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Our planet might be under strain, however there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival Starmus will motivate individuals to act.

The medal is to be awarded in honour of the esteemed British primatologist who died recently. It is designed to celebrate those who advocate for the natural world.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival 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 supported the medal's establishment. “The idea of having this award, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “She said she would like for this to occur. And I think because of the unique connection she had with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment and provide encouragement to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – would probably include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication that we created a decade past,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to be optimistic. The current political climate globally is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must begin to thinking again, with greater urgency about the consequences of our actions. And that’s not just global warming, that’s the whole way in which we interact with nature.”

Following an Example

Therefore, observers believe it was a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

Another key issue currently is the proliferation of false information. The focus of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that truth has become contested when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that this honor will spur concrete steps. “It focuses on motivating others to get involved and to care and to strive toward these goals, truly. 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 toward success.”

A family member engaged in environmental protection expressed hope that “given direction and when empowered, humanity can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, highlighting the programs of an institute which, among its other activities, empowers young people get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall often told everyone, the choices we make each day have an impact and it is up to us the kind of difference we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will offer support and increase understanding about the positive actions that people are making.”