Author: Smiley Team

Categories
Culture

How to help post Hurricane Ian

Hurricane Ian recently struck the Florida Gulf Coast, leaving destruction in its wake. Entire parts of cities like Fort Myers and Cape Coral were decimated, buildings destroyed, and boats ended up in backyards. There was a reported storm surge of over 18ft and now a rising death toll. The region will be recovering for months. 

But help is already on the ground. 

If you want to lend your support, there are a ton of organizations already mobilizing to the region. Find out how to support them below. 

Food for the Poor

Based in South Florida, this organization made a name for itself by putting together meals for those in need, and now they’re making cleaning kits for those affected by the storm. They have a list of items that you can donate to help their cause. 

Florida Ian Response Fund

After Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017 a coalition of groups got together to respond to the crisis. The same coalition is coming back together to respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. Some of the organizations that make up the group are  Florida Rising, Dream Defenders, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, Central Florida Jobs With Justice, and Faith in Florida. 

OneBlood

The organization provides blood to over 250 hospitals throughout Florida and the wider southern United States. They’re asking anyone not affected by the storm to consider donating blood of all types. There is a particular call for O Negative and O Positive donors.

Big Dog Ranch Rescue

Big Dog Ranch Rescue will provide pet supplies to shelters and families. You can donate wet or dry dog and cat food, blankets, crates, and/or cash. Beyond their website, you can also make cash donations by calling 561-791-6465.

World Central Kitchen

World Central Kitchen was founded by Chef José Andrés following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. They’re supporting those affected by Hurricane Ian and people in Puerto Rico affected by Hurricane Fiona. In Florida, they’re sending over food trucks to the areas most affected, and they’re opening a test field kitchen in Puerto Rico. Consider donating to support what they’re doing. 

Florida International University

The Miami-based University is working with other state universities to provide resources and support and is also reaching out to its 1,800 students as well as faculty and staff who live or have relatives on the west coast to see how they can help. Consider donating.

As with any other support and donations make sure to do a little background research into whatever organization you’re considering.

Categories
Culture

Royal Mail worker makes a generous gift

A Royal Mail driver left a super wholesome gift for a father and son duo, along with a very sweet note.

Alex Chesters, 27, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and loves trucks. Much of his free time is spent standing on a bridge over the A6 watching the vehicles go by, which he often does with his father, Darren Chesters.

But when they arrived there on 17 September, there was a heartwarming note waiting for them, along with a gift for Alex; a bright red Royal Mail truck (in toy form, of course!).

“I drive for Royal Mail and see you and your lad regularly and thought he might like his own [truck]”’ the note read. “Have a nice day!”

The gift made Alex ecstatic, and dad Darren immediately took to Facebook to share the news, and to try to track down the generous stranger.

“We sometimes take Alex to wave at the traffic on an M6 bridge, some wave back or beep their horns, he gets very excited, we went today and found this, amazing, we’d love to know who the kind and generous driver is from Royal Mail!” read Darren’s Facebook post which now has over 42 thousand shares and nearly six thousand likes.

They eventually tracked down the driver and were able to thank him for the gift and the note.

“He has been waving at the bridge for about two years now, over the years he has always loved waving at the traffic,” said Will Chesters, Alex’s brother. “He quite often would go out with his grandparents to wave at the cars or to watch the fire engines at the fire station.

“He loves the lorry, he wouldn’t put it down, we had to prize it off him to take a picture. He thinks it’s ace and has been showing it off to everyone.”

“We were delighted by this heart-warming act of kindness by one of our colleagues,” said a spokesperson from the Royal Mail. “We are now in touch with Alex’s family about arranging for him to visit a Royal Mail site and see some of our vehicles up close.”

Inspired to act?

DONATE: Support the Rowland Hill Fund, the charity for postal people facing homelessness.

GET INVOLVED: If you or someone you know works for the Royal Mail, take a look at their generous charity support schemes so you can double your own donations.

