I'm saddened for what the drought has done and the repercussions this means for the western U.S., but I see this as hopefully putting a real spotlight on the factors that have brought us to this point.
Native American Indians lived on this continent for thousands of years. What's the lessen here for us European invaders and what have we managed to accomplish that they didn't in our 200+ year reign?
I don't think that anyone today should conserve, because there's a lesson in this, that there are consequences when humans live outside the limits of their ecosystem. Native Americans survived on what nature provided, without digging into the ground for the stockpiled resources of the past. If nature cannot provide for our way of life, so be it. And when we live in this disjointed way, out of commonality with our environment, money & profit have far less value than the basics to sustain life. Which really puts a spotlight on the current and what will be the certain future worldwide, what has more value?