Hope as a Verb: Reflections on the Human and Planetary Health Sidore Symposium
For a successful interdisciplinary collaborative event that hopes to bring about structural change, three elements are essential:
First, recognition of what is wrong and how we got here; Second, discussion on how to bring about the necessary changes, conversations that are often intense and end with people exchanging notes, business cards, or plans for continued dialogue; And lastly, a space not just to hear from speakers but also to voice concerns, engage in raw, unfiltered conversations about the state of things, and move toward actionable next steps.
This was exactly what I witnessed at the Human Health, Planetary Health and What Sustains Us Sidore Symposium at UNH.
The morning speakers—Dr. Suellen Breakey, Dr. Susan Clayton, and Stacia Clayton—challenged us to question the “band-aid” fixes so often applied to climate and health challenges. Instead of reshaping harmful systems, we continue with short-term solutions that delay meaningful change. One of the most powerful takeaways for me was the recognition of climate change as a mental health crisis. Children and young people are growing up with climate anxiety, which profoundly shapes their sense of resilience and possibility. Equally striking was the reminder that weakening social connections has health impacts comparable to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day. True healing, I realized, is about rebuilding communities, fostering connections, and redefining what it means to live well.
In our table discussions, the theme of hope resonated strongly. Hope, we agreed, cannot remain an abstract feeling, it must translate into action. I was moved by the idea that hope is a verb, something we actively generate through our choices and persistence. This shifted my perspective: rather than waiting for evidence to reassure us, we must work to create evidence that sustains hope for others. In this framing, planetary health becomes not only a scientific framework but also a social movement, where cultivating hope is itself an act of justice and care.
The afternoon sessions turned our attention toward systemic inequities. Gracie Kindeke, Anthony Poore, and Kurt Yuengling illuminated the structural failures in energy, housing, and school meal policies, all of which directly intersect with climate justice. Moreover, the rise of misinformation and the paralyzing effects of climate anxiety were highlighted as further obstacles, often leaving people in survival mode rather than solution-oriented collaboration.
The recognition that climate justice is inseparable from social justice must always be the first step in interdisciplinary collaboration. I was encouraged that the speakers not only framed it this way but also invited the audience to discuss these intersections.
They emphasized that meaningful change cannot come from a single community, pathway, or sector, it requires interconnected platforms for knowledge-sharing and problem-solving, and spaces where interdisciplinary solutions can take root.
Kathleen Grace-Bishop, Director at UNH’s Health and Wellness department closed the symposium by offering next steps that grounded us in possibility: live and generate hope, bring your authentic self to work, develop skills for self-care, be informed and bring others in, engage with community, embrace the fact that it’s never too late to change, and always bring joy. These reminders ensured that we left not in despair about current conditions, but with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.
The Saul O Sidore Memorial Lecture Series was established in 1965 in memory of Saul O Sidore of Manchester, New Hampshire. The purpose of the series is to offer the University community and the state of New Hampshire programs that raise critical and sometimes controversial issues facing our society. The University of New Hampshire Center for the Humanities sponsors the programs. Lectures are free and open to the public.
The 2025 Symposium was a collaboration of UNH's Sustainability Institute, Center for the Humanities, and Health and Wellness.
