Fun and not so fun-facts.

In actual fact, we have never had it so good, despite 'Les Hysteriques'.

We are living not only longer but healthier. Our houses are warm, welcoming and easy to maintain. Our clothes are comfortable. Washing machines wash our clothes, enabling us to always wear clean, fresh clothes. Our bathrooms are up to date, easy to clean, hot and cold running water. Our food comes from all over the world and has never been so plentiful or cheap. We can travel. Education is available through institutions and on line. We are informed about events happening in the world.

We are also pouring huge amounts of chemicals into our rivers and seas as we empty our showers, toilets, washing machine water straight into the water system, smelling of artificial pine, lemon, lotus flower etc etc.

However, every hour , in Ireland , someone dies of cancer. We are the 3rd worst country in the world for cancer. Coming just behind Australia and New Zealand. Malta is one of the best countries. Portugal is doing fairly well. Our life style is implicated.

But Air Pollution kills more people than Smoking, Cancer, and AIDS, COMBINED.

However, we can control our pollution.. We need to lower the amount of pollution we release into the atmosphere and the water. Our industries need to take a long hard look at how they are operating. We can drive less and try and convert to cleaner cars. We can plant more trees. It is ironic, that the places to find idling diesel cars are outside schools and creches, where parents are either dropping off their children or waiting to pick them up.

Crann, I reland's tree magazine actively plants trees and protects Irish Woodlands. you can join Crann,. for 25 euro per annum, for older people and the unwaged. This 25 euro is used to promote tree planting and putting protection programmes into operation. and safeguarding our hedgerows and promoting our native species.

See www.crann.ie email info@crann.ie or post your cheque to

Crann Head Office, PO Box 860, Celbridge, Co Kildare.

Another fact is that in the USA, 4 jumbo jets of people die, due to medical error. EVERY WEEK.

At least in the USA, they keep those statistics and they are probably worse. In Ireland,

We tend to keep medical error and complications from PluriPharmacy very, very quiet.

On the good news side, medical breakthroughs are happening every week, especially in areas like diabetes. Did you know that 1/4 of the devices used in the treatment of Diabetes, are made in Ireland. Also made in Ireland are 4 out of 5 contact lenses.

60% of the stents used for blood are also made in Ireland. .

Another interesting fact, emerging from research now is that you are much more likely to get a Nobel Prize in Physics, if you have had a strong education in the Arts as a child. There has been huge emphasis on STEM subjects recently, but the rounded education, clear thinking and overall satisfaction , found in the Arts subjects of Languages, Art, Music, Drama, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion and History.

Industry is becoming more aware. Most people want to live in a cleaner environment. Taxation is not the solution. Instead, we need to refigure how we can operate an industrial society and maybe rethink if we need so many chemicals in our lives.?