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Earth could be under pressure, however there is hope. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to make a difference.

The medal will honor in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It will recognise those who champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had supported the award’s creation. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely due to the very special connection she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement for the continuation such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of the festival stated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely have multiple categories.

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it is difficult to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation undermines the world’s efforts.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright therefore we must commence reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted it was an opportune moment to emulate her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to change the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue today involves the spread of disinformation. The focus of next year’s Starmus festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that factual reality has become a subject of discussion where political interests are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “It focuses on inspiring individuals to get involved and to show concern and to strive in that direction, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must focus on doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in environmental protection expressed confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, highlighting the initiatives of an institute that, among its other activities, helps young people become engaged locally, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we make,” it was stated. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”