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Our planet might be under strain, but a sense of hope remains. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus aims to encourage the public to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor in honour of the celebrated scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge those who advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees will be revealed at the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, a former member of the festival's board, had endorsed the medal's establishment. “The vision of having this medal, and the festival being tasked with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “She said she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the close relationship she had with the festival.”

“This medal will acknowledge enduring projects undertaken to create a planet a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support to carry on that work,” commented a relative.

Format and Inspiration

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

“It will be modeled after the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach that we created exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall herself received of that very medal.

Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, a prominent voice stated, “Honestly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. The current political climate in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. So this really cripples global initiatives.”

“To be honest, the prospects aren't particularly bright which means we need to begin to reconsidering, more deeply regarding the impact of our actions. This concern encompasses not just global warming, that’s the whole way that we treat nature.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is an opportune moment to follow her guiding principles. “It is believed that in bestowing this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy of Jane’s – which made her foremost concern, to change the way we treat wildlife around us.”

Another key issue at present is the proliferation of false information. The focus of the upcoming festival will be “the search for truth”.

“We realised that truth is becoming a matter of debate when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; you cannot have any influence from politics in this field.”

Optimism and Resolve

The goal remains that the medal will spur concrete steps. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to participate and to care and to work in that direction, truly. Whether or not we’re optimistic, we have to look at doing all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, but you still continue striving towards succeeding.”

A family member involved in environmental protection shared hope that “given direction and when empowered, humans are capable of being conscientious guardians of our planet”, citing the programs of a foundation that, among its other activities, empowers the next generation become engaged locally, wildlife, and environment.

“As Jane Goodall constantly emphasized, our daily actions are significant and it is up to us the kind of difference we make,” it was stated. “There is still time and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding beneficial initiatives that are being undertaken.”