Effects of an EMP Attack or Severe Solar Storm on Nuclear Power Plants, by B.Z.

It is with some trepidation that I write this article, since what I write will be controversial and will alarm some members of the public as well as your readers. Some of my colleagues have urged me not to bring this subject into the open or to even discuss it in public. However, I think the topic is important and needs to be brought to the attention of the public. The issue is the effect that an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attack, or for that matter, even a great geomagnetic storm created by a coronal mass ejection (CME) from the sun, would have on a nuclear power plant. Personally, I believe that an EMP attack from a rogue nation such as Iran or North Korea or even a terrorist organization is perhaps the most serious security threat that we face as a nation today.

As many readers may know, nuclear power provides about 20% of the electricity generated in the United States. It is an important component of our energy mix, reduces our dependence on foreign oil, and although some people are concerned about what to eventually do with nuclear waste, nuclear power plants emit no greenhouse gases and are generally quite benign. [I would rather live next to a nuclear power plant than say a chemical plant. How may people recall the incident in Bhopal, India? Over 6,000 people died or were maimed in that tragedy. No member of the public has ever been killed (or even injured) by a commercial nuclear power plant in this country.]

Many readers (if they are old enough) will remember both the Three Mile Island incident (where a Babcock and Wilcox reactor actually partially melted its core) as well as the Chernobyl accident, where an explosion damaged the core of a Soviet-era RMBK graphite-moderated reactor and spread radioactive fission products over a large portion of Europe. We in the nuclear power industry have been saying for years that a Chernobyl-type accident could never happen in the USA. All of the commercial reactors in the USA have concrete and steel containment structures that would prevent (or at least greatly reduce) any release of radioactive fission products to the public. The reactors at Chernobyl had no such containment structure, and the explosion literally blew the roof off of the reactor building.

As a nuclear engineer who has worked in the industry for nearly 30 years, I have agreed with this premise – that all of the US commercial reactors are very safe. Under normal circumstances, I still believe this. However, as I have been studying the effects of EMP for the last several years, my concerns have grown.

I have recently been in contact with a member of the intelligence community who is highly knowledgeable in the area of EMP. I have communicated my fears regarding the effects that an EMP attack might have on nuclear power plants, and this person has confirmed (through independent sources) that my concerns are well founded. I have also gotten concurrence from eight other engineers of various disciplines at my power plant (such as transient analyses, simulator, reactor engineering, a Shift Technical Adviser and nuclear analyses) that the scenario that I describe here is accurate.

Nuclear power plants are not isolated electrically. They are tied into the power grid and are also dependent upon it. There is a postulated accident for nuclear power stations called “Station Blackout,” where all off-site power is lost. Every nuclear power plant must prove to the NRC that they have the ability to withstand this event without core damage. Every US nuclear power plant has emergency diesel generators just for this purpose. These are designed to start automatically in the event of the loss of off-site power. This kind of event has actually happened before in the USA, and the systems responded as designed, and off-site power was restored within a reasonable period of time.

However, in the event of an EMP attack, the grid will come down, and it may not come up for many months, if not years. It is likely that a substantial number of transformers that are used to link power plants (and this applies to all power plants – coal, gas, oil and nuclear) to the grid will be “fried.” There will be no way to obtain off-site power to restart the nuclear power plants. Most station blackout events are assumed to be concluded (i.e., “over”) within 24 hours. No one that I know of has seriously analyzed the effects of prolonged station blackouts.

Assuming that the emergency diesel generators will start after an EMP event (and this is up for debate), most power plants only have enough diesel fuel on site to keep them running for about one week (though some may have up to 30 days of fuel). If they don’t start, or if the controls systems do not operate, then everything that I describe here will still come to pass, only much more rapidly. The power from the diesel generators is needed to operate the pumps that circulate the water in the reactor (called the “primary side”) and that also feed the steam generators with water (part of the “secondary side”). If power to the reactor coolant pumps in the primary side is lost, the reactor will likely begin what is known as “natural circulation.” However, in order to remove heat from the reactor core, water still needs to be continuously pumped through the steam generators so that the heated water in the secondary side can be cooled either via cooling towers, spray ponds or some other ultimate heat sink. If these secondary side (feed water) pumps will not operate, then the steam generators will dry out and then the cooling effect for the core is lost. (A steam generator is just a very large heat exchanger. Think of the steam generator as the “radiator” in your car. If your water pump goes out, water will not be able to flow through the radiator, and your car will overheat.) The result is that the reactor core will heat up, pressure will build to the point that the reactor coolant system (RCS) will not be able to withstand the pressure. Special spring-loaded valves will automatically lift and vent steam to the containment building to reduce the pressure in the primary system. Loss of pressure control will occur eventually, the coolant inventory in the RCS will drop to the point that the core becomes uncovered. Charging pumps normally would pump additional water into the primary system, but without power, these will not be available. Essentially, this event is similar to what is known as a Loss of Cooling Accident (LOCA). Again, all power plants are designed to “survive” this type of accident with minimal fuel damage. However, that assumption is based on having power available to operate the safety systems, including the High Pressure and Low Pressure Safety Injection (HPSI and LPSI) pumps to pump additional water into the primary system. There are other emergency systems, such as Safety Injection Tanks (SIT), which are passive and will inject water into the core when the pressure is reduced enough such that the SIT tank pressure is greater than the RCS pressure and then the check valves will open automatically. [It should be pointed out here that there are also steam-driven auxiliary pumps that will still function for a while to run the auxiliary feed water system to feed additional water into the steam generators (until there is no water left in the secondary system to turn into steam).]

