http://www.amazon.com/Society-After-Doomsday-Bruce-Beach/dp/0919553206

http://www.radmeters4u.com/beach.htm

 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/12/04/doomsday-preppers-bruce-beach-interview_n_2237404.html

 AMERICAN BLACKOUT, Nuclear EMP Attack, Nuclear EMP--The Ultimate Cyber Threat, The Sun--The Inevitable Cyber Threat, A Real Life Nightmare Nearer Than You Think.

National Geographic is to be applauded for American Blackout which is essentially a training film to educate the American people about the very real threat posed to their lives by a cyber attack on the electric grid.  If there is any fault or unrealism in the docudrama, it is that the blackout lasts only 10 days, and recovery is achieved so quickly.
In real life, terrorists or rogue states would probably not limit their attack on the nation's electric grid to computer viruses or hacking, as implied in the docudrama.  They would also use other more destructive means--that could cause a protracted national blackout lasting months or years.          
Moreover, Mother Nature can inflict a potentially protracted national blackout.  Regardless of how one weighs the threat to the national grid from terrorists or rogue states--the Sun will, sooner or later, hurl toward the Earth a geomagnetic super-storm, with catastrophic consequences for the national electric grid.  

The only one of its kind out there,

John Galt

May 22, 2013

As a collector of survivalist books and scenarios thru out the years I know the outlines of most are basically along the same lines of thinking which is prepping, how to's and other topics. This book has a different theme which is a Noahs Ark type of book and manual on reconstructing afterwards. If you had to rebuild society from scratch in a scenario like the hero in H.G. Wells 'The Time Machine', in which he had only 2 books to choose from to take with him, which ones would you choose? That question remained but now here is one of the books.

I would recommend getting the CD as well and I have subscribed to the free online newsletter sent as well which I find very informative for news that is related and unreported elsewhere to keep me informed. The dedication this author provides in detailed analysis and his time involved is evident. Not motivated by receiving reward, but promoting his idea of survival for humanity as a whole selflessly at cost to himself in doing so and hassle's from the system, result in an unbiased and serious exercise in discussion in this area that is a first of its kind.

http://www.amazon.com/Society-After-Doomsday-Bruce-Beach/dp/0919553206

 Elizabeth Joyce "Writer - Spiritual teacher"  This book is tragically necessary as a guide for what to do after a major catastrophe, including World War III. Society seems to be in a great age of denial, and not many want to discuss much less think about this subject. Unfortunately we must face the possibility of a situation such as this, and be prepared. If not, we'll be dead, period! How many of us have suffered minor losses, such as electricity, or damages after Katrina and Sandy, hurricanes, flooding, tidal waves, or tornadoes? What and who do we rely on in those times? "The guys" right? You know - the ones who fix the lines, rebuild our homes, or repair our damages. Them - out there - the ones we pay for. Well, in a true Doomsday there may be be no one, it will be up to you and the other survivors.

The dedication this author, and the other researchers involved, provide in a detailed analysis of preparation for what may come, is invaluable. Not motivated by receiving rewards, but the author is similarly promoting his idea of survival for humanity as a whole brings a result in an unbiased and serious exercise in discussion in this area of restarting the world from scratch. That is a first of its kind, for who would truly know how? Your politicians? This book should be a requirement for everyone's book shelf! 

Juan Felipe The author tackles a subject that many people refuse to consider or think about -- the destruction of modern society, most likely precipated by nuclear war, EMP (Electromagnetic Pulse), pandemic, or widespread environmental catastrophe.

Unlike many other "gloom and doom" prognosticators, however, he believes not only that it will be possible to reconstruct society, but that eventually the result may actually be preferable to the one we live in today. He emphasizes that the focus is on "reconstruction" and not "restoration", since "restoration" would eventually result in the same sort of problems that society faces today.

From Chapter 10: "It is my fervent hope that humankind may learn from its mistakes and develop an attitude of universal charity and concern towards all of humanity, regardless of race, religion, culture or other coincidental distinguishing feature."

And a little later: "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens."

"The purpose for this book is to be a _How To_ manual for use in a post-cataclysmic recovery period by those who wish to reconstruct society in a just manner to _Build a Better World_ (the slogan of Ark Two)."

The heart of the book is the detailed explanation of LERNs (Local Economy Recovery Networks); how they are formed, what are their functions, and how they interact with other LERNs.

