Living After a CME – The Sun’s Silent Kill Shot

Imagine a world where your smartphone, car, and power grid are reduced to smoldering wreckage. That’s the threat of a coronal mass ejection (CME), a solar event that could hurl us back to the 19th century. In Episode 483 of the Changing Earth Podcast, hosts Sara F. Hathaway and Chin Gibson unpack this cosmic danger with hard-hitting facts and a dose of humor. From the historic Carrington Event to practical survival tips, they guide you on how to prepare for a technological apocalypse. Drawing from their lively discussion, this blog post equips you to dream, survive, and thrive when the sun unleashes its silent kill shot.

Listen to Episode 483

Changing Earth Updates: New Content and Prepper Camp

Sara kicks off with exciting news: “I’ve been busy, guys, so I haven’t just been slacking.” She’s upgrading Changing Earth videos on YouTube and Rumble, bringing her survival stories to life with vivid slides—head over, like, and subscribe! She’s also wrapping up The Lost Vegas Years, aiming for a September release, and finalizing episodes 1–4 of Season 5 of the Changing Earth Audio Drama, exclusive to Changing Earth and PBN subscribers until the official launch. With interviews dropping this summer and Changing Earth ranking #11 on MillionPodcasts.com’s top 50 survival podcasts, Sara’s mission is thriving. Don’t miss Prepper Camp, which Sara calls “the best family reunion ever”—grab tickets now at PrepperCamp.com before prices rise!

The Carrington Event: A Wake-Up Call

On September 1, 1859, astronomer Richard Carrington witnessed “two blinding patches of light erupt from the sun” through his telescope. Just 17.6 hours later, a massive wave of charged particles slammed into Earth, sparking auroras as far south as Cuba and causing telegraph systems to spark and catch fire. This G5-level Carrington Event exposed the vulnerability of early technology. Sara reflects, “That’s what makes it so monumental was we went, ‘Oh, that could be a problem, right?’” In our tech-driven world, a similar event could be catastrophic, frying power grids and electronics on a global scale.

Understanding CMEs: The Science Behind the Threat

A CME is a massive burst of plasma and magnetic fields from the sun’s corona, hurling billions of tons of charged particles at speeds of 250 to 3,000 kilometers per second. Sara explains, “They’re magnificent to watch. They just roll off of the sun and sometimes we can be in the way.” When these particles hit Earth’s magnetosphere, they trigger geomagnetic storms, rated G1 (minor) to G5 (extreme). A G4 storm was expected the night of the podcast, prompting Sara to warn, “You might want to put some of those gadgets in your [Faraday] cage for tonight.” Satellites, GPS, and power systems are at risk, with the intensity depending on the CME’s speed, mass, and magnetic field strength.

A Weakening Shield: Growing Risks

Earth’s magnetic field has weakened by about 20% since 1859, with a weak spot over South America and the southern Atlantic now at 30% of global field strength. Magnetic poles are shifting 50–60 kilometers yearly toward Siberia. “We’re definitely losing our magnetic shielding,” Sara notes, citing rapid declines since the 1980s. This makes smaller CMEs more dangerous—a CME one-tenth the size of the Carrington Event could now cause G4-level disruptions, like radio blackouts or satellite failures, increasing risks for planes, astronauts, and our biology.

The Kill Shot: A Technological Nightmare

A G5 CME could cripple civilization, with damages in the trillions of dollars. Sara warns, “Transformers… will completely melt down,” taking power grids offline for months or years. Most transformers are made overseas, complicating recovery. Without electricity, water treatment plants, food supply chains, and hospitals fail, while GPS, satellites, and internet collapse. Sara quips, “We’re basically back to steam engines.” Chin adds, “Between electricity and refrigeration… and the medication that requires refrigeration… it’s pretty intense.” Within six months, 80% of the population could be gone due to reliance on technology and medications, leading to societal chaos.

Biological Impacts: The Hidden Threat

CMEs disrupt more than tech—they affect our biology. Their low-frequency waves (0.1–100 Hz) interfere with human brain waves, causing “increased anxiety, depression, and irritability,” as Sara notes. Chin highlights, “It suppresses melatonin… it’s crazy the effects it has.” This leads to insomnia, fatigue, and impaired focus, making survival harder. Animals are impacted too—“cows might stop producing milk,” Sara says—disrupting food sources. While modern pacemakers are shielded, the psychological toll is significant. “Your brain feels foggy, your emotions are raw,” Sara warns, emphasizing the need for mental preparedness.

Your Survival Game Plan

Sara and Chin stress proactive preparation. Here’s how to get ready:

1. Protect Electronics:

   • Faraday Cages: Chin uses “ammo cans with cardboard and insulation” to shield radios and medical devices. A microwave or metal box works too.

   • Unplug Everything: “Unplug your stuff. That’s the best first protector,” Sara advises. Monitor SWPC.NOAA.gov for 15–18 hours’ warning.

   • EMP Shield: Explore devices from EMP Shield for homes or vehicles, though Sara cautions, “Who are you going after if it doesn’t work?”

2. Stock Essentials:

   • Food and Water: Stock a month’s worth of non-perishable food via PrepareWithChangingEarth.com and one gallon of water per person per day, plus filters. Sara praises her Waterfull system for storing 300 gallons.

   • Cash: “Have cash stashed and small bills,” Sara says, as digital payments will fail, and cash value may plummet post-CME.

3. Build Community and Skills:

   • Community: “The faster you guys can get your community in line, the more people you’re going to be able to save,” Sara stresses. Form alliances to share resources and avoid chaos.

   • Skills: Learn gardening, first aid, and trades like mechanics. “If you’ve never put a seed in the ground, you better get practice in right now,” Sara urges, noting society’s shift away from these skills.

4. Mental Preparedness: Practice grounding or meditation to counter CME-induced anxiety. “The biggest way I’ve learned to perform under mental duress is to have a game plan ahead of time,” Sara says. Prepare for chaos when cognitive function is impaired.

Reconnect with Nature

Sara’s mission is clear: “That’s always been one of my purposes in creating the Changing Earth world is to show people how important our relationship with nature is.” A CME forces reliance on manual skills like gardening and foraging. Start now to build a self-sufficient homestead with seeds, tools, and local resources.

Stay Informed and Connected

For deeper insights, check Suspicious Observers on YouTube for daily solar updates. Visit ChangingEarthAudio.com for podcast archives, or join the live stream every first Sunday at 5:30 PM CST on Twitter. Sara’s upcoming projects, including Season 5 and new interviews, promise more survival wisdom.

Final Thoughts

A CME could reset humanity to a pre-industrial era. As Sara says, “We need our sheepdogs to be able to stand up. You got to be ready.” Stock up, skill up, and build your community now to face the sun’s fury. What’s your CME game plan? Share in the comments, and let’s prepare together to thrive in the Changing Earth world.