Project Moses: Saving Venice From Sinking

"Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, gave his blessing yesterday to the construction of a multi-billion pound underwater project designed to hold back the sea and help to rescue Venice from sinking...Environmentalists and leftwingers have criticised the project, arguing that it could create a closed circuit of stagnant water by stemming the flow of high tides into the Venice lagoon. Critics have also argued that the scheme may damage the surrounding environment."The "Moses" project will consist of hinged barriers erected on the seabed off the coast of Venice which will be raised to block incoming high tides.