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Our planet could be under pressure, however there is hope. A fresh honor originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will encourage the public to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded in honour of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It will recognise individuals and groups that protect life on Earth.

The Medal's Framework

The inaugural winners will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

It was shared that Jane Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had backed the medal's establishment. “The vision of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like for this to occur. This is likely due to the unique relationship she shared with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives undertaken to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and foster motivation to continue that work,” commented a relative.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of Starmus stated that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Jane Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook of the planet, one figure remarked, “Frankly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a dismissal of evidence. This situation really cripples global initiatives.”

“Realistically, the situation appears particularly bright therefore we must begin to reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. This concern encompasses not only global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat nature.”

Following an Example

Therefore, observers believe this is a good time to follow her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform how we regard wildlife with which we share the planet.”

A pressing concern today involves the spread of disinformation. The theme of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”.

“There is a recognition that factual reality has become a matter of debate when politics are involved. This is a perilous development,” he commented. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to allow interference by political agendas in this field.”

Hope and Determination

The goal remains that this honor will spur concrete steps. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to participate and to care and to strive toward these goals, really. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we must focus on doing the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, but you still have to work to achieve positive outcomes.”

A family member engaged in conservation work shared optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humans are capable of being diligent stewards of our planet”, pointing to the initiatives of a foundation that, in addition to its projects, assists young people get involved with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly emphasized, the choices we make each day make a difference and it is up to us what type of impact we choose to create,” he said. “There is still time and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will give encouragement and increase understanding about the positive actions that people are making.”