The HPSI and LPSI pumps are designed to ensure that the core remains covered (as much as possible) by injecting water into the core so that the core can still be cooled. If these pumps are not working due to lack of electrical power, then no additional water is being injected into the core. When the water level in the reactor drops below the top level of the fuel, the core will begin to melt. This is what happened at Three Mile Island. However, the containment structure prevented large releases of radioactive fission products to the public.

You might ask, “well, if the containment structure can contain the melted reactor core, is there a real danger to the public?” The answer is, “yes,” but not from where you think. The reactor core may well be the focus of most people, but the real concern is somewhere else.

What many people don’t know about nuclear power plants is that when spent fuel is off-loaded from the reactor core, the fuel is then placed into what is essentially a large, very deep swimming pool called the “spent fuel pool.” Fuel that has been removed from an operating reactor core is still very hot (both in the sense of temperature and radiation level). In fact, if you were to stand within even 50 feet of a spent fuel assembly with no shielding, you would receive a lethal dose of radiation in just seconds. The water in the spent fuel pool, in addition to cooling the fuel assemblies, acts as a biological shield. In fact, water is an excellent shielding material. You can stand at the top of the spent fuel pool in virtually any nuclear power plant in the US and receive virtually no dose of radiation, so long as the fuel assemblies are covered by about 25 feet of water.

The building that houses the spent fuel pools at nuclear power plants in this country is usually a simple building, with concrete sides and floors but usually with nothing but a thin, corrugated steel roof. This is the root of the problem. Just like the fuel in the reactor, the fuel assemblies in the spent fuel in pool must also be cooled. These pools have their own independent, multiply redundant systems for cooling, separate from the systems that cool the reactor core. However, these pool cooling systems can be cross-tied with the reactor cooling systems in an emergency. The water in the spent fuel pool must be continuously circulated through heat exchangers (again, like your car radiator) to reject heat. Loss of off-site power will also cause a loss of spent fuel cooling. Normally, the temperature in these spent fuel pools is somewhere around 100 to 110 degrees F or so (similar to a typical suburban “hot tub”). When the spent fuel cooling system pumps stop operating, the fuel assemblies in the spent fuel pool will immediately begin to heat up. These fuel assemblies will continue to heat the water in the spent fuel pool until it boils. The best case scenario of “time to boil” for these spent fuel pools is perhaps 90 hours. The worst case, such as just after a core offload, would be much shorter, perhaps as little as four hours or even less. At that point, once the fuel assemblies in the spent fuel pool become uncovered because the water has boiled off, the effects mirror what would happen in the reactor core. The spent fuel assemblies will heat up until the fuel cladding starts to melt. As bits of the melting fuel fall into what is left of the water in the pool, the process will just accelerate as the heat source is now more concentrated since it has fallen back into the water and the water may flash to steam and this may cause the pressure in the building to increase, and radioactive steam, carrying radioactive particles, will now begin to exit the building through the non-sealed penetrations, portals or doors in the building.

Of course, there are usually multiple sources of water than can be called upon to re-fill the spent fuel pool before the water all boils off. But virtually all of these systems are dependent upon working, electrically operated pumps to move this water. If control systems have failed due to the EMP and there is no power to operate the pumps (either to add additional water or to pump water through the heat exchangers), then the fuel will ultimately become uncovered. Exposing the hot zirconium fuel cladding to air and steam causes an exothermic reaction, and the cladding will actually catch fire at about 1,000 degrees C. Even the NRC concedes that this type of fire cannot be extinguished, and could rage for days (Source: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Vol. 58, No. 1, Jan./Feb. 2002).

The bottom-line is that if the spent fuel cooling pumps cannot be operated or the system cannot be cross-tied with the reactor shutdown cooling system, then the fuel assemblies in the spent fuel pool will melt, catch fire, and radioactive fission products will be released into the atmosphere and much of the countryside downwind of the nuclear power plant will be contaminated for many years. Thus, an EMP attack has the potential to cause a Chernobyl type accident at every nuclear power plant in the country!

There are a lot of “ifs” to this scenario. IF there is an EMP attack or solar event. IF the emergency diesel generators will function (or not) and IF the spent fuel pooling system can get power from the diesels or be cross-tied to the shutdown cooling system. Perhaps the emergency diesel generators will still function, but what happens when they run out of fuel? In the event of an EMP attack, can tanker trucks with diesel fuel get to all of the nuclear power plants in the US in time to re-fuel them before they stop running? Will tanker trucks even be running themselves?

I think it also bears noting that the volume of fuel in the spent fuel pools is many times greater than that in the reactor cores. Most nuclear power plants have 10 to 20 years or more of spent fuel stored in their spent fuel pools. Therefore, the consequences of a spent fuel pool melting down and subsequently spewing radioactive fission products into the air is potentially worse than if just the reactor core were to melt and its fission products releases into the air. Assuming all of the spent fuel in the pool melts, catches fire and the radioactive isotopes are released into the atmosphere, lethal dose rates may be accumulated even 5 to 10 miles from the plant site (>500 REM), with dose approaching 50 REM even out as far as 50 miles. Since Cesium-137 would be the largest released isotope in terms of curies (which the body preferentially uptakes over potassium), it will be about 300 years before the area might be habitable again. This is because Cesium-137 has a half-life of about 30 years, and the “rule of thumb” is that you need to wait ten half-lives before the isotope has decayed away to a negligible level. (Results for dose were calculated for a typical pressurized water reactor (PWR) spent fuel pool using the RASCAL radiation dose code from Oak Ridge National Laboratory assuming 100% release over two days, winter conditions, calm winds at 4 mph.)

I urge anyone living within 50 miles downwind of a nuclear power plant to be prepared to bug out in the event of an EMP attack. You will likely have a few days to pack and leave, but no more than a few. If the reactor near you has just refueled, and the emergency diesels do not start, you may have less than one day (since the heat load in the spent fuel pool immediately after a refueling is much greater than normal, and boiling will occur much faster). Many people have already expressed here the importance of having a G.O.O.D. bag and a plan to leave their current location if required. However, many people may need to evacuate on foot or by bicycle if the EMP attack renders their vehicles useless. I think this puts added emphasis on having a G.O.O.D. vehicle that is not reliant on computers or complex electronics.

For those of you who commute long distances to work I would also suggest that you have and maintain a G.O.O.D. mini-bag. (Nutnfancy on YouTube has produced an excellent series of videos on this – he has called it an “Urban Survival Kit” or “USK”). If your primary commute vehicle fails due to an EMP (or if your train or bus fails to function) while you are at work, then you may have a long walk home. It is wise to have pre-positioned (if you are able), a bag or backpack which contains items that may help you to get home more comfortably and safely.

I will cover what is in my mini-bag that I have pre-staged in the event that an EMP happens while I am at work at my power plant. (I would need to walk more than 30 miles to get home) in another letter. But I certainly hope that I never have to use it! – B.Z.     

JWR Adds: At a minimum, in addition for G.O.O.D. and “get me home” kits, I recommend stocking up on potassium iodate pills, for thyroid protection, in the event of a nuclear accident. These are available from several SurvivalBlog advertisers. In some locales, they are made available free of charge to down-wind residents.

Letter Re: Prepping and Pregnancy

Good Morning Mr. Rawles,
Last year my former boss–with whom we used to have a Bible study–and who is a former Marine, called me up on a Saturday morning, and inquired about a firearm that I would recommend for a semiautomatic sidearm that he and his wife would be able and to shoot comfortably. Without knowing much about what he had in mind, I told him about the top companies, and that a 9mm would be sufficient for his wife, as long as they used +P or +P+ defensive hollow-points with a heavy bullet weight, and if even this was too stout for his wife you can always get a heavier recoil spring for those loads. There is no magic bullet for handgun ballistics, none are moving fast enough to create hydrostatic shock, and a 9mm in the head or center-mass is better than .40 S&W, 10mm, or .45 ACP in the shoulder or arm. He then proceeded to tell me about “Patriots” and gave me the run down.

I was away from home at the time but I purchased the book when I got back. My wife read it, and we purchased three copies and have passed them on to friends and family to plant the preparedness seed. Due to a limited budget, we have not been able to move to a rural area yet; however we are currently planning to move after my wife finishes out this semester. After being laid off this summer, she went back to school for web design so she could work from home, wherever we live. Amongst all of our current planning and preparations, my wife and I found out that we are pregnant with our first child. This adds a unique dimension to how we think about preparedness now. (Seriously understated.)

We began prepping with a three-tiered system: Alpha – essentials, may have to be carried to our family’s place in the mountains on foot. Bravo – things to G.O.O.D. with in our small SUV, such as tools, spare gas, weapons and ammo cans, and our current “hurricane kit” full of canned goods, medical supplies, and water. Charlie– If we have any room left in vehicle, non-essentials such as books. I have a nice set of the classics I want my kids to read someday.

If TEOTWAWKI were to happen tomorrow, we could no longer bug out on foot. In addition to being nauseated, my wife is fatigued and takes long naps in the afternoon. Food and rest is key for her right now due to the nature of the many things that are growing. She is also very hormonal and I don’t think she could cope with the stresses of combat or fatigue. She cries during commercials now too instead of just the cheesy love story.

We keep our G.O.O.D. bags ready on top of kit in master closet. I don’t know if she could fit into any of her cammies, or body armor–God forbid she took a round to the chest–the blunt force trauma would kill the baby] and I am wondering what we are going to do during the last trimester when it won’t fit at all. Hopefully we will be moved to our mountain home in January (she’s due in April). Then she won’t have to bug out to anywhere (far) and her duties would be concentrated in a LP/OP capacity and not in the field.

