Age of Entitlement – Electricity

Like the steady delivery of clean, fresh water to our homes, most of us also take a steady source of affordable electricity for granted.  A shutdown of a large section of the North American power grid would likely be the most disruptive occurrence that our society could face.

Think about the fragile spiderweb of power lines that bring this vitally important resource to North America.  According to a recent Bloomberg report there are 3200 electric utility companies and over 2.7 million miles of power lines in the U.S. alone.  Many of these are private, for profit, companies who know that the best way to keep profits high is to keep expenses down (raising rates really sets consumers off).  Maintaining this patchwork of aging equipment costs a fortune and the interconnected nature of the grid makes it vulnerable to massive failure.

The Age of Entitlement – Water

Our western civilization has seen some astounding changes, particularly over the past century.  Things like clean water, a steady supply of electricity, a warm and dry home and plenty of food are now expected rather than appreciated.  Most of us feel entitled to these basics while billions of people suffer and die without them.  Take water for example.