs have largely conventional Armies and weapons they can simply walk into Israel areas of combat to engage the enemy. And without the electronic multiplier of weapons Israelis will be greatly outnumbered. But they will have the advantage of the defender and they will be fighting for their lives because they will be surrounded. Of the two adversaries I would have to go with Israel as the probable winner in this possible war of the future. But it would be only by the use of all of their nuclear weapons in a kind of scorched Earth policy upon all the surrounding Arab lands and cities closest to Israel. Hopefully they will have enough nuclear weapons. But if not there will be only escape from the sea to a world which will be little prepared to receive them and not much better off than them.
I doubt that major wars after 2012 will be motivated by ethnic or religious bigotry and hatred. The main wars will be over oil, water, minerals, and croplands for basic survival needs. The world will have to revert to a vegetarian lifestyle for many decades because grains will be needed to feed people instead of animals. The only animal husbandry would be open range cattle and sheep livestock which can make use of marginal grazing lands.
The West has relied on electronic warfare as its major force multiplier but it has million of potential recruits from fairly large populations to drawn from for increasing conventional armies. But large armies may be a thing of the past after December 2012 or before. America is somewhat isolated from any potential enemies. Only Mexico’s lawlessness and poverty might be a major concern after 2012.
Most ethic and religious differences and resource wars would occur in Asia and Africa. Australia would be a save haven because of its great distance from any possible enemy or attack but they might be deluged with boat people trying to sail to their country for a safe haven. The lack of oil and energy to move armies being Australia’s biggest protection. Lack of water resources might be Australia’s biggest weakness in this time of predicted great droughts.
It seems prudent to research extensively now in 2009 the damage that might be caused by 2012 massive CME events and prepare adequate countermeasures to protect those electronic assets. But few people take these events seriously to their great future peril. Hopefully I am wrong and they will not occur or they will not be as severe as expected. It really does not take that much energy and material to enclose electronics in metals or isolate them at the times of maximum solar CMEs.
2012 is mentioned in over a dozen major traditions as an end of an age. And this is the end of a 25,800 year cycle where we intersect the galactic equator from 1980 to 2016. This is a time of increased light energy from the galactic center of our galaxy which acts like a laser of concentrated light energy and is heating up our planet and the Sun slightly. And this increased heat will continue building up like an oven and remain with us for many years. Seaports will need to be moved far inland for protection from massive hurricanes and populations will shift dramatically.
I see electronic warfare ending for good on this planet one way or another after 2012 as mankind shifts major resources into just surviving the next year with enough food, energy, and water. Little energy and resources will be available to make war. And all of mankind will be given a second chance to get it right and live in harmony with Nature instead of conquering nature. Pollution will be gone almost overnight when the lights go out. And these massive CMEs that I call the “Hand of God” will give mankind a second chance and additional time to correct the unwise course of many technologies which harms the Earth. — J.E. Ante
Graduate University of Indianapolis BA 1972, Head of the Life Science Institute Health Library, original
organizer of first Earth Day in 1970 and local ZPG chapter in Indiana, Population and Environment Editor with Reflector at Indianapolis University, 12yr organic gardener with fruit, nuts, and berries, lifelong student of Out-of-Body spiritual techniques.
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