Extreme conditions threaten power grid

Extreme weather is putting America's power grid to the test, with a yearlong run of violent storms and record heat battering a system built for fairer skies.

As the eastern United States struggles to recover from yet another weather shock, energy officials are acknowledging climate change as a force that finally has to be reckoned with -- even as concern grows about other threats that can set off catastrophic blackouts.

Winter storms, chains of heat waves and late June's "super derecho" -- a thunderstorm with straight-line winds that snapped electrical transmission towers and shredded power poles -- have forced the climate change issue and electric supply vulnerability to the top of an already-daunting list of blackout triggers. Those threats range from computer-hacking cyber terrorists to solar flares, utility mistakes and plain bad luck. Read more >>

Number One Field Skill

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Survival Guru

On a physical level, firemaking--and the ability to make it under any conditions--is the hallmark skill of a competent wilderness traveler. You should be skilled at creating fire in the rain, deep snow, at night, with one hand, and so on. Your life, or the lives of your party (or clients), may one day depend on how well you have mastered this critical area of survival.

Now, I am not talking about the art of rubbing two-sticks together or fire-by-friction. This is an advanced bushcraft skill and not something you want to rely on if you are truly lost and hypothermic. I am referring to modern firemaking using a spark-rod, lighter, and matches along with a quality tinder like cottonballs smeared with Vaseline.

Practice making fire regularly with the above items on your family camping trips, backyard barbecues, and wilderness outings as such skills are perishable. Remember you will perform in the wilds under actual duress the way that you have trained, so ingrain the skills in your head and hands before you need them in a true survival situation.

On a mental level, the number one skill is mindfulness, or situational awareness. Be aware of your surroundings on a constant basis, and don't forget to look over your shoulder at the landmarks as you hike along. These landmarks, such as boulders, hilltops, canyons, power lines, etc… will be your reference points upon returning along that same trail later. Most people stare at the heels of the hiker in front of them and forget to look around. Pay attention to the natural world unfolding around you!