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Earth is under strain, but optimism persists. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to encourage individuals to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the renowned scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that champion life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees are expected to be announced at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

It was shared that Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The concept behind this medal, and the festival being tasked to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. And I think due to the very special bond she shared with the festival.”

“This medal will recognize sustainable programmes carried out to make our world a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice said, “Frankly, it's challenging to maintain optimism. Certain policies globally is conducting a war on science. So this really cripples collective action.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good so we have to really start reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. This concern encompasses not only global warming, that’s the whole way in which we interact with the natural world.”

Following an Example

As a result, observers believe it was an opportune moment to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to change the way we treat fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue at present involves the spread of false information. The central topic of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that truth has become a subject of discussion when politics are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The hope is that the medal will spur concrete steps. “It’s about inspiring individuals to get involved and to care and to work in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to look at working the best we can,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for setbacks, but you still continue striving to achieve positive outcomes.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection shared confidence that “given direction and when empowered, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, highlighting the work of an institute which, among its other activities, assists the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly reminded us, our daily actions make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “There is still time and this medal will provide inspiration and increase understanding regarding beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”