Do we ever learn from history?

Extreme Rainfall in the UK expected blares the BBC.

You would imagine that after one of the hottest summers on record, a time when severe water shortages people in the UK would rejoice. Bt no, instead they paint a picture of future flooding like the scenes at Boscastle pictured at left.

The scientists reporting on this prediction make the statement that:

"One solution could be to build storage facilities such as small reservoirs close to rivers to catch the excess water following extreme rainfall events.

"This could also help alleviate the potential for flooding as well as solve the water shortage crisis we are likely to experience in the summer months."

Well, "DUH!"

What would be more interesting would be to see if the government in the UK would realise that in permitting developers to dry up marsh land which is a natural catchment and drainage area and reuse the 'salvaged land' as housing estates could possibly explain why they are having problems with flooding and a lack of water?

Whenever we interfere with the way in which nature has stabilised our environment for the sake of greed (or need as most people would call it) we experience the downsides that nobody bothered to mention while the decisions were being made.

Can anyone else see this as being a recurrence of the old adage, "Those who will not learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them?"