 

Categories
Wellbeing

Actor donates his “iris” to charity

Actor Javier Bardem has ‘donated his iris’ to charity to raise money to prevent avoidable blindness in developing countries.

(To save any confusion, it’s not his actual iris, but an NFT image of it.)

The Eyes of the World Foundation has launched the ‘Iris of the World’ project to raise funds by auctioning the exclusive image of the iris of a number of famous people, the first being Javier Bardem.

“We want to communicate that the right to vision should not be subject to the availability of economic resources of a person or a country,” said Director of the Eyes of the World Foundation, Anna Barba .”It’s a question of giving sight back to thousands of people without resources who suffer from serious eye problems that can be prevented or treated if action is taken in time.”

The auction starts 29 September and runs until 6 October, with the NFT image of Javier’s iris beginning at $9,000.

“To be able to see, to be able to hear, to be able to touch or to be able to feel are things that we don’t appreciate until we lose them,” said Javier. “To be able to feel all the emotions that happen through sight and have an impact on us is an emotional and spiritual phenomenon. For this reason, I am happy to collaborate with ‘Iris del Mundo’ by donating a photograph of my iris to be auctioned and to continue helping the Foundation’s work on avoidable blindness.”

Eyes of the World estimates the cost of an eye check-up at $7 and a cataract operation at $7. The scope of the initiative will depend on the amounts raised at the various auctions.

You can find this auction, and the following ones, at www.irisesoftheworld.org.

Inspired to act?

DONATE: Visit Irises Of The World to bid in the auction for the NFT of Javier Bardem’s iris.

GET INVOLVED: Donate to Eyes of the World to help fund eye tests for people around the world.

 

Categories
Equality

The plan to end hunger in the US

The United States is the richest country in the world, with over $18 trillion spread throughout the country and its government, and yet more than 34 million people go hungry every year, according to the non-profit Feeding America. 

The Biden administration has released a new plan to address that. 

The plan, which aims to end hunger and food insecurity in the country in eight years, includes $8 billion in commitments as part of a call to action, coming to a head at a hunger conference, the first of its kind in over 50 years. 

“Too many families don’t know where they are going to get their next meal,” said Biden. “There are too many empty chairs around the kitchen table because a loved one was taken by heart disease, diabetes or other diet oriented diseases which are some of the leading causes of death in our country.”

People in the US want to utilize some of the vast wealth in the country to help feed its citizens. 

The plan is made up of five pillars: Improve Food Access and Affordability, Integrate Nutrition and Health, Empower Consumers to Make and Have Access to Healthy Choices, Support Physical Activity for All, and Enhance Nutrition and Food Security Research.

Each pillar will be carried out by different segments of society including businesses, schools, and government programs.

Inspired to Act?

DONATE: If you want to help end food insecurity in the US you can donate to Feeding America.

SUPPORT: Support local shelters and food banks with food and clothing donations to help those in need.

Categories
Wellbeing

Alzheimer’s “slowed” by promising new drug

A study into Alzheimer’s has revealed hugely promising results, scientists have announced.

The investigation tested a new drug – called lecanemab – against a placebo, and found that those who received the drug had a 27% slower rate of cognitive decline than those who received the placebo.

The study was run by Biogen, a biotech company specialising in neuroscience, and Eisai, a pharmaceutical company, who have high hopes for the results.

Lecanemab, co-developed by Biogen and Eisai, has been developed to help remove plaque from the brain, which is what many scientists believe causes Alzheimer’s. It was found to move this plaque and progress was seen in many of the patients by the sixth month of the 18-month study, according to the report.

“The positive result of the lecanemab … is an important milestone for Eisai in fulfilling our mission to meet the expectations of the Alzheimer’s disease community,” said Haruo Naito, Chief Executive Officer at Eisai, in a statement.

“Alzheimer’s disease not only presents a great challenge for patients and their families, but it also negatively impacts society, including decreased productivity, increased social costs and disease-related anxiety. We believe that helping to alleviate these burdens will positively impact society as a whole.” 

Inspired to act?

