One of the great greenie apocalyptic lies is that flooding is on the increase because of ‘climate change’. Every time a river breaks its banks, Richard Black and his cronies mutter with smug satisfaction that it proves yet again that the science is ‘settled’. Their main partner in crime in this alarmism is the so-called Environment Agency, who have been proudly trumpeting – with full BBC assistance – a new report purporting to show that unless we cough up an extra £1bn a year in flood defences, we are all going to drown. As usual, in such BBC reporting, there’s not a flicker of a mention of factors such as building on flood plains or – shock horror – that it has always rained in the UK, sometimes quite a lot.
A few minutes browsing on this rather neat little archive shows that not only has Britain frequently experienced floods, but also that they were happening long before BBC greenie panic merchants fingered CO2 as the cause. I was particularly chilled by this, from 1770:
The accounts that have been received during the course of the present month…of the floods in several parts of the Kingdom, exceed any thing of the kind that has happened in the memory of man. The cities and towns situated on the banks of the Severn have suffered very great distress; those on the Trent have suffered still more; the great Bedford Level is now under water; horfes, mills, bridges, in almost every brook, have been borne down; but the most affecting scene of all happened at Coventry, where the waters in the middle of the night came rolling into the lowermost street of the town, and almost instantaneously rose to an alarming height. The poor there, fill the houses from top to bottom; those who occupied the lower apartments perished immediately…
And this, from a couple of years earlier:
The heaviest rain fell at London and the country round it that has been known in the memory of man. It began in the evening, and in a few hours the waters poured down Highgate Hill with incredible violence; the common shores in several parts of the town not being able to carry off the torrent, the adjacent houses were filled almost to the first floors; immense damage was done, and as it happened in the night, many were awakened from sleep in the greatest consternation. The Serpentine river in Hyde-park rose so high, that it forced down a part of the wall and poured with such violence upon Knightsbridge, that the inhabitants expected the whole town to be overflowed…
I noted especially the rather sonorous apocalyptic tenor of the newspaper reports; would that BBC journalists could command such lyricism to leaven their contemporary leaden reports of doom.
Many of today’s flood are a direct result of Labour appointed regional quangoes who have ridden roughshod over local opinion and common sense, and built houses without proper infrastructure, planning and thought. But hey, let’s blame the fact that through time immemorial it’s always rained (and snowed) very heavily on occasion on MMGW and ignore that bleedin’ obvious. Next week, no floods = drought, desert conditions in Tonbridge Wells by (2030,2040,2050 * pick according to level of alarmism required) and all down to man, who should be taxed, taxed, taxed and taxed again.
Roll back to 2006 when the Environment agency cut £15M off the flood defence budget. BBC a bit quiet about that one.
Yes – no mention of that:
“England’s flood defence programme is facing funding cuts that could last until 2011, according to a memo sent by Environment Agency executives to senior staff last month.
The document, understood to have been prompted by demands from the Treasury, says flood defence plans might have to be pared back as the cuts take hold. ”
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/weather/article2010203.ece
I sometimes think that this government welcomes any “extreme” event so that they can point their finger at “climate change” being the problem.
I feel sorry for the poor children who have become so brainwashed by the likes of the BBC that they are now becoming frightened by the normal British weather.
“Some people say that they are not affected by Climate Change but I disagree. I believe everyone is affected one way or another… We as a community in Bournemouth are being affected. Bournemouth’s main industry is tourism and the wet, drab, grey summers we have been having recently, as well as our beaches are getting washed away with the storms are seriously affecting our income as a town.”
Avonbourne School, Bournemouth, England
And on top of that the political indoctrination
“The government should offer subsidies and incentives in order to encourage families and businesses to adopt more environmentally-friendly techniques [and] convert to renewable energy. It is the job of the delegates at Copenhagen, they must make a stand on Climate Change.”
The King Edward VI School, Morpeth, England
For goodness sake let children enjoy their childhood.
Links for above
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldclass/your_stories/20100118_climate_look_back.shtml