It's the middle of the desert but geographically close to one of America's largest rivers, which supplies the overwhelming majority of our water. Whether or not that's sustainable is a matter of debate, but you don't have to be a hydrologist to look out over Lake Mead while flying in and see the water is historically low.

Our electricity situation is more distributed. Yes, the Hoover Dam is nearby, but we draw power from thousands of sources, most out of state. The newest/densest development in the last several years -- City Center on the Strip -- has its own off-the-grid power system.