A Jane Goodall Earth Medal Will Celebrate Those Acting to Improve the World.

Earth could be facing challenges, however optimism persists. A new award from the interdisciplinary festival Starmus will encourage individuals to take action.

This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name is to be awarded to pay tribute to the celebrated British primatologist who died this year. It is designed to celebrate those who champion life on Earth.

The Medal's Framework

Initial honorees are slated for announcement at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, scheduled from 17–22 October the coming year.

Reports indicate that Jane Goodall, who was a member of the festival's board, had backed the medal's establishment. “The idea behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, is Jane’s,” a representative said. “She said that she wanted this to happen. This is likely due to the unique connection she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will acknowledge ongoing initiatives carried out to make our world improved for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to continue such efforts,” said a family member.

Format and Inspiration

One of the founders of the festival noted that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – 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. Goodall was an honoree of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, a prominent voice said, “Honestly, it's challenging to feel hopeful. The current political climate in one major nation is conducting a war on science. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“Realistically, things don’t look particularly bright so we have to really start reconsidering, much more seriously about the consequences of our actions. This concern encompasses not only global warming, but also the whole way in which we interact with our environment.”

A Call to Action

As a result, it was noted this is a good time to emulate Jane Goodall's legacy. “I think that when we’re awarding this medal, the focus will be on this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.”

Another key issue currently involves the spread of disinformation. The theme of next year’s festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“We realised that factual reality is becoming contested where political interests is involved. This is an alarming trend,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; it is impossible to have any influence by political agendas in climate science.”

Optimism and Resolve

The hope remains that this honor can motivate action. “It focuses on encouraging people to engage and to care and to work toward these goals, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must look at working all that is possible,” it was added. “Accept the possibility of setbacks, yet we must have to work towards succeeding.”

A descendant engaged in environmental protection expressed hope that “given direction and when empowered, people are capable of being diligent stewards of Earth”, citing the work of a foundation which, in addition to its projects, empowers the next generation get involved locally, wildlife, and environment.

“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. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will give encouragement and raise awareness about constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”