If we were not able to “bug out at the eleventh hour” and get the jump on the golden horde, I am sadly looking at what we would have to do to dig in. It certainly would not be ideal, but I am looking at all options. We have friends who could eventually make it to our place, but I would never be comfortable in the small condo we occupy. We would have to go somewhere. We have a state park a few miles away, that I believe we could melt into with a small group of us for security, and it is passable on foot from the condo to there. It would be like a permanent camp-out.

My former boss who told me about “Patriots” lives on the far side of this state park with animals and a little land. In order to thrive in a TEOTWAWKI scenario he would need a good group of workers and guys who are familiar with security, weapons, and field medicine, just to keep what he’s got. You cannot secure a retreat with 3-5 people. We would bring our own supplies and hunt the plentiful game I have seen in this state park. As an aside it personally offends me when I speak to people- friends or even family, who insist that if the SHTF they will “come to my house”. A friend and I were joking that A). I probably won’t be there, B.) if you haven’t prepared you aren’t leeching off of me, and C.) I might shoot you and take whatever you have in your pockets. I would never assume that I could go to anyone’s house without my own supplies and invitation to stay.

A third option is to survive until after the baby is born if we are still here in this state, and then hump it out to family in the mountains. This seems the most dangerous and you always have to factor in Admiral Murphy. (Of Murphy’s Law.) He will throw multiple monkey wrenches into your plans. I cannot imagine keeping an infant quiet is easy, but somehow the Indians did it. Even using small unit tactics in a ‘V’ formation with wives at a good interval behind us, stray rounds will still kill. This is not an option I would be looking forward to at all.

The conclusions I am approaching are to be Semper Gumby (“Always flexible”). Adapt to any situation- even a hormonal, pregnant wife. Use my head, the solution is usually there, I just have to have the presence of mind to see it. Plan for a worst-case scenario and I will never be caught with my pants down. It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Last but certainly not least is prayer. Praying a lot is no substitute for good planning and due diligence; but without it, you will not be in constant communication with the real Commander in Chief, and thus will not be as effective as you can possibly be. By the way, I loved the movie Gods & Generals as it portrays General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson as a superb commander and pious man, who also loved his wife well. – “Jeremiah Johnson” in Florida

Economics and Investing:

Reader B.B. recommended this piece at Washington’s blog: Government Economic Leaders Surprised that Real World Isn’t Responding to their Magic Pixie Dust

I warned you, folks! It started with little more than rumors. But now here is something substantive: US Departments of Labor and Treasury Schedule Hearing on Confiscation of Private Retirement Accounts. The government is desperate for sources of revenue, so there is a high likelihood that they will ramrod this through. I recommend that you run the numbers for your age and consider your personal circumstances. Determine wehther or not it makes see to cash out before the end of 2010. (Federal income taxes are increasing in 2011, so it is better to take the extra income this year, than next.)

Dagong sounds the gong on U.S. debt; China’s credit rater downgrades America’s economic future. (Thanks to G.G. for the link.)

This piece by Maurizio d’Orlando ran in Asia News: This year, US public debt could reach end game.

Items from The Economatrix:

Service Sector Grows at Slower Pace in August

Watch Those Gas Pumps; Prices Expected to Fall

FDIC Holding Banking System By a Thread

Dizzy and Confused? Hunker Down!

Inflation Watch:

Deflation Delusion Continues As Economies Trend Towards High Inflation

Reader Kimberly S. notes: “I noticed a dramatic increase in the cost of butter at Costco. Last summer the combination package of 4 one-pound boxes of butter was about $4.49. That was the lowest that I had ever seen butter at Costco. Today, the same 4 pound package was $8.99.”

UN calls meeting on food price concerns

How Hyperinflationary Hell–And Commodity Heaven–Will Happen Before the End of 2011

Odds ‘n Sods:

Christchurch, New Zealand Mayor: Quake hit city ‘like an iceberg’

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KAF flagged this item: Harnessing the Power of Gym Rats

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Bill N. found this great Analytical Survival video tutorial: Bug Out Vehicle – Re-Inventing the Car Trunk

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Ooh, ooh! I want one: The KamAZ Armored Car. (Not that I can afford to buy one, but it makes a nice daydream.) OBTW, I assume that these are built on one of the assembly lines at the sprawling Kama River truck plant–the product of some Yankee ingenuity from the Pullman-Swindell company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Pullman-Swindell was formerly a subsidiary of M.W. Kellogg Company, but after some more recent re-conglomeration, M.W. Kellogg is now a subsidiary of KBR.)

Airsoft for Survival Training Adventure, by John Durfee

You see the open field coming up, and the only way to access the bridge to cross the river is to also traverse the field. You’ve been following them for several miles now and certainly don’t to reveal your position. You’ve trained extensively for this, and you decide to cross using the stalking crawl also known as the Sniper crawl. If you don’, then you’ll surely lose all the ground you have gained on them. You successfully make it to the other side, and much to your delight, they are resting on a fallen tree on the other side. You carefully bring your rifle to your side, load it and aim in their direction. With the utmost care, you release the safety, and use the scope to zero in on the main target. Crack! Crack! “Hit” You run in their direction, celebrating your victory, it’s the last day of this adventure and you won!

