A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

a man stood on the sea shore.

As he watched, he realised to his horror that the sea level was rising. 

He ran back to his village and called an emergency gathering of the villagers.  He told them the sea was rising and that they were all going to be drowned.  The village wise man said that the rising of the sea level was normal and he needn't worry as the sea was rising and falling all the time.  He called it The Tide.

But the man ignored the sage because he knew the sea was rising because it was being filled up by the river that ran through the village.  He said that was the logical answer because all that water flowing in had to cause the level to rise.

The villagers ignored the old sage and believed the man, so they went about damming the river.  All the villagers' wealth went into the construction of the dam, and many starved but the dam had to be completed.

Eventually the dam was finished and the people stood by the sea shore and watched.

The tide turned and the sea started to retreat.

The people congratulated themselves and hailed the man for saving the planet.

And the river waters built up behind the dam and drowned all the villagers.