Where Do We Go From Here, Part 3

This piece is a travel essay, not a program update, so there is nothing here that changes rebates, deadlines, or upgrade options for your house. The writer drives an electric vehicle (EV) through Canada's Maritime provinces and Newfoundland, charging along the way, including one improvised night plugging into an inn's outdoor outlet normally used for a septic pump.

Along the trip he reports on climate-related observations: Nova Scotia's Bay of Fundy, known for having the world's largest tides, is being tested as a site for tidal power turbines, though past attempts have broken down or damaged marine life. He contrasts this with Nova Scotia's wind power, which already supplies about 15 percent of the province's electricity. He also describes forests in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia dying from spruce budworm outbreaks tied to milder winters, a reopened cod fishery in Newfoundland that scientists warn has better than even odds of collapsing again, and a puffin colony whose breeding success swings with ocean currents affected by warming seas.

None of this involves a specific program, incentive, or technology decision for a home. The relevant takeaway for an EV owner is anecdotal: charging infrastructure was reliable in populated areas but scarce and inconsistent in rural Newfoundland, sometimes requiring waits or backup plans.