The Earth may be under pressure, but Queen guitarist Sir Brian May hopes a new award from the science, music and arts festival he co-founded will spur people to action.
The Starmus Jane Goodall Earth Medal will be presented in honor of British primatologist who died this year and recognize those who protect life on Earth.
The first winners are expected to be announced at the Starmus VIII festival in Tenerife and La Palma, which will take place from 17 to 22 October next year.
May told the Guardian that Goodall, who was Starmus member of the advisory board, supported the creation of the award. “It was Jane's idea to create this medal and to have Starmus organize it. Jane said she wanted this to happen. And I think it was because of the very special relationship she had with us,” he said.
Goodall's grandson Merlin van Lawick welcomed the award. “Starmus Jane Goodall The Earth Medal will recognize and help continue sustainable programs to make our world a better place for people, animals and the environment,” he said.
Starmus co-founder Garik Israelian said the medal, which was announced at the Royal Society, will likely have multiple categories.
“It will be very similar to Stephen Hawking Medal for science communication, which we created exactly 10 years ago,” he said. Goodall was the recipient of this award.
May said it was difficult to be optimistic about the future of the planet. “To be honest, it’s very difficult to be optimistic,” he said. “The current government in America is at war with science and knowledge. So, in my opinion, this is really undermining the world's efforts.
“To be honest, things are not looking good, so we really need to start thinking again, I would say much more seriously, about the consequences of our actions. And it's not just global warming, it's our whole approach to the natural world.”
As a result, May says now is the time to follow Goodall's lead. “I think that when we present the award we will take into account this essential spirit of Jane – it was her priority to change the way we treat other animals around us.”
Israelian said that an important problem currently is the spread of misinformation. The theme of next year's Starmus festival will be “the search for truth.”
“We realized that truth becomes a subject of discussion when it comes to politics. And this is a very dangerous thing,” he said. “Climatology is a science; politics cannot influence climate science.”
May hopes the medal will inspire action. “It's really about encouraging people to get involved and care and work towards it. Whether we're optimistic or not, we have to try to do the best we can,” he said. “Be prepared to fail, but you will still have to work for success.”
Van Lawyk, who works in conservation, said he is optimistic that “with leadership and empowerment, people can take responsible care of our planet,” pointing to the work of the Jane Goodall Institute, which, among other activities, helps young people become involved in their communities, animals and the environment.
“As my late grandmother Jane Goodall constantly reminded us all, our daily actions matter, and it is up to us to make the difference we make,” he said. “It’s not too late and the Starmus Jane Goodall Earth Medal will support and raise awareness of the positive action being taken.”
