Like everyone, I have been glued to the news about the devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Because it happened at 4am local time, most people were still in bed, which meant the early numbers would become catastrophic before the week ended. And it did.
Figures are now pushing towards 25,000 deaths, with four times as many injured, and based on the number of collapsed buildings that are still to be cleared, we have to ask – will we exceed 100,000? More? We can do nothing but wait to hear.
An added burden in this catastrophe are the freezing conditions, which are a HUGE factor in the rescue efforts, as well as the intense challenge of getting rescue workers or aid on the ground due to poor/destroyed infrastructure, or the fact Syria is a war zone with completely broken infrastructure.
Those who did survive or have been lucky enough to be pulled from the rubble, face even more risks due to these many challenges. Equally, with medical help a fraction of what is required following a catastrophe like this, many more deaths may follow.
The global outpouring of support and donations has shown the beauty of humanity. However, having dealt with catastrophes to a much lesser extent myself, can I encourage everyone to donate to the organisations and charities who are on the ground and can get what is needed to the front line urgently?
I know it feels amazing shopping for bedding or sorting through second hand winter coats and clothes at home, but the reality is, those who can do the most right now – when time is so critical – need immediate funding to do the work that is necessary.
So much is wasted in these moments of charity, and truly, the best support we can offer – if we can afford it – is financial aid to the organisations ready to do the hard work required to help all impacted, today and into the future.
To give you a flavor of where you can support financially, here’s a list, including some that recommend different charities to support.
International Committee of the Red Cross
Syrian American Medical Society
International Rescue Committee
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy
Charity Watch and the charities it recommends
Let’s do all we can to help our fellow humans, in Turkey and Syria and around the world.
Friend’s content and mine
One of my daily climate tips. If we want to make a difference, support girls in all ways you can. We do this, we really make an impact.
Donation time
If everyone gave #just10percent of their time, talent, money or voice, we’ll change the world. Can you donate? Make it a regular donation to the World Food Programme. Or donate to the UN Refugee Program, Medicine Sans Frontier, PowerOf , Kiva.org. It’s a time for giving and taking care of each other.
Content to read
And here’s the content I’ve been reading or watching this last week. Scan the headlines, read the ones that jump out at you, read or watch them all. Knowledge is power, and global knowledge is even more powerful.
Turkey and Syria earthquake
Millions Suffer Cold and Grief After Catastrophic Quake, Awaiting Help
BBC sees children dig through rubble
‘As soon as he looked at me, I started crying’
Freezing weather adds to despair as quake toll passes 21,000
No More Antakya: Turks Say Quake Wiped Out A City and A Civilization
Ceyda was 19 when the quake buried her building – the tragic story of a lost community The eyewitnesses who captured the quake on social media
Dramatic moments from first quake on video
TV crew flee live broadcast as second quake hits
After the Quake: Scenes From Turkey and Syria
Turkey earthquake death toll prompts questions over building standards
‘The hospital was collapsing with my son inside’
Newborn baby pulled from collapsed building
Bodies found in search for volleyball team
Climate crisis
Antarctica’s Collapse Could Begin Even Sooner Than Anticipated
Scientists Studying Earth’s Trees Issue Stark Warning to Humanity
There May Not Be Enough Food For Everyone in 2023
The Coming Crisis: Water, Not Oil: Interviews with Terry Gross
Cyclone Gabrielle: New Zealand braces for storm after record floods
Is There an Off-Ramp for Civilization?
Climate Model Summary, Bureau of Meteorology
Where is the next Einstein? Where is the next Einstein?
Palm oil is actually not that bad (anymore)
Exxon smashes Western oil majors’ profits with $56 billion in 2022
BP scales back climate targets as profits hit record
Farming, pharmaceutical and health pollution fuelling rise in superbugs, UN warns
Bird flu outlook is ‘grim’ as new wave of the virus heads for Britain
Garden pesticides are contributing to British songbird decline, study finds
‘Vampiric overconsumption’ and ‘monster profits’: UN chief on the top climate concerns of 2023
HS2 Ltd miscalculating impact on nature – Wildlife Trusts
Antarctica Hasn’t Warmed In 70 Years Despite CO2 Rise, Stumping Scientists
We’re taking Shell’s Board of Directors to court
Global politics
U.S. shoots down suspected Chinese spy balloon over Atlantic Ocean tks Evelyn Lee
President Biden says balloon was not a major security breach
State of the Union: How Brandon Tsay is shouldering the spotlight
State of the Union 2023: Biden urges Congress to finish economic fightback
The Legal Decision That Could Rewrite the Abortion Battle—Again
Man held after US congresswoman pours hot coffee on assailant
The Victory of ‘Perception Management’
The Trauma of 2016 (spy scandal, part 2)
Year Two of the Ukraine War Is Going to Get Scary
Business and technology
World Economic Forum: Top tips on leadership in 2023 – from Meet the Leader
Colombian judge uses ChatGPT in ruling
Google targets low-income US women with ads for anti-abortion pregnancy centers, study shows
This Change Is How You Know Elon Musk’s Twitter Experiment Has Already Failed
Report: Elon Musk Fired Engineer Over His Declining Popularity
‘We’re going through a big revolution’: how AI is de-ageing stars on screen
ChatGPT: The friendly face of your AI replacement tks Warwick Merry
I tried using ChatGPT to write this article tks Tim Wade
TechScape: Why Twitter ending free access to its APIs should be a ‘wake-up call’
The New AI Wars Begin As Microsoft Announces ChatGPT Integration With Bing And Edge
Bot the difference: AI and the future of search The Economist Podcasts
ChatGPT and the Future of Business Education. tks Grant Bosnick
Thailand’s first ever seaplane airline to launch this summer
One in 20 jobs to go at News Corp as earnings plunge 30pc
‘Surprise’ in Canada as NYC buses migrants to border
Social issues
China seeks ‘bold’ steps to lift birth rate
Why Is the U.K.’s Free Healthcare Service Falling Apart?
