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The world might be under strain, however there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival the Starmus festival aims to motivate individuals to make a difference.

The medal is to be awarded to pay tribute to the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that protect the natural world.

Award Details

Initial honorees are expected to be announced at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had endorsed the award’s creation. “The vision behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. And I think because of the close relationship she shared with us.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize sustainable programmes undertaken to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support for the continuation such efforts,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

A co-founder of the festival indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – would probably have multiple categories.

“It will be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Sharing thoughts on the outlook for Earth, a prominent voice stated, “To be truthful, it is difficult to feel hopeful. The current political climate globally is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“To be honest, things don’t look very good which means we need to really start reconsidering, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with the natural world.”

A Call to Action

Therefore, it was noted this is an opportune moment to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this essential spirit that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform how we regard fellow creatures with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern today involves the spread of misinformation. The central topic of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “Climate research remains a scientific discipline; you cannot allow interference from politics in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The aspiration is that the medal can motivate positive change. “It focuses on encouraging people to participate and to care and to strive in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to look at working our utmost,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member involved in conservation work shared hope that “given direction and when empowered, humans can be conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the work of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, helps young people become engaged locally, animals, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, the choices we make each day make a difference and the responsibility lies with us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “It is not too late and this medal will offer support and increase understanding regarding the positive actions that are being undertaken.”