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Earth is facing challenges, but a sense of hope remains. A fresh honor from the science, music and arts festival the Starmus festival seeks to motivate individuals to take action.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal is to be awarded in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Award Details

Initial honorees will be revealed during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, which will run from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The idea behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She expressed that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the close connection she shared with us.”

“This medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes undertaken to build an environment improved for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to continue that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – would probably encompass various fields.

“The intent is for it to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach established a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook of the planet, one figure remarked, “To be truthful, it's challenging to be optimistic. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers the world’s efforts.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't particularly bright which means we need to begin to reconsidering, with greater urgency regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not just climate change, but also the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

Inspiring Change

Consequently, it was noted it was an opportune moment to follow Goodall’s example. “I think that when we’re awarding the prize, the focus will be on this essential spirit of Jane’s – that was her foremost concern, to transform our relationship with the other animals with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue today is the proliferation of misinformation. The focus of next year’s festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that truth has become contested when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The science of climate is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor can motivate concrete steps. “It focuses on motivating others to engage and to care and to work in that direction, really. Whether or not we feel hopeful, we must look at working our utmost,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work toward success.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection shared optimism that “with guidance and once enabled, humanity are capable of being conscientious guardians of Earth”, pointing to the work of an institute that, among its other activities, empowers the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother repeatedly emphasized, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” he said. “It is not too late and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”