The frontline of future American Water Wars is building in the Western United States, and Las Vegas is at the heart of the issue. Lake Mead is dwindling rapidly and pleas to nearby California for more water have gone unheard. With 100% of California now withering in record-breaking drought, there is nothing left to offer. This excellent article from the Guardian sums up the issue. But there is a very small silver lining. More aggressive water management in Las Vegas has lead to a reduction in water use per capita. Whether it is buying up turf grass or creating water reuse infrastructure, Las Vegas proves that change is possible. The average visitor to this tourist Mecca does not even perceive the radical changes that are afoot. Reductions in hotel laundering has not changed the visitor experience. Having to request a glass of water has not made eating out less pleasurable. These are small changes that add up. If each one of us changed something small in our daily lives we would all get better connected with our resources and protect them for future generations. Nobody wants to overuse or pollute, but most people don’t act until scarcity stares them right in the eyes. Hopefully we won’t have to wait that long to make better choices for the future.
