Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast

In this episode, hosts Saturn Salama and Joceleen (Joce) Oxley celebrated Molly Saruwatari's Spring 2026 graduation with a conversation about her contributions to the CSUSM community as a student leader, climate advocate, researcher of infectious diseases, and of course, host of the Climate to Action podcast. The conversation culminated on her next steps as a Master's student of public health. The Climate to Action team was overjoyed to highlight Molly's many accomplishments in her academic career at CSUSM as a passionate student of political science and environmental science. We wish her all the best in every future endeavor.

Guest: Molly Saruwatari 

Hosts: Saturn Salama & Joceleen (Joce) Oxley

Script: Saturn Salama  & Joce Oxley

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Social Media Content: Joce Oxley

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Cherie Hill

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is advised by faculty from the Dance Studies Department in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center and is recorded at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

In this episode, hosts Molly Saruwatari and Joceleen (Joce) Oxley talk with Sierra Fowler, Vice President of Strategic Accounts at Climate Impact Partners, about carbon markets, climate justice, and community-centered climate action. Sierra helps us understand how carbon credits work, what kinds of projects can generate them—from forest protection and renewable energy to clean cookstoves and methane capture—and why community engagement matters when evaluating whether a climate project truly delivers on its promises. We also discuss career paths in climate strategy, sustainability, and carbon markets, along with the skills students can build to enter these fields. The episode closes with a conversation about climate anxiety, hope, and a call to action: Connect with your community, stay informed, and vote for climate-conscious leaders and policies.

CREDITS  

Guest: Sierra Fowler, VP of Strategic Accounts with Climate Impact Partners

Hosts: Molly Saruwatari  & Joceleen (Joce) Oxley

Script: Molly Saruwatari  & Joce Oxley

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Social Media Content: Molly Saruwatari  & Joce Oxley

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb  

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is advised by faculty from the Philosophy Department and the Environment Studies Program in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center and is recorded at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.


In this episode of Climate to Action, host Molly Saruwatari welcomes Dr. Roni Kay O’Dell, professor of political science at California State University San Marcos, for a conversation about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their importance for climate action. Dr. O’Dell explains what the SDGs are, how they were developed through the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and why they matter as a shared global framework rather than just an international policy document. The episode also explores how governments, organizations, and diverse stakeholders helped shape the goals, and why inclusive global cooperation is essential in responding to climate change. Focusing on SDG 13, Climate Action, this conversation highlights the connections between climate, public health, migration, economic development, and global stability. Tune in to hear why meaningful climate action depends on working across nations, sectors, and disciplines—and why the SDGs continue to matter for building a more just and sustainable future.

CREDITS  

Guest: Dr. Roni Kay O’Dell

Host: Molly Saruwatari 

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Social Media Content: Molly Saruwatari 

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb  

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is advised by faculty from the Philosophy Department and the Environment Studies Program in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center and is recorded at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

In this episode of Climate To Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast, hosts Joce and Saturn speak with Scarlett, co-president of the Environmental Stewards Association (ESA), about building sustainability and climate action at CSUSM. Scarlett shares her environmental passions, explains ESA’s mission, and discusses how the club helps care for campus spaces like the pollinator garden. The conversation also explores how ESA shapes student experience, what gets students excited about climate justice, and how campus communities can be part of the solution. Tune in for inspiration, community-centered action, and a reminder that climate leadership can start right where you are.

CREDITS  

Guest: Scarlett Moon

Hosts: Joceleen Oxley and Saturn Salama

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Social Media Content: Molly Saruwatari 

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb  

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is advised by faculty from the Philosophy Department and the Environment Studies Program in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center and is produced at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

In this episode of Climate to Action, host Molly Saruwatari kicks off a new series spotlighting CSUSM students who are actively taking climate action—starting with guest Tyler Weinstock, an Environmental Studies major and intern at Plastic Beach, a local North County nonprofit.

