I spent most of this week at a training of sorts for pollution control. At it's most basic, other than repeatedly being told that the company would be fined and penalized for any failures on my part as a pollution control officer, it advocates tree-hugging and ground-humping.
That is the problem of alarmism and hysteria and panic. No one takes the time to practice time-honoured common sense when everyone is busy shouting at the top of their lungs that the world is going to burn or the world is going to freeze over or that everyone who says either of the two is a fool. Saying that flooding in a historically flood-prone area is caused by climate change is both foolish and deceitful. Flooding caused in areas that were not prone to flooding in the past may be caused by other factors not involved in climate change, such as dams being built, natural drains being filled in and other such things. Droughts are a natural occurence in any part of the world.
While I have my reservations on just how real global warming (now branded as climate change) is, mostly because I have seen data that both confirms non-average temperatures, and denies it due to non-changing long-term weather patterns, I do recognize the need to take care of the environment. This part is almost entirely common sense.
A mountainside that has no trees due to rampant and unregulated deforestation will undoubtedly collapse as the soil and rocks have nothing to hold them down, much like a blueberry cheesecake that has been left in room temperature without any form to support it. A waterway that has been clogged with non-permeable membranes like candy wrappers, crushed cigarette butts and clear plastic bags will definitely form a sort of dam that will undoubtedly induce flooding. A factory that produces soot and all sorts of gases that are not good for the body. Reducing this sort of pollution is always a good idea, as less soot will probably cause less respiratory problems. Less oils dumped in the water will probably result in healthier fish, and cleaner water in general.
Point is, this whole climate alarmism is unnecessary and divisive. As with all things, always practice a little bit of common sense before deciding on a course of action. Common sense is disappearing at an alarming rate.