DONATE: Give to Alzheimer’s Research to help fund studies into treating and curing Alzheimer’s.

GET INSPIRED: Volunteer with the Alzheimer’s Society to help support those suffering from Alzheimer’s and their families.

 

Categories
Planet

Colorado state fish back in nature

Colorado’s state fish, the greenback cutthroat trout, was once considered completely extinct, but local biologists announced that the species is now reproducing on its own in Colorado rivers.

“This is just another affirmation that our conservation practices work and that we can save species on the brink,” said Kevin Rogers, an aquatics researcher for Colorado Parks and Wildlife. 

The species was first labeled extinct in the 1930s until small populations were found throughout the state in the coming decades until researchers discovered that the small populations were a similar-looking subspecies of the trout. They thought the greenback was officially gone. 

But in 2012, researchers discovered the world’s only natural, the purebred population of greenback cutthroat trout in a 3.5-mile run of Bear Creek. Now Colorado Parks and Wildlife keep a hatchery to help keep populations stable. 

“Each spring, CPW aquatic biologists have strapped on heavy electro-fishing backpacks to painstakingly hike up Bear Creek to catch greenbacks and collect milt and roe – sperm and eggs,” CPW said. 

In 2016 they started introducing the trout to local waters in hopes of restoring the native population but a mix of predation, pollution, and disease ravaged most of the populations by 2020. 

But now, in 2022, the greenback has been discovered reproducing in the wild. There may still be an uphill battle for restoring the species but this marks a bright spot in that effort.

Inspired to Act?

DONATE: If you want to support Colorado’s environmental efforts you can donate to Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

SUPPORT: Research the common species in your area and look up ways you can help keep them safe.

Categories
Planet

Huge progress made in healing the Ozone layer

Scientists have found that the ozone layer has reached a “significant milestone”, as levels of harmful chemicals have dropped significantly.

The NOAA (The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) released a statement today, saying “the overall concentration of ozone-depleting substances had fallen just over 50 percent back to levels observed in 1980, before ozone depletion was significant.”

What this means is that, in the forty years since we discovered that certain man-made chemicals were creating ‘holes’ in the ozone (a protective layer that absorbs ultraviolet rays from the sun), we have managed to halve the damage we made. This is incredible progress in such a short time frame and, according to the NOAA, this progress is all down to international legislature being followed.

“It’s great to see this progress,” said Stephen Montzka, senior scientist for NOAA’s Global Monitoring Laboratory. “At the same time, it’s a bit humbling to realize that science is still a long way from being able to claim that the issue of ozone depletion is behind us.”

Though at a slower rate, the concentration of these harmful chemicals in the ozone layer over Antarctica have also been declining. According to the data released by the NOAA, the presence of harmful chemicals has declined 26% since peak values in the region in the 1990s.

Inspired to act?

GET INVOLVED: Educate yourself on how to keep the ozone layer healthy with the Ozone Society.

 

Categories
Equality

Cuba legalises gay marriage

In a landslide victory for gay rights, gay marriage has been legalised in Cuba. Part of a new ‘family code’ intended to give improved rights to minorities on the island, people in same-sex relationships can now get married, as well as adopt children together.

Additionally, greater protections will be given to other vulnerable groups such as women, children and the elderly.

As recently as 2018, Cuban legislators abandoned plans to move towards legalising same-sex marriage, for fear of backlash from evangelical communities. In just three years things have come a long way, with 94% of the votes counted as of 9 am ET on Monday morning showing 3,936,790 had voted in favour of the law, and 1,950,090 against.

74.1% of those eligible to cast their ballot in the referendum, which took place on Sunday, turned up to vote.

President Miguel Díaz-Canel, who has widely promoted the law, acknowledged that there were still questions about the family code, as he cast his vote on Sunday.

“Most of our people will vote in favour of the code, but it still has issues that our society as a whole does not understand,” he said.

The family code would allow for improved measures against gender violence, better rights for grandparents in regard to their grandchildren, and the freedom for surrogate pregnancies. 

