Irish people have been subjected to a whole array of austerity measures, and are taking the pain that few other countries could take.
The reason we found ourselves in this situation is as much to do with rote learning in our schools as it has to do with the corrupt and incompetent politicians and businessmen we inherited through our education system. In order to ensure we have a chance of growing our economy, we need critical thinking, creative problem solvers and educated risk takers graduating from our schools so that they may have the tools to challenge the older generation’s thinking and build a new future.
In the meantime, we always have the colour green to get us through the pain.

 

Green – helps us take the pain

Research conducted at Washington State University and published in the journal Horttechology (correct spelling) suggests that people in rooms with a lot of greenery can tolerate more physical pain that those in surroundings without any plants. 200 people were tested for how long they could keep their hands submerged in ice water. The findings reinforce previous studies that found that people work more efficiently when they can see houseplants, and patients recover more quickly from surgery and use fewer drugs when they are in a room with a green view.
In addition, visual exposure to a plant setting has produced significant recovery from stress within five minutes while enhancing productivity by 12 percent, according to a study by Texas A&M University and Washington State University (WSU). [www.colourmatters.com]