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Earth could be under pressure, yet a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival seeks to encourage the public to act.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge those who protect our planet's biodiversity.

The Medal's Framework

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

Reports indicate that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this award, 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 unique bond she shared with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement for the continuation that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – would probably have multiple categories.

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

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice said, “To be truthful, it's challenging to feel hopeful. Present governance globally represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, things don’t look particularly bright which means we need to begin to reflecting, much more seriously regarding the impact of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, that’s the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to follow her guiding principles. “It is believed that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her priority, to change our relationship with the other animals around us.”

A major topic currently was highlighted of false information. The central topic of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality is becoming contested when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor will spur concrete steps. “It’s about inspiring individuals to participate and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on working our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must have to work toward success.”

A family member involved in environmental protection expressed confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, citing the work of an institute that, among its other activities, helps the next generation get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often emphasized, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we choose to create,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding the positive actions that people are making.”