In this short review we compare the rigid Noether charges to topological gauge charges, The argument that relates bulk charges to surface terms can be adapted to the perfect fluid situation where one can recognise the helicity and enstrophies as Noether charges. More generally a forcing procedure that increases for instance any Noether charge is demonstrated. In the gauge theory situation, the key idea can be summarized by one sentence: to to infinity and stay there". A new variational formulation of Einstein's gravity is given that allows for local GL(n,R) invariance. The a priori indeterminacy of the Noether charges is emphasized and a covariant ansatz due to S. Silva for the surface charges of gauge theories is analysed, it replaces the (non-covariant) Regge-Teitelboim procedure.