🔗 Share this article The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Celebrate Individuals Working to Better the World. Earth might be under pressure, however optimism persists. A new award from the science, music and arts festival Starmus seeks to inspire people to take action. An event related to the Starmus festival. The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given to pay tribute to the esteemed scientist and conservationist who died recently. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for the natural world. The Medal's Framework The inaugural winners are slated for announcement during the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from 17–22 October next year. According to statements that Jane Goodall, a former Starmus advisory board member, had supported the award’s creation. “The vision of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted to oversee it, was Jane's wish,” a representative said. “Her desire was that she wanted this to happen. This is likely because of the close bond she shared with us.” “This medal aims to highlight enduring projects undertaken to build an environment a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and provide encouragement to carry on such efforts,” commented a relative. Format and Inspiration A co-founder of Starmus indicated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields. “It’s going to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award for science communication established exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was an honoree of that very medal. Sharing thoughts about the future for Earth, 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. This situation really cripples collective action.” “Realistically, the prospects aren't particularly bright which means we need to commence thinking again, with greater urgency about the consequences of human activity. And that’s not only climate change, but also the whole way that we treat nature.” Inspiring Change Consequently, it was noted this is an opportune moment to follow Goodall’s example. “I think that in bestowing the prize, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her priority, to transform the way we treat the other animals around us.” Another key issue currently is the proliferation of misinformation. The central topic of the upcoming Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”. “It has become apparent that factual reality has become contested when politics are involved. And it’s a perilous development,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.” Optimism and Resolve The hope is that this honor will spur action. “It’s about motivating others to participate and to show concern and to work in that direction, really. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we must look at doing our utmost,” a statement concluded. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.” A family member engaged in environmental protection expressed optimism that “given direction and once enabled, humans can be responsible caretakers of Earth”, citing the initiatives of an institute which, in addition to its projects, empowers the next generation become engaged with their community, wildlife, and environment. “As my late grandmother repeatedly emphasized, the choices we make each day have an impact and the responsibility lies with us what type of impact we choose to create,” it was stated. “We still have an opportunity and this medal will offer support and increase understanding about beneficial initiatives currently in progress.”