🔗 Share this article

Our planet could be under pressure, yet a sense of hope remains. A new award originating at the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will motivate the public to act.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will honor to pay tribute to the esteemed British primatologist who passed away recently. It will recognise those who protect our planet's biodiversity.

Honoring a Legacy

The first recipients will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had supported the medal's establishment. “The concept behind this medal, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, originated with Jane,” a statement said. “Her desire was that she wanted for this to occur. This is likely due to the close relationship she had with the festival.”

“This medal aims to highlight ongoing initiatives carried out to create a planet improved for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support to continue that work,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

One of the founders of Starmus noted that the medal – unveiled at a prestigious venue – will likely have multiple categories.

“It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication established a decade past,” he explained. Goodall was a recipient of that very medal.

Expressing concern on the outlook for Earth, one figure said, “Frankly, it’s very hard to be optimistic. Certain policies globally is conducting a dismissal of evidence. So this significantly hampers global initiatives.”

“Realistically, things don’t look very good so we have to commence reflecting, more deeply about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not just climate change, but also the whole way that we treat our environment.”

Following an Example

As a result, observers believe this is an opportune moment to emulate her guiding principles. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – which made her foremost concern, to transform how we regard fellow creatures around us.”

A major topic currently is the proliferation of disinformation. The theme of next year’s festival will be “the search for truth”.

“It has become apparent that factual reality is becoming a matter of debate when politics is involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “The science of climate remains a scientific discipline; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that this honor will inspire concrete steps. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to engage and to show concern and to strive toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to focus on doing the best we can,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A descendant involved in conservation work expressed optimism that “given direction and when empowered, humanity are capable of being diligent stewards of our planet”, highlighting the work of an institute which, among its other activities, helps young people become engaged with their community, wildlife, and the natural world.

“As Jane Goodall repeatedly told everyone, the choices we make each day are significant and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we make,” he said. “It is not too late and this medal will provide inspiration and raise awareness regarding the positive actions currently in progress.”