West Running Out of Water?

Photo from source, New York Times

Yikes. . .and I thought property values in Las Vegas were bad now. Do you suppose running out of water in the Mojave Desert might depress them a little further? Wanna buy a house?

[Excerpt]

West Is Told to Expect Water Shortfalls

The Colorado River is a critical source of water for seven Western states, each of which gets an annual allotment according to a system that has sparked conflict and controversy for decades. But in an era of climate change, even greater difficulties loom. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Gas to Hit $4 This Summer?

Photo from source, AOL News

Nobody wants to believe it, but it looks like it's going to happen: $4-per-gallon gasoline. Oddly, I've gotten rather used to the $3+ price, no longer cursing--as much as I used to--at the total bill each time I fill up my Jeep. There was a time when it cost me just over $20. Now $20 whizzes before it's even half full. I, and we will suck it up and pay $4 too. But if it stays at $4--or creeps up to $5 or more--I have a strange feeling we'll actually start to change our ways.

None of this takes into account the price of everything else, which will all have to go up in price too, to offset the trucks and planes that get everything to us. It's especially dicey for folks like me who live in a remote desert locale. There's a reason Stephen King picked Las Vegas as one of his end-time locales in The Stand!

[Excerpt]

Summer Gasoline Prices Could Hit $4

Retail gasoline prices pulled back slightly from record levels Tuesday and gave some consumers a small break, but a new government forecast said gas could reach as high as $4 a gallon during the summer driving season. . .

Read more at: AOL News