Clean drinking water Quote by Laurence C. Smith
““In my own city of Los Angeles, everyone will gladly pay a hundred dollars a month for cable television, yet would roar in protest if forced to pay that much for life’s elixir piped directly into their homes. When Governor Schwarzenegger declared a state of drought emergency, I studied my water bill closely for the first time in my life. For two months of clean drinking water, snared from faraway sources, and delivered to my house by one of the world’s most expensive and elaborate engineering schemes, I was charged $20.67. I spend more on postage stamps. If only everyone could indulge such ignorant bliss…””
About This Quote
Source Article: "Water Wars", 2011
People pay little for water but protest high costs, revealing paradoxical attitudes toward essential resources.
In simple terms: People undervalue water until costs rise.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and value essential resources.
Themes
resource valuation
paradox
public policy
Mood
critical
reflective
Type
essay
analytical
When to use this quote
- home budgeting
- policy debates
- community planning
Key Concepts
environmental economics
behavioral psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we ignore essential costs?
- How can we shift public perception?
A Different Perspective
Awareness may not change entrenched habits.
