The potential for a CME to cause a geomagnetic storm that disrupts life on Earth is very real, though, as demonstrated several times. The 1989 power blackout in the American northeast and Canada was triggered by a geomagnetic storm that overloaded one part of the power grid and caused a blackout to cascade through the system. Several satellites have been disrupted, and at least one or two killed, by radiation enhanced by geomagnetic storms. For these reasons, operators of satellites, power systems, pipelines, and other sensitive systems keep an eye on solar-terrestrial activities by way of the Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colorado. The center, in turn, collects data from ground and orbiting solar telescopes, magnetometers, and other instruments, and posts warnings on the web and through direct contact.
Systems operators can then take the appropriate measures.
Satellite controllers may shut down all but the most basic housekeeping systems to prevent electrical charging that could short vital systems. Utility companies can isolate portions of a power grid so a blackout does not cascade across the grid. But beyond making a brighter aurora, a powerful CME won't have any noticeable effect on the ground. The comment was meant in jest, but was picked up and circulated by traditional news media and the rumor mill. It was far less than a blast from Darth Vader's Death Star.