...since I'm not convinced even the closest SN candidate, Betelgeuese, is near enough to EMP our electronics...it would probably be easier and cheaper to first spend our efforts in protecting the gear we need to run civilization: Comsats, GPS, power grids, radio transmitters, telephony, major industrial facilities, pumping stations and public utilities and vehicles, etc. This would be a valid civil defense strategy, even without the supernova bogeyman.

It would be relatively easy to educate the public on how to protect their vital equipment, but doing it in such a way as to not start a panic (or total incredulity and ridicule) might be a challenge. Clearly, even asking manufacturers to add some EMP shielding to key appliances (like the chips that control our automobile engines) would certainly be resisted because of the increased cost (maybe fifty cents per car?).

If you want to start your home program, tinfoil will work just fine, but make sure you ground it. I would suggest a sealed metal can for your key battery powered appliances (wrist watch, GPS, cell phone, short wave portable radio, etc), with a cooper wire soldered to it and to a piece of household plumbing. Of course, having a telephone and GPS may do you no good if the cell towers and satellites are down.

Great plot for a science fiction story.