'in our little bubbles'

A friend sent us this article, pointing out the that it is so basic and obvious --- but we would rather just not think about it.

John Lippert and Jim Efstathiou Jr. for Bloomberg News (February 26, 2009)

Las Vegas Running Out of Water Means Dimming Los Angeles Lights

“We have 19th-century ways of utilizing water and 21st- century needs.”
Brad Udall, director of Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

“Water is going to be more important than oil in the next 20 years.”
Dipak Jain, dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois

“People view water as a human right and expect it to be virtually free.”
“Governments respond to that, and you end up with inefficiency.”
Michael LoCascio, Boston-based Lux Research Inc.

“During the next 50 years, this country’s population is expected to explode by another 140 million. I always ask, ‘Where do you want the people to go?’”
Patricia Mulroy, manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.

“Nearly every drop is already spoken for, often more than once.”
Peter Gleick, editor of The World’s Water 2008-2009

“We’ve managed water in such small, incremental units. We won’t be able to survive in our little bubbles.”
Patricia Mulroy

Link to Bloomberg News article