“As population explodes, water is going to be the most valuable resource on planet Earth by the end of this century. It therefore represents the greatest advantage that this part of the country has. This region — the Great Lakes region, the Snow Belt, the Rust Belt, whatever you want to call it — has faced hard times over the the last 50-60 years," Kapszukiewicz said. "But ... if we can hold on, we may be the most valuable part of the country. Frankly, with what we have, (the Midwest) could be Saudi Arabia in 100 years. We just can’t squander it.”