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Our planet might be under strain, yet a sense of hope remains. A novel accolade originating at the science, music and arts festival Starmus seeks to encourage the public to act.

The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will be given in memory of the esteemed scientist and conservationist who passed away this year. It is designed to celebrate individuals and groups that advocate for life on Earth.

Honoring a Legacy

Initial honorees are expected to be announced during the Starmus VIII festival in the Canary Islands, scheduled from October 17th to 22nd next year.

Reports indicate that Goodall, who was a Starmus advisory board member, had backed the medal's establishment. “The vision of having this award, and Starmus being entrusted with organising it, is Jane’s,” a statement said. “Her desire was she would like this to happen. This is likely because of the very special bond she had with the festival.”

“The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth medal will recognize ongoing initiatives carried out to create a planet a better place for all living beings and ecosystems and offer support for the continuation such efforts,” said a family member.

Structure and Vision

A co-founder of Starmus stated that the medal – which was announced at a prestigious venue – will likely encompass various fields.

“It’s going to be modeled after the Stephen Hawking medal for science communication that we created exactly 10 years ago,” it was explained. Goodall was a recipient of that award.

Expressing concern about the future for Earth, one figure remarked, “Honestly, it’s very hard to maintain optimism. Certain policies in one major nation represents a dismissal of evidence. This situation significantly hampers collective action.”

“To be honest, the situation appears very good therefore we must commence reconsidering, much more seriously regarding the impact of our actions. And that’s not only climate change, but also the whole way that we treat our environment.”

Inspiring Change

Therefore, observers believe this is a good time to follow Jane Goodall's legacy. “It is believed that in bestowing the prize, the focus will be on this core philosophy of Jane’s – that was her priority, to transform our relationship with fellow creatures around us.”

A major topic currently involves the spread of disinformation. The central topic of next year’s Starmus festival is set as “the pursuit of factual understanding”.

“There is a recognition that truth has become a subject of discussion when politics are involved. And it’s an alarming trend,” it was said. “The climate science remains a scientific discipline; you cannot have any influence from politics in climate science.”

Hope and Determination

The aspiration is that the medal will inspire concrete steps. “The purpose is inspiring individuals to engage and to show concern and to work toward these goals, truly. Regardless of if we feel hopeful, we have to look at doing the best we can,” it was added. “Be prepared for failure, yet we must continue striving towards succeeding.”

A descendant involved in environmental protection expressed confidence that “with guidance and once enabled, humanity can be responsible caretakers of our planet”, highlighting the initiatives of an institute that, in addition to its projects, assists the youth get involved with their community, wildlife, and environment.

“As my late grandmother constantly emphasized, the choices we make each day are significant 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 give encouragement and raise awareness about constructive efforts that are being undertaken.”