CREDITS  

Guest: Tyler Weinstock

Host: Molly Saruwatari

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Social Media Content: Molly Saruwatari 

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb  

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is advised by faculty from the Philosophy Department and the Environment Studies Program in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center and is produced at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

In this episode, we dive into environmental literature and climate fiction (Cli-Fi) with Professor Dylan Winchock. We discuss what counts as ‘environmental lit,’ how stories can change how we think and act, and how Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake helps students grapple with the ethics of technology and climate justice. We unpack how literature differs from news and social media disaster narratives and explore how good stories can help us process feelings of dread and grief and move us from fear to agency. 

CREDITS  

Guest: Dylan Winchock 

Host: Saturn Salama 

Producers: Elden Cadena and Saturn Salama 

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Research & Script: Saturn Salama 

Social Media Content: Molly Saruwatari 

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb  

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center. The podcast is advised by faculty from the Philosophy Department and the Environment Studies Program in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is produced at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

CSUSM’s own Dr. Elizabeth Ridder joins us to talk about what first drew her to geography and conservation work and why the Mediterranean basin is such a vital—and vulnerable—hotspot for biodiversity and climate resilience. We explore what makes this region unique, the climate pressures it’s facing, and how her fieldwork connects to the bigger picture of global environmental change.

From U.S. national parks to protected areas around the world, Dr. Ridder breaks down what funding cuts really mean on the ground and how conservation can support communities.

CREDITS 

Guests: Dr. Elizabeth Ridder

Host: Molly Saruwatari

Producers: Elden Cadena and Saturn Salama 

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Research: Molly Saruwatari and Saturn Salama

Script: Molly Saruwatari

Social Media: Molly Saruwatari

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb 

Erika Rodriguez joins us to share the moment a Category 4 storm in Fiji pulled her into climate action—and how that experience helped spark San Diego Climate Week. We dig into what it takes to build a city-wide movement, how she measures success beyond a single week, and why her long-term hope is that someday, we won’t need a “Climate Week” at all! Tune in to hear why.

Recorded live in the barn at Coastal Roots Farm in Encinitas during the inaugural San Diego Climate Week.

CREDITS 

Guests: Erika Rodriguez

Hosts: Molly Saruwatari & Saturn Salama   

Producers: Elden Cadena and Saturn Salama 

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Research: Molly Saruwatari & Saturn Salama

Script: Molly Saruwatari & Saturn Salama

Social Media: Molly Saruwatari

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb 

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center. The podcast is advised by faculty from the Philosophy Department and the Environment Studies Program in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is produced at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

In this powerful episode, guests Amanda Subbish and Ivan Sam share Indigenous perspectives on climate resilience, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), and environmental leadership in the San Diego region. From stories of adaptation to wildfire and drought, to reflections on cultural ceremony, language, and land stewardship, this conversation invites listeners to rethink what it means to live in respectful relationship with the Earth. Tune in for insights on tribal sovereignty, community partnerships, and a meaningful call to action rooted in Indigenous leadership.

This episode was recorded with a live audience at the Water Conservation Garden in El Cajon as part of the inaugural San Diego Climate Week.

CREDITS 

Guests: Amanda Subbish and Ivan Sam

Host: Molly Saruwatari  

Producers: Elden Cadena and Saturn Salama 

Editor: Elden Cadena 

Research: Saturn Salama

Script: Molly Saruwatari and Saturn Salama 

 Social Media: Molly Saruwatari

Music: Marios Panousos 

Faculty Advisor: Anne Dabb 

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and Sustainability Center. The podcast is advised by faculty from the Environmental Studies Program and the Philosophy Department in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and Social Sciences. Climate to Action is produced at Inspiration Studios on the campus of California State University, San Marcos.

CREDITS

Guest: Ashleigh Skarshaug

Hosts: Saturn Salama

Producers: Elden Cadena and Saturn Salama

Editor: Elden Cadena

Research: Saturn Salama

Script: Daphne Nguyen

Music: Marios Panousos

Climate to Action: A CSUSM Student Podcast is an initiative of the CSUSM Climate Action and

Sustainability Center. The podcast is advised by faculty from the Environmental Studies

Program and the Philosophy Department in the College of Humanities, Arts, Behavioral and

Social Sciences. Climate to Action is produced at Inspiration Studios on the campus of

California State University, San Marcos.