Emma Thompson Takes On Ian McKellen’s Intimacy Coordinator Comments
Why Everyone Freaked Out About Madonna’s Face at the Grammys
“Roadrunner” Review: The Haunting Afterlife of Anthony Bourdain in a New Documentary
Private schools are poaching teachers from the public sector with better salaries, principals say tks Claire Kielty
‘Daily Show’ Host D.L. Hughley Torches Tucker Carlson With A New Nickname
Kim Kardashian’s Harvard Business School lecture made the internet lose its mind
Former Playmate Karissa Shannon Says Sex With Hugh Hefner Was ‘Like Rape’
Rapist ex-policeman David Carrick jailed for minimum of 30 years
Disney removes Simpsons ‘forced labour’ episode in Hong Kong
Consumers Are Starting to Freak Out The Journal Podcast
Super Soul Special: Bryan Stevenson: The Power of Mercy and Forgiveness Oprah’s Super Soul Podcast
The Police Unit That Was Supposed to Keep Memphis Safe The Daily Podcast
What’s the worst human invention ever made? – 17 strong contenders
Andrew Tate: Inside the Romanian town where brothers’ empire began
The Christian Right Is Having a Meltdown Over the ‘Satanic’ Grammys tks Patrice Robinet
Scientists Worried Humankind Will Descend Into Chaos If We Ever Discover An Alien Signal
Passion, humour, history
Prehistoric artifacts found at Miami condo construction site
YouTube’s ‘Penis Enlargement’ Grifter Suffers Bloody Death in Thailand tks Frank Roberts
This pigeon sitting on a wing at take-off takes a comically unexpected turn
Grammys 2023: The ceremony in pictures
Ben Affleck’s Grumpy Grammy Face Is Easily Explained
Scientists Found A Dinosaur’s Face, complete with its Skin
Fawlty Towers: John Cleese to revive series with daughter Camilla
Orca mothers make ‘lifelong sacrifice’ for sons
Burt Bacharach, master of pop songwriting, dies aged 94
Let me know what jumped out at you? Or share with me what you’re reading? I love that!
Cheers
Andrea
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Environment education
Four environment resources to help you navigate this challenging territory.
- Knowledge, constantly updating
- Individual action and awareness, so we do our part
- Resources for those struggling with eco-anxiety. Please share with your community.
- Finally, more than 100 mini-videos on many topics regarding the multiple crisis’ we face. Feel free to download and use as your own. No credit necessary.
Uncommon Courage: an invitation
Uncommon Courage is an invitation to be your courageous best self every day. It’s also an antidote to the overwhelm, fear, and rage rolling around the world. But it’s more than a book; it’s an invitation to join an inclusive community that wants to better understand humanities challenges – both global and personal – in order to take courageous action and create a better world for everyone. If Covid19 has given us the time and space to reflect, Uncommon Courage gives us the nudge we need to create lasting change.
You can buy it on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Booktopia, Smashwords, Kobo, Gardners, Odilo, Indie Bound, BookShop by BookTrib and Scribd.
Better yet, order it from your local bookstore, so you can #SupportLocal.
You can read the reviews, including a new five-star review on Book Commentary, another five-star review on ReaderViews, a review on BookTrib, and three more on Booklife, another on Book Commentary and Blue Ink Reviews. I’m also collating reviews on my Website too. Have a look and grateful to everyone who has written or recorded one.
Come and join the conversation in my Facebook Group Uncommon Courage.
Listen in to the Uncommon Courage, the podcast on Apple, Spotify and everywhere podcasts are published.
The Know Show
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Climate Courage
A fortnightly conversation on issues that matter to you and I, focusing on the actions we can all take.
18 Steps to an All-Star LinkedIn Profile
Listed by Book Authority in the 100 Best LinkedIn Books of All Time and 22 Best New LinkedIn eBooks To Read In 2021 and 2022 categories. Grab it today if you want to take your professional presence to the next level! When it comes to LinkedIn, it really is time to ask — can you really afford not to have this book in the hands of every employee?
Are you a Social CEO? The Social CEO: How Social Media Can Make You A Stronger Leader.
Want to claim your stage? Unleash Your Voice – Powerful Public Speaking for Every Woman
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