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Earth could be under pressure, yet optimism persists. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to inspire people to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It will recognise those who champion the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

The inaugural winners are slated for announcement at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the medal's establishment. “The vision behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the close bond she shared with us.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to make our world improved for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, one figure said, “Frankly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Present governance globally represents an assault on knowledge. So this undermines the world’s efforts.”

“In truth, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to commence reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, but also the whole way that we treat nature.”

Following an Example

Consequently, it was noted this is a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – which made her priority, to change our relationship with wildlife around us.”

A pressing concern at present is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics is involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; you cannot allow interference by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “It’s about encouraging people to engage and to care and to strive toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must focus on working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work expressed confidence that “with guidance and when empowered, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of our planet”, citing the work of a foundation that, among its other activities, assists young people become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly told everyone, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about constructive efforts that people are making.”