COLE: .And you do understand that Venice sits in a lagoon and that lagoon is open to the Adriatic Sea...... Floods have been a part of life in Venice since its founding. In the 5th century, refugees who were fleeing from invaders came to this collection of boggy islands off of the mainland. In order to build, they drove a huge number of heavy wooden piles down into the mud to create a foundation. A CENTURY AGO, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in Venice, flooded about nine times a year..... AND The European Plate is SINKING in the area where Venice was built. AND Venice was built in Mud, that mud is compressing under the weight of the buildings. AND Ground water was sucked out from under Venice increasing the speed of the land sinking into the sea. AND Waves from cruise ships and motorized boats have quickly eroded the centuries old footings on the buildings. Rain and wind (weather events not climate change) combined with a high tide cause Venice to flood. Yes it flooded again at high tide yesterday, just like it has for CENTURIES when the wind and rain combine with large high tides. Banning Plastic bottles and buying electric buses WILL DO NOTHING toward alleviating Venice's flooding problems.

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