A couple of minor quibbles -- the e-book would be more readable with a consistent font size. Most of the boxes with definitions and supplemental information have a miniscule, almost unreadable font compared to the main body of text. That's probably because they are graphics which do not scale up when the main text size is set to a more readable size. And even within the main text, the font size often changes mid-sentence, although only by a point or two.

By 

Gary E. Weller
Imagine if, one minute from now, a lot of person on Earth disappeared. All maybe 6 billion of us. Doomsday. What would happen to the world without a lot humans? How long would it be before our nuclear power plants erupted, skyscrapers crumbled, and satellites dropped from the sky? What would become of the household pets and farm animals? And could an ecosystem plagued with years of pollution ever recover?

In this book, Bruce explore a world you will never want to see--a world without a lot of people. You are in control. Experience the Aftermath. Rebuild, start over, reboot society, farming, food, life with Bruce Beach on survival after disaster scenarios.

Some people are gonna die and there isn't a whole lot we can do about it.

The Pros and Cons of Underground Data Centers Tips from Data Bunker Veterans

One of the data halls at Cavern Technologies in Kansas, which offers few clues that the facility is 75 feet below ground. (Photo: Cavern Technologies)

The Pros and Cons of Underground Data Centers

October 9th, 2013 By: Rich Miller

The entrance to the Cavern Technologies data center in Lenexa, Kansas, which houses its customer servers more than 75 feet underground. The company is among a growing number of data bunkers storing data for high-security clients. (Photo: Cavern Technologies)

ORLANDO, Fla. - The data bunker industry is growing, as more customers seek out ultra-secure underground hosting for their IT operations. Operators of subterranean server farms say these environments are similar to above-ground facilities, but they often must address misperceptions about underground sites, many of which are housed in former limestone mines.
The emergence of underground data centers was the focus of a session at last week’s Data Center World Fall conference, in which several experts discussed the advantages and challenges of underground data centers, and offered tips to consider when evaluating a data bunker.

“The underground data center space is experiencing rapid growth due to the efficiency and speed to market it offers,” said John Clune, the president of Cavern Technologies, which operates a data center in a limestone mine in Lenexa, Kansas. “One of the bigger challenges has been the perception of underground data centers. People are imagining a tight cubbyhole with a guy with a light on his helmet. The reality is that we’ve got 18 foot ceilings.”
Cavern Technologies is among a cluster of underground facilities in the Midwest, which also includes SubTropolis,  The Mountain Complex and SpringNet Underground in Missouri; and the InfoBunker and U.S. Secure Hosting in Iowa.

Tips from Data Bunker Veterans

Not all underground data centers are created equal, and potential customers need to shop carefully and be mindful of the differences between traditional and underground facilities, according to architect Kerry Knott of Bell/Knott & Associates. Knott has worked on a number of underground business parks and data centers in Kansas and Missouri, and offers some insights into evaluating a data bunker.
“Data center buildouts are a good use for these kind of facilities,” said Knott. “Once the data center is built, if you take someone in there blindfolded, they’d never know they were underground. You’ve got the same equipment; it’s just been an underground facility.”
But there are some differences. Here are some pros and cons to consider with facilities built in limestone mines:

Speed to Market: Clune says Cavern was recently able to deploy 5,000 square feet of data center space for a client in just 60 days. “The speed to market is impressive in the underground,” said Clune. One factor is that there’s no need to build or adapt a shell, as the underground space has already been created and all that is needed is the framing and buildout of the data halls. Another benefit is permitting from local officials. “In every underground I’ve worked with, we have had a blanket permit” once the initial underground space is created,  said Knott. “It’s one of the advantages of underground structures. That could be an 8 to 10 week savings.” Another benefit is that construction can continue year-round, with no weather delays.

Construction Costs: Underground data centers can also be cheaper, Knott said, since there’s no expense to construct a concrete shell. Subterranean structures also offer potential savings on disaster-proofing, especially in the Midwest. “To build a tornado-proof building above ground can cost an extra $100 a square foot,” said Knott, who added that customers often inquire about other types of disasters. “People are concerned about collapse, and they’re worried about earthquakes,” he said. “An underground space, unlike the building above ground, doesn’t move and doesn’t need to be reinforced. An earthquake doesn’t affect the enclosure at all, but you do have to brace the improvements.”