What I’ve just described isn’t the latest Hollywood action film: it’s the sport of Airsoft, and while fun, can be a valuable tool in teaching real world skills for emergency preparedness and survival.

In the United States, Airsoft had only had a small following until the late 1990s. This was because the only Airsoft manufacturers were from Japan and Taiwan, and importing Airsoft guns on a small scale was expensive due to high initial prices and the need for specialized knowledge. In the past decade however, the sport has developed from a small niche in the sporting market to a very popular sport and tactical simulation tool. The recent robust and more affordable designs coming out of neighboring China, has made Airsoft widely accessible to the public. There are fields and stores nationwide that are helping to spread the excitement and knowledge of this fun and safe sport.

Airsoft is different from air rifles and pellet guns in that they use standardized 6mm plastic BBs that weigh far less than metal pellets or sabots, and are perfectly safe in a controlled play environment [with adequate eye protection].

There are an increasing number of Airsoft clubs and organizations that organize multiple day events that can be attended for a set fee. They’re run on weekends, usually centered around military scenarios, and the core skills practiced there are valuable to real world preparedness. There are varying degrees of immersion, varying from “play and go back to the car for a snack” to full milsim, where one acts, functions, and performs like a real military force for the entire duration. These latter are great for testing out survival skills. You’ll make camp and have to spend one or two nights in the wilderness. You can practice making your tent or sleeping area using local materials and tarp. You’ll have to bring your own food and water. Since these games are full immersion, even when you’re ready for bed you have to stay alert for surprises coming at a moment’s notice. If there are local sources of water around, like a stream, you can put your portable water filtration devices to the test so you know its reliable when needed.

On a recent excursion, we arranged night watch shifts–nothing feels greater than being the only one awake in your unit, keeping an eye out for moving shadows. In the day you’ll work with your group or squad and practice maneuvers such as stalking, advancing, assault, and defense. Make sure to ask the event planner if you can practice first aid on “injured” soldiers with faux sprained ankles, cuts, and broken bones using a real First Aid Kit. You’re allowed to become familiarized with firearms and learn how to use them properly. Airsoft teaches proper weapon usage, maintenance, and safety precautions. Most Airsoft guns in the mid-range price look, feel, and function as close to the real steel guns as possible. Some Airsoft pistols even disassemble the same way as the real thing! Real firearms training is great for becoming accustomed to the physical feel of shooting a gun, but Airsoft simulation events teach valuable self-defense tactics.

The most important skills these events teach is mindset. You can put all your survival gear through real world paces, know what works, and take out what doesn’t. Working in a team, you’re depended upon and you depend on them. Trust is crucial to any kind of worst-case world scenario. You have to be constantly aware of your surroundings, and learn to distinguish between friend and foe. You’ll hone your aiming and marksmanship skills on real targets who will react and move. You’ll train yourself how to respond – rather than merely react to surprises and potential threats. And if you’re “killed” you can learn from your mistakes, and do better next time.

There are also indoor and outdoor fields that have an open entry policy, you can play for a few hours, and go home. One can definitely learn survival combat methods there. But I’ve found that extended outdoor events test and teach the widest range of abilities and skills related to preparedness.

Try web searching the term ‘Airsoft’ and the name of your state, you’ll find forums where people get together and arrange outings. Airsplat has a web page with a comprehensive listing of training fields across the US.

About the author: John Durfee is a Gulf War veteran and works for Airsplat, the nation’s largest retailer of Airsoft Guns and apparel.

JWR Adds: As I’ve mentioned before in SurvivalBlog, Airsoft and paintball are fine for learning some aspects of camouflage and small team tactics. The fatal flaws of both, however, are that:

1.) Since paint balls and Airsoft pellets have hardly any penetration beyond five yards, players start to subconsciously equate concealment with cover.
2.) Because Airsoft pellets and paint balls only have limited range, people start to subconsciously think of anything beyond that range as “safely out of range” (for maneuver in the open.)

If you can regularly remind yourself about those shortcomings and adjust your training regimen accordingly, then you’ll find that they provide somewhat worthwhile training. But it is essential that you integrate high velocity ballistic realism. This means declaring anyone that blatantly stands up in the open at 50+ yards “dead meat.” Ditto for anyone that mistakenly takes “cover” behind bushes. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: concealment is not cover!

Letter Re: Purslane: Portulaca Oleracea

Jim:
Today, I’m writing about Purslane, also known by farm folk as “Pigweed”, (because pigs just love it). It’s one of the earlier wild herbs, (wild edible) found in springtime , but thrives throughout early and mid-summer. By most people, It’s considered a nuisance weed that pops up everywhere in late spring. It grows well in disturbed soils, and can be found mostly in old garden plots, meadows fields and along trails, stone walls and fence rows.

It’s a small inconspicuous looking weed [see photos] that grows to about 6 inches to a foot tall, sometimes lying down to assume a creeping ivy like plant. It’s dark green, wedge shaped leaves are thick and succulent as they are rich in juice and nutrition high in Vitamin C. The entire plant, (including the stems and roots) can be used as an wild edible and as a medicinal plant. Tasting tangy with a slight sour taste similar to sorrel, (often mixed with Sorrel as a pot herb to make the French Sorrel Soup call Bonne Femme). Purslane can be used raw in salads or just to chew on right out of the garden or trail. Purslane can also be cooked and use as you would spinach.

