Future solar storms could have devastating effects on Earth

Guardian : Electricity networks and GPS satellites are increasingly vulnerable to damage by turbulent solar weather, scientists say. “This issue of space weather has got to be taken seriously,” said John Beddington, the UK government’s chief scientific adviser, speaking last week at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, DC. A severe solar storm could damage satellites and power grids around the world, he said, leading to a “global Katrina” costing the world’s economies as much as $2 trillion. The Guardian‘s Alok Jha explains why.