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Our planet is under pressure, but a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate people to act.

The medal will be given to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

The Medal's Framework

The first recipients will be revealed during the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She expressed she would like this to happen. This is likely due to the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes carried out to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to continue that work,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of Starmus noted that the medal – which was announced at a scientific institution – will likely encompass various fields.

“It will be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created a decade past,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “Honestly, it's challenging to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation really cripples collective action.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good which means we need to commence reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not just climate change, but also the entire manner that we treat our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, observers believe it was a good time to follow her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with the other animals around us.”

Another key issue today was highlighted of false information. The theme of the upcoming Starmus festival will be “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming a subject of discussion when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor will inspire action. “It focuses on encouraging people to engage and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared hope that “with guidance and once enabled, people are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, highlighting the programs of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, assists the youth get involved with their community, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly emphasized, our daily actions have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”