Medicinally this little gem has the ability to pull ‘Heat’ from the body. On a hot day blend some fresh picked Purslane, stems and all, with a stalk of celery and an apple in a juicer for a very refreshing and highly nutritious drink to allay thirst quicker than lemonade. Just a purslane leaf crushed or bruised and placed under your tongue can relieve thirst while hiking or working in the garden or yard. During bouts of heat exhaustion a poultice of macerated leaves and stems placed over the eyes and temples will pull heat out of the body making recovery quicker.

As long as you have your juicer out, by making a juice of Purslane and strawberries, (even wild Strawberries) and used as a mouthwash and or gargle that reputedly will help fasten loose teeth. Use and swish briskly in the mouth then carefully spit, trying not to dislodge the loose tooth further. A few application will help ‘Set’ the loose tooth.

Purslane, including leaves, stems and roots when cooked down and strained through a sieve or collander, then adding honey to the liquid or sugar to make a simple syrup to taste, can be used as a very effective cough syrup. Native American have used Purslane for dry non-productive coughs.?

Keep an eye out for this little inconspicuous and little known wild weed as it’s healthful value is little appreciated now. – TinMan, Editor of the Belfire Botanicals Blog

Economics and Investing:

Unemployment Rate Rises to 9.6%. That is the official figure from the BLS. But the really telling number is for under-employment. That is buried down in line U-6 in Table A-15. Alternative measures of labor underutilization. And again, that is the official figure. A 2004 article suggested that the real world numbers are probably substantially higher. (Somehow I doubt that this under-reporting has been rectified.)

Sue C. sent us this: Bernanke: Shut down banks if they threaten system

120 Days to Go Until the Largest Tax Hikes in History.

Items from The Economatrix:

Global Collapse of the Fiat Money System: Too-Big-To-Fail Global Banks Will Collapse Between Now and First Quarter 2011

Complete List of Bank Failures

Where The Banks are Failing

Investors Bracing for Dreaded “September Effect”

Inflation Watch:

Pearl wrote me to mention: “We homeschool and therefore I stock up on supplies when they go on clearance after public school children have started. I still have boxes of Papermate pens left over but couldn’t resist picking up a couple packages when I noticed they were on sale. When I got home I compared the clearance tags… Last year, I purchased boxes of 12 Papermate pens for $.35. This was 30% off the original price of $.50. This year, I purchased packages of 10 Papermate pens (no box) for $.70. These were also 30% off the original price of $1.00. Twice as much for fewer pens.”

My cousin sent this: The Incredible Shrinking Package.

Patrick N. noted: “We are a family of ten, and long ago got in the habit of buying the “bulk” package of most everything. Many people buy the bigger boxes ostensibly “to save money.” However, we have been noticing a price shift – making the smaller sizes cheaper per unit. Be sure to check the “cost per pound [or other unit]” info on the shelf [or calculate it yourself] because bigger is not always cheaper.”

Odds ‘n Sods:

Rourke recommended the Patriot Nurse video blog. Rourke says: “She has done many videos on several survival topics. Check this one out in particular.

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“Your Agonizer please, Mister Kyle.”: Inmate-frying microwave pain blaster turret installed in US jail. This news really bothers me on several levels. To start: This isn’t at a prison. It is a County Jail, where I assume a good portion of the population is awaiting trial, and presumed innocent. This sounds like “cruel or unusual punishment”, to me.

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I spotted this over at TSLRF: Talk about adrenaline powered feats of strength! Real American Heroes #1. Unless he went back to make separate carries, that’s at least a 250 pound load, carried under heavy small arms fire. Staff Sgt. Jarrett D. Brown has a standing invitation to come hunt or fish at the Rawles Ranch, whenever he’d like!

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Cyber-squatting reaches a new low. Reader Roger S. mentioned jameswesleyrawles.com. Apparently, part of the Epik company’s business model is to take the name of anyone notable enough to have a Wikipedia biography, “scrape” the biography content from Wikipedia, and automagically add a few video clips from YouTube. They then try to sell the domain name to its rightful owner, or even auction them, presumably to even more ambitious cyber squatters. (The “Greater Fool Theory” is alive and well.) Sorry, but I’m not buying it. I certainly don’t want to encourage them. Some of these domain names sell for for big bucks. For example, the domain “howardstern.info” recently sold at auction for $15,000. These bottom feeders even have a convention planned, where they will schmooze and scheme more money, selling “developed domains.” (With similar scraped content.) The only good news is that there will soon be huge number of new Top Level Domains. The “.co” domain just opened up, and “.blog” is planned. Within a couple of years, there will be “.inc” , “.movie” , “.film” “.radio”, “.store”, “.shop”, “.book”, “.news”, “.poll”, “.travel”, and so forth. With this profusion of new domain naming options, the cyber-squatters will soon be overwhelmed, and lose their traction. OBTW, don’t get me started about how Facebook hijacks people’s names, without their consent. I loathe Facebook! Oh, and likewise don’t get me started about the so-called “publishers” that are leeching Wikipedia biographies into books.

