I've mentioned that our September vacation was on Change Islands, Newfoundland, only a few kilometres to the west of the better known Fogo Island. Part of that higher profile comes from the attention given to the Fogo Island Inn, an exclusive hotel which attracts the wealthy and the famous from around the world. While we could never afford to stay there we had an expensive lunch in the dining room, in part because of the impressive view. We were at the table in the front corner.
Guests can't drive up to the inn, but there are shuttles for those who don't want to walk from the parking lot. We did walk up but asked for a ride back, providing we could make the brief trip in one of the two new Tesla electric vehicles recently purchased for this purpose and other rides for guests. They readily complied and we were impressed by the silence of the ride. I had heard about these new vehicles from a CBC radio piece and the claim of the operations manager that this was one more effort to lower the carbon footprint of the inn. Of course many guests travel from other continents to enjoy the setting and some fly all the way to Fogo rather than travel with the riff-raff like us on the ferry, but it is a noble aspiration.
I noticed that next to the two Teslas another vehicle from Ontario was charging. I was surprised that it was possible for a electric car to drive several thousand kilometres with enough charging infrastructure to do so. Our world is changing. Petro Canada is now advertising its network of charging stations in provinces across the country with a view to expansion.
Creation Time in the Christian year is an opportunity to both celebrate the work of the Creator and to ask how we will find different t paths for "living in respect for Creation", including weaning ourselves from the fossil-fuel driven world we live in. There is a growing sense of urgency about this and we should look to the encouraging signs wherever they may found.
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