TOMORROW

TOMORROW By Dale Jodoin Picture this: It's the future, and every single car you see is powered by electricity. No more gas stations, just places to charge your car, like a giant phone on wheels. Politicians are pushing hard for this change. They say it's better for the planet, and that sounds great, right? But there's a big issue they're not talking about, and it's something we all need to understand, especially if you're in high school and thinking about the kind of world you'll be living in soon. First, let’s tackle the winter problem. Imagine it's super cold, like 30 degrees below zero. Now, in this electric car future, something weird happens when it gets this cold: electric cars might not work as well. Why? Batteries, like the ones in these cars, don’t like extreme cold. They lose power faster, and sometimes, they just can't handle it. It gets worse. The places where you charge these cars might stop working too. Why? Well, when everyone in town is trying to keep their houses warm, cook dinner, and charge their cars all at the same time, the electricity grid (that's the system that gives us all power) gets overwhelmed. It's like when everyone in your house is trying to use the Wi-Fi at the same time, and it gets really slow, except this is way more serious. In some places, this isn’t just a future problem. It’s happening now. In really cold areas, people are seeing these issues firsthand. If electric cars can't drive because it's too cold, how will people get to work or school? What about getting food delivered to stores? In the worst cases, some people might even get dangerously cold in their homes if the power goes out. But wait, there's more. Think about businesses and jobs. If companies know that their electric trucks can't make deliveries in cold weather, they might decide not to operate in those areas. What does that mean? Fewer jobs, less business, and more problems for people living there. So, why are politicians so focused on pushing for all these electric vehicles without making sure our electricity can handle it? It seems like they’re so excited about the idea of a clean, electric future that they're not stopping to think about these very real problems. In about 30 years, what if places like Russia or the Philippines, who might stick with oil and gas, become more attractive for jobs? They didn’t jump fully into this all-electric idea, so they might not face these same issues. Meanwhile, the politicians who made the all-electric rules might just leave office and not have to deal with the consequences of their decisions. This is where we come in. As students, as future voters, and as people who will live in this world, we need to start asking tough questions. These politicians are making decisions that affect our future, but are they really thinking it through? It's not just about being trendy with technology; it's about making sure these new ideas work for everyone, everywhere, even when it's freezing outside. We need to make sure that the people in charge are planning for things like upgrading our electricity grids so they can handle the extra load, and figuring out how to make electric cars work in the cold. It’s not enough to just say “let's switch to electric cars” without having a solid plan to make sure it all works. It’s super important to start talking about these issues with friends, family, and teachers. Understand the big picture, and when it's time for you to vote, remember these discussions. We should support leaders who think about both the cool new tech and the practical stuff, like making sure we can still get around when it's cold outside. The bottom line is, the future with electric cars can be awesome, but only if we plan it right. It's not just about moving away from gas cars; it's about making sure our future is ready for everything – even a super chilly winter. Let's learn from these challenges and push for a future that's not just cool and electric, but also smart and ready for real-world problems.