Legendary tale of King Canute:

“King Canute (995-1035) ruler of England, Denmark and Norway, was surrounded by sycophants. One day, he ordered his courtiers to take him to the sea shore, where he challenged them, saying, ‘Do you believe that I can halt the sea?’ None disputed the fact, so Canute commanded the sea to cease its upwards march. But soon Canute’s feet were covered in water, showing that even he was unable to hold back the tide.”

Legendary tale of candidate Obama:

“I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when… the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal.”