Out of control wild fires and floods have spotlighted the impact of trees on the environment. However, these are not merely recent problems. A children's book author blames ancient Sumerian King—Gilgamesh a reputed demigod, for historical flooding in the Middle East. In the celebrated poem, The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh killed the protector of the famous Lebanese Cedar Forest, and then chopped down all the trees.