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

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge those who advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from 17–22 October the coming year.

According to statements that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. And I think due to the unique relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal aims to highlight sustainable programmes carried out to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and foster motivation for the continuation that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it's challenging to feel hopeful. The current political climate globally is conducting a war on science. So this significantly hampers collective action.”

“Realistically, the prospects aren't very good therefore we must really start reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, it was noted it was a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her priority, to transform our relationship with wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern today was highlighted of misinformation. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth has become a matter of debate where political interests are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science is a science; you cannot allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that the medal can motivate positive change. “It’s about encouraging people to participate and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, truly. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, pointing to the work of an institute which, in addition to its projects, helps the next generation get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly told everyone, the choices we make each day are significant and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “It is not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and raise awareness about the positive actions currently in progress.”