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M.&W. suggested: Watermelons: What happened to the seeds?

Jim’s Quote of the Day:

“The preparation which Hezekiah prudently made against this storm that threatened him: He took counsel with his princes what he should do, what measures he should take, v. 3. With their advice he provided, 1. That the country should give him a cold reception, for he took care that he should find no water in it (and then his army must perish for thirst), or at least that there should be a scarcity of water, by which his army would be weakened and unfitted for service. A powerful army, if it want water but a few days, will be but a heap of dry dust. All hands were set immediately to work to stop up the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, turning that (it is probable) into the city by pipes under-ground. Such as this is the policy commonly practised now-a-days of destroying the forage before an invading army. 2. That the city should give him a warm reception. In order to this he repaired the wall, raised towers, and made darts (or, as it is in the margin, swords or weapons) and shields in abundance (v. 5), and appointed captains, v. 6. Note, Those that trust God with their safety must yet use proper means for their safety, otherwise they tempt him, and do not trust him. God will provide, but so must we also.” – Mathew Henry, Commentary on 2 Chronicles 32, from Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible. (Emphasis added.)

Note from JWR:

Today we present another entry for Round 30 of the SurvivalBlog non-fiction writing contest. The prizes for this round will include:

First Prize: A.) A course certificate from onPoint Tactical. This certificate will be for the prize winner’s choice of three-day civilian courses. (Excluding those restricted for military or government teams.) Three day onPoint courses normally cost between $500 and $600, and B.) Two cases of Mountain House freeze dried assorted entrees, in #10 cans, courtesy of Ready Made Resources. (A $392 value.) C.) A 9-Tray Excalibur Food Dehydrator from Safecastle.com (a $275 value), D.) A 500 round case of Fiocchi 9mm Parabellum (Luger ) with 124gr. Hornady XTP/HP projectiles, courtesy of Sunflower Ammo (a $249 value), and E.) An M17 medical kit from JRH Enterprises (a $179.95 value).

Second Prize: A.) A “grab bag” of preparedness gear and books from Jim’s Amazing Secret Bunker of Redundant Redundancy (JASBORR) with a retail value of at least $400, and B.) two cases of Meals, Ready to Eat (MREs), courtesy of CampingSurvival.com (a $180 value).

Third Prize: A.) A copy of my “Rawles Gets You Ready” preparedness course, from Arbogast Publishing, and B.) a Royal Berkey water filter, courtesy of Directive 21. (This filter system is a $275 value.)

Round 30 ends on September 30th, so get busy writing and e-mail us your entry. Remember that articles that relate practical “how to” skills for survival have an advantage in the judging.

How I “Woke Up”, by Lew B.

The biggest reason most of the folks we come across in our daily lives have no idea what is coming (the basic collapse of the American infrastructure) is the fact that they are “still sleeping.”  The iPods, Lady Gaga, American Idol, and You Tube silliness all work well to keep the masses sleeping.  This might be a good thing, in a way.  If nothing else, it buys the rest of us time to continue to prepare.  And if enough people do wake up, it will actually accelerate the inevitable.  But that is okay, since it is going to happen anyway.  And perhaps more people will survive to rebuild our nation.      

I personally believe it is too late to turn this sinking ship around.  The Euro will crash literally any day.  The Dollar and Yen will fall right behind it.  The best we can hope for is that the crash and subsequent reset won’t last too long.  I think at least one generation, maybe two, will really be in the hurt locker.  I believe the current administration wants a partial crash so they can more fully seize power and instill their way of life. 

But I think they underestimate how bad the collapse will be.  Even if they thought of calling Chinese troops to quell rioting, the rest of the world (probably China, too) will have their hands full. 

I still find myself reeling (mentally) when I contemplate the probable loss of life that will occur in such a scenario.  I’ve been trying to plant seeds with folks I come in contact with.  But it seems to have little effect.  But I am also careful not to sound like a right-wing nut job.  Not because I care what people think about me, but I don’t want to make myself a target. 

It is my hope that those of us who survive will keep some historical records, so when the country (world?) rebuilds it can be on a more mature, more stable foundation.  I have hundreds of hours of lectures on CD about world history, religion and philosophy that I acquired from a company called “The Teaching Company”  And while I am not an overly religious man (I’m nearly an atheist but enjoy Buddhist-style meditation, my wife is a Christian.) I do see the positive aspects of Christianity on a society.  Or, as is the case these days, the negative effects of its absence. 

But my point of today’s piece is how I became awake of the dangers coming our way.  In the process of talking about that, I will point out why I think most people remain asleep.  It’s worth noting that radio and TV personality Glenn Beck is a great source of information.  It seems he knows what is going on.  And I wish to point out, I developed my opinions about the world before I had even heard of Glenn Beck.  Once I woke up, I began searching the AM  radio dial to see if anyone was talking about this sort of stuff.    