One prominent figure who has supported the measure is Mariela Castro, the director of the National Center for Sex Education and daughter of former president Raúl Castro.

“I voted yes for Cuban families, for a socialist Cuba, for the world’s most revolutionary and humanist family code, for a socialist state built upon rights and social justice that recognizes and protects all families,” said Mariela, after casting her vote.

Inspired to act?

DONATE: Give to the Kaleidoscope Trust, to help support LGBTQ+ rights across the Commonwealth.

GET INVOLVED: Support GALOP, to help members of the LGBTQ+ community who have experienced abuse and violence.

 

Categories
Culture

John Cena breaks record for giving wishes

Many know John Cena for his time in the squared circle as a 16-time champion in the WWE, or for his on-screen role as Peacemaker. What not as many might know him for is his work with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that grants the wishes of children diagnosed with critical illnesses. 

Targeting children between the age of 2 and 18, the foundation allows recipients to choose to meet a celebrity, go to an event, or even give a gift to someone else. 

“For children diagnosed with critical illnesses, a wish come true can be a crucial turning point in their lives,” says Make-A-Wish. “A wish can be that spark that helps these children believe that anything is possible and gives them the strength to fight harder against their illnesses. This impact is why we are driven to make every one of these wishes come true.”

Cena granted his first wish for the foundation over 20 years ago back in 2002, just three years after starting his professional wrestling career. Since then he’s gone on to grant over 650 wishes from kids all around the world, breaking the world record for the most granted wishes according to Guinness World Records. 

No other celebrity has granted over 200 wishes. 

“If you ever need me for this ever, I don’t care what I’m doing, I will drop what I’m doing and be involved because I think that’s the coolest thing. I just drop everything,” Cena said when he was honored for granting 500 wishes. “If I can offer a fantastic experience, I’ll be first in line to do my part.”

Inspired to Act?

DONATE: If you want to support Make-A-Wish you can always donate.

SUPPORT: Even if you’re not a celebrity you can always make a difference in a kid’s life by being kind and understanding.

Categories
Planet

Zero-emissions plane to launch in 2028

An updated design for a zero-emissions passenger plane has been released, bringing us one step closer to a future where travel doesn’t cost the earth.

The design, created by Heart Aerospace, is called the ES-30 and is a regional electric aeroplane with the capacity for 30 passengers, replacing the company’s earlier 19-seat design, the ES-19. Electric motors, powered by batteries, power this plane, meaning it has zero carbon output, with the added bonus of being relatively noiseless.

Perhaps more exciting, the orders are already coming in. Now minority shareholders in Heart Aerospace, Air Canada has put in an order for 30 of the new ES-30 design. Along with Saab, the Swedish aerospace and defence company, 

“Air Canada is very pleased to partner with Heart Aerospace on the development of this revolutionary aircraft. We have been working hard with much success to reduce our footprint, but we know that meeting our net-zero emissions goals will require new technology such as the ES-30. We have every confidence that the team at Heart Aerospace has the expertise to deliver on the ES-30’s promise of a cleaner and greener aviation future,” said Michael Rousseau, President and Chief Executive of Air Canada.

The ES-30 is far more cost-efficient than your standard aeroplane – as well as the savings made on fuel, it’s much cheaper to operate thanks to its electric propulsion. It has also been designed with the evolution of battery power in mind, so as electric batteries become more sophisticated, the ES-30 can continue to be powered as efficiently as possible.

“The ES-30 is an electric airplane that the industry can actually use. We have designed a cost-efficient airplane that allows airlines to deliver good service on a wide range of routes,” said Anders Forslund, founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace. “With the ES-30 we can start cutting emissions from air travel well before the end of this decade and the response from the market has been fantastic.”

The ES-30 is expected to enter into service in 2028.

Inspired to act?

DONATE: Give to Carbon Copy to help accelerate local climate action towards a fairer, sustainable future.

GET INVOLVED: Encourage your company to sign up for The Climate Pledge, a commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2040.