Facility History and Origin: Recently-built underground facilities are usually appropriate, but those that were mined in the 1960s and earlier may not be. “To be an acceptable space for a data center, it has to have been mined for commercial development,” says Knott. “The limestone has to be preserved in the proper thickness and have structural integrity. The room size is also important, because the columnar support will be rock columns that may be 25 to 30 feet in diameter.”
The size and placement of these columns impacts the technical space. “Optimizing the layout within the property is essential,” said Knott. “It’s tough to get 90-degree corners with underground columns, so you have to be creative, since almost all your equipment is square. With the restrictions of the columns and placement of the corridor, you have to work with what you have. It can be awkward if these are haphazardly shaped.”

Cooling and Ventilation: Underground spaces are naturally cool, but that doesn’t mean they’ll stay that way once you fill them with servers. “Heat rejection is the biggest concern and the biggest challenge,” said Knott. “Most underground spaces have their own fresh air and ventilation system, but that’s generally for comfort rather than the kind of heat we’re putting into the space with the data center. Your options are to drill (ventilation) holes up through the top or horizontally to the exterior.”

Placement of Mechanical Equipment: Some mechanical and electrical equipment requires ventilation and must be housed in an exterior yard. There are several options to address this, which customers must consider if their goal is disaster avoidance, as this equipment will be more exposed. “Generators and air-cooled chillers can be placed against an exterior wall or protected with an outside wall,” said Knott. “You can also build another underground chamber to house them.” Another issue to consider is fire suppression systems, and what happens with water in the event the system is ever discharged in part of the facility.

Staff Considerations: There won’t be any daylight in an underground data center, but that’s not different from many above-ground data centers, Knott says. A bigger concern for staff might be parking, as underground facilities can be large, and that sometimes means that parking areas are a significant distance from the data center.

John Clune, President of Cavern Technologies, a Midwestern underground data center, talks about the pros and cons of underground data centers. While the underground temperature is a consistent 68 degrees, the data center engineers do have to accommodate for waste heat from servers and other gear. (Photo by Colleen Miller.)

About Rich Miller

Rich Miller is the founder and editor-in-chief of Data Center Knowledge, and has been reporting on the data center sector since 2000. He has tracked the growing impact of high-density computing on the power and cooling of data centers, and the resulting push for improved energy efficiency in these facilities.

Disaster-Proof Data Centers

Disaster-Proof Data Centers
Companies Look To Bunker-Style Hosting Sites For Protection

CIOs who worry about what a bad storm, flood, or fire could do to their corporate data center might consider the ultimate in disaster recovery sites—the bomb shelter. There are a handful of underground data center hosting sites, built in old bomb shelters or mines, and their popularity with private businesses is on the rise. “We will see a lot more [bunker-style data centers] coming up,”

As the data center industry grows, it gets trickier to find ample space to house new facilities or provide companies with room to expand. Interestingly enough, underground locations are a viable option, since a lot of abandoned mines and military bunkers meet necessary criteria. Some underground locations were even built so that reuse would be easy. Directors of these facilities note that people tend to imagine the underground data centers to be dark, drippy holes in the ground, but this is definitely not accurate.

Although anyone with data storage needs might enjoy having such an interesting, high-security facility, so far, underground data centers are especially appealing to high-security organizations like the government. They are extremely well-protected in the event of disasters like hurricanes, tornadoes, and fires, as well as potential terrorist attacks.

Although there are a few issues with some of the underground data centers, like that some of them are in very rural areas, other problems one would imagine to exist, in reality, are not serious obstacles. Water is kept out easily enough, and can even be used for cooling. Limestone mines tend to be dry anyway. The main benefits are the amazing security, and the high amount of readily available space.

It all sounds like a lot of fun to move into, and data center migrations are what we're all about.

Key Points

• Underground data centers offer ultimate protection against natural disasters and terrorist attacks.
• Hosting companies are taking over old military bunkers or abandoned mines to create data centers.
• Bunkers offer lower cooling costs plus extra security services such as biometric readers and armed guards.
• A subterranean data center will be easier to secure against unauthorized entry and terrorist attacks.

The NBC Nightly News team travelled to one of Iron Mountain’s underground data centers to discover some of the treasures that are protected in this super-secure location. This is the same location where they protect thousands of our customers’ server and PC data.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy