🔗 Share this article The Starmus Earth Medal in Honor of Jane Goodall to Celebrate Individuals Striving to Better the World. Our planet might be facing challenges, however optimism persists. A fresh honor originating at the science, music and arts festival Starmus seeks to encourage individuals to make a difference. A gathering related to the Starmus festival. This new Earth medal bearing Jane Goodall's name will be given to pay tribute to the renowned British primatologist who passed away this year. It seeks to acknowledge individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth. Award Details Initial honorees will be revealed at the upcoming Starmus event in Tenerife and La Palma, which will run from 17–22 October next year. According to statements that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the award’s creation. “The idea behind this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, was Jane's wish,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like this to happen. And I think due to the very special relationship she shared with us.” “This medal aims to highlight enduring projects carried out to build an environment a better place for people, animals and the environment and offer support to carry on such efforts,” said a family member. Format and Inspiration A co-founder of the festival noted that the medal – unveiled at a scientific institution – will likely include several divisions. “The intent is for it to be inspired by the Stephen Hawking award honoring scientific outreach established exactly 10 years ago,” he explained. Goodall was an honoree of that award. Sharing thoughts about the future of the planet, one figure said, “Frankly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Certain policies in one major nation represents an assault on knowledge. So this really cripples the world’s efforts.” “Realistically, the situation appears particularly bright so we have to begin to thinking again, much more seriously about the consequences of human activity. This concern encompasses not just global warming, but also the entire manner in which we interact with our environment.” A Call to Action Consequently, it was noted it was an opportune moment to follow Goodall’s example. “It is believed that when we’re awarding this medal, we will be considering this core philosophy that Jane embodied – that was her foremost concern, to transform the way we treat the other animals with which we share the planet.” Another key issue currently involves the spread of false information. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”. “We realised that truth is becoming contested where political interests are involved. This is a very dangerous thing,” he commented. “Climate research is a science; you cannot have any influence by political agendas in this field.” Optimism and Resolve The aspiration is that the medal can motivate concrete steps. “The purpose is motivating others to get involved and to show concern and to strive in that direction, truly. Regardless of if we’re optimistic, we have to focus on doing the best we can,” it was added. “Be prepared for setbacks, yet we must have to work to achieve positive outcomes.” A family member engaged in conservation work expressed confidence that “given direction and once enabled, humans are capable of being responsible caretakers of our planet”, pointing to the initiatives of an institute which, in addition to its projects, assists the youth become engaged with their community, wildlife, and the natural world. “As Jane Goodall often emphasized, our daily actions 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 constructive efforts currently in progress.”