My life has been an interesting one.  Heck, I could (and hope to) write a book about it.  But I’ll try to keep the background info brief.  My biological father abandoned our family of five when I was seven (and the oldest of the kids).  I started cutting grass and washing cars at 8 years old.  I’m sure I wasn’t very good, but I made lots of “pity” money.  And it helped install a good work ethic.  I was also a scared kid who turned to drugs and alcohol to try and quiet my mind at a young age.  By 28 years of age, I was a washed-out bum who couldn’t get (or hold) a job.

So I cleaned up my act, and by 41 years of age had mortgages on four properties in Southern California.  One being a beachfront condo, the other being a cabin in the mountains (Yes a “cabin in the mountains”.  But don’t get ahead of the story.).

All was going well, not a cloud on the horizon.  Aside from the two above-mentioned properties, our other two properties were preschools.  Our flagship operation had been full, with a waiting list, since 1978.  I was dabbling in Restaurant Consulting and Real Estate.  We rent out our beach condo weekly to folks who want to vacation on the beach in Southern California. 

As a part-time Realtor, I knew the housing bubble was going to pop.  But hey, I was not going to be selling anything for 15 to 20 years, so I wasn’t worried.  I had no idea of the world-wide consequences the bubble bursting would have. 

Then September of 2008 came along.  My previously full school was now 20 children under-enrolled.  At an average of $800 per month, per child, I was losing $16,000 a month!  Needless to say, we tanked badly.  We just barely stayed afloat. 

Now believe it or not, this didn’t wake me up!  I still had no idea of the world I really lived in.  My view of Washington and Sacramento had always been this – “Oh, they are all crooks.  As long as they leave me alone and let me make a living, what do I care?” 

But now that my life had fallen apart (financially speaking), I found myself searching for answers.  I couldn’t understand how I had been so blind-sided.  How did I not see the collapse and recession coming?  What else didn’t I know?  It was really this exact sort of fear and worry that had led me to drugs and alcohol when I was 13 years old.  Obviously that wasn’t an option now, but still I had to figure it out. 

In August of 2009, my wife and I needed a break (A few years back we had been going on two cruises a year.  My how times change.  At least I can say I saw a lot of the Northern Hemisphere, Hawaii and some of the Caribbean.)  So we took a week to drive through the beautiful state of Nevada. 

Well, the night before the trip I had been reading an article about the [then] upcoming movie 2012 with John Cusack.  The article was about “survival nuts” in Montana and Texas and their radiation suits and all the other survivalist stuff.  At the time, I thought of them (now me) as fringe nut-jobs.  But one sentence caught my attention.  It was a fellow in Texas who was telling the interviewer how he was stashing gold and silver to barter with “when the economy collapsed.” 

Since my own “economy” had collapsed 14 months before, I knew all about that. 

So as my wife and I hit the road, over our Starbucks Coffees I said, “So honey, if the U.S. and/ or world economies collapsed, what would we do?”  She didn’t answer for a long minute, maybe two.  Then she said, “Well, we’d just go to the cabin.”  To which I answered, “Yeah, then what?” 

For the rest of our week driving through the beautiful, but desolate and remote state of Nevada we began to talk-out all of the things we would need to live a life even remotely like the one we live now. 

Fast forward to now.  We are nearly set.  We’ve spent $2,000 or so on canned goods at Costco.  Our deep-freezer is full of meats I’ve gotten on sale.  At my current residence I have 20 gallons of frozen citrus juice from my orchard ready for bugging out.  We have vitamins for 12 people to last a year.  We have enough non-hybrid seeds to plant four acres.  We’ve had solar power installed at the cabin.  We even have a couple of portable solar generators.  Since I am not handy, I’ve gotten a carpenter and an electrician to join my tribe.  I also have a friend who hunted a lot in his youth.  He provided all the “lead rations” and “high-speed delivery systems” that we’ll need.  We are still a little light on medical / first-aid stuff.  But I’m working on that.  And we did all of our prep a little at a time, on a shoestring budget.  The solar was the only thing I had to max out the credit cards for.  Unfortunately I couldn’t afford gold, but I found a coin shop that sells silver at a buck over spot, so I’ve gotten 200 ounces of that.  I also have about 10 gallons of cheap store-brand liquor that I have bottled in little pint-size water bottles for bartering.    

But none of that could have happened if I had not “woken up”.  I hope this article might wake up someone who hasn’t had the rug pulled out from under them yet.  Because those are the people who are still sleeping.  And the main-steam media isn’t going to wake anyone up.  The current administration certainly isn’t going to do it.  In fact, they need us to stay asleep. 

Now, you might be saying, “But Lew, I don’t have a mountain cabin to flee to.”  Most don’t, so you’re not alone.  I would recommend getting some canned food, bottled water, and some firearms for defense.  Look at how you can best fortify wherever it is that you call home.  Gently “feel out” your neighbors to see where there heads are at.  A small, tight community of a few houses will fair better than trying to go it alone. 

In closing, I hope I have at least caused someone to “wake up” to the dangers that surround our current Western Society.  And don’t just take my word for it.  Do your own research.  The web is full of info on this subject.  I like SurvivalBlog.com and OffTheGridNews. Take care, and good luck to you.  Thanks, – Lew B.