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Our planet could be facing challenges, but there is hope. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to inspire the public to act.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded in memory of the renowned scientist and conservationist who died this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect life on Earth.

The Medal's Framework

The first recipients will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The concept of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely because of the very special relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge enduring projects undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation to carry on such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“It’s going to be very much similar to the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice remarked, “To be truthful, it's challenging to maintain optimism. The current political climate globally represents a dismissal of evidence. So this undermines collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears particularly bright so we have to begin to thinking again, with greater urgency regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just climate change, but also the entire manner that we treat the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted it was a good time to honor her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to change how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

Another key issue today was highlighted of misinformation. The focus of the upcoming festival is set as “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope remains that this honor will spur concrete steps. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to engage and to care and to strive in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we have to focus on working the best we can,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, pointing to the initiatives of an institute that, in addition to its projects, empowers the next generation get involved with their community, animals, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall often reminded us, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding the positive actions currently in progress.”