WEBVTT 00:00:04.679 --> 00:00:07.679 Hi, I'm Molly Sarwatari, and this is Climate 00:00:07.679 --> 00:00:10.679 to Action, a California State University San 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:13.359 Marcos student podcast. And my name is Alex. 00:00:13.460 --> 00:00:15.960 We're here to amplify voices, explore solutions 00:00:15.960 --> 00:00:18.059 to climate change, and address climate injustice 00:00:18.059 --> 00:00:22.019 for all living things. Here with C2A, we are 00:00:22.019 --> 00:00:24.079 committed to providing a variety of perspectives 00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:26.839 for addressing the climate crisis in every episode. 00:00:27.160 --> 00:00:29.699 Stay tuned for the end of the episode where we 00:00:29.699 --> 00:00:32.340 provide a simple way you can take action yourself. 00:00:32.700 --> 00:00:34.920 But first, we'd like to acknowledge that our 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:37.000 recording studio is located on the traditional 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:39.539 territory of the Luiseno -Paimcoicham people. 00:00:40.669 --> 00:00:43.070 CSUSM and its surrounding areas are still home 00:00:43.070 --> 00:00:45.609 to the six federally recognized bands of the 00:00:45.609 --> 00:00:49.450 La Jolla, Paula, Palma, Pechanga, Rincon, and 00:00:49.450 --> 00:00:52.369 Sobobo -Luceño -Payaquichum people. It's also 00:00:52.369 --> 00:00:54.409 important to acknowledge that this land remains 00:00:54.409 --> 00:00:56.909 the shared space among the Kupeño, Kumeyaay, 00:00:56.990 --> 00:00:59.880 and Epay peoples. For today's episode, we are 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:03.119 thrilled to introduce a very special guest, Allie 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:06.019 Mariko Dressel. Allie is passionate about sustainability, 00:01:06.340 --> 00:01:09.280 marine conservation, and climate justice, and 00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.400 has applied her diverse skills from performance 00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:14.079 arts to community engagement in the fight against 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:16.439 climate change. Allie, we're excited to have 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:18.400 you here today. Can you tell us more about your 00:01:18.400 --> 00:01:20.459 background? What inspired your journey in climate 00:01:20.459 --> 00:01:23.780 justice, marine conservation, and the arts? Sure. 00:01:23.900 --> 00:01:26.340 So I grew up in New Mexico. I actually grew up 00:01:26.340 --> 00:01:29.519 in the desert. And I was very lucky to have, 00:01:29.680 --> 00:01:32.799 probably to this day, the only marine science 00:01:32.799 --> 00:01:36.019 teacher in the entire state of New Mexico. And 00:01:36.019 --> 00:01:38.040 he was incredibly inspirational. He actually 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:40.799 inspired whole generations of students to pursue 00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:43.120 oceanography for their careers, myself included. 00:01:43.659 --> 00:01:46.359 And so that's what initially brought me to San 00:01:46.359 --> 00:01:49.319 Diego. So I went to the University of San Diego 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:52.379 for my undergrad and I did my degrees in both 00:01:52.379 --> 00:01:56.480 marine science and theater. And initially I thought, 00:01:56.540 --> 00:01:59.480 yes, I want to pursue marine biology for sure. 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:02.000 I had also done theater since I was a kid, so 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:05.340 I was really into it. I had done children's theater 00:02:05.340 --> 00:02:08.379 throughout. I had in high school, I directed 00:02:08.379 --> 00:02:10.539 Dracula, which was a really awesome production. 00:02:10.659 --> 00:02:12.560 So I really enjoyed that. And I thought, yeah, 00:02:12.680 --> 00:02:14.719 I'll still dabble in it, you know, and maybe 00:02:14.719 --> 00:02:18.300 minor in college or something. But then as I 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:20.840 started to take classes, I realized that I really 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:25.000 enjoyed theater a lot still. So I thought, you 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:27.159 know what? I actually like this too much. I would 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:30.360 like to. double major. And so that's how the 00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:33.680 two sort of started. And in doing so, I actually 00:02:33.680 --> 00:02:36.900 started to see the connections between the two. 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:40.919 So in marine science, as we were learning more 00:02:40.919 --> 00:02:43.500 about what's happening to our oceans and with 00:02:43.500 --> 00:02:46.960 climate change and all these things, I wanted 00:02:46.960 --> 00:02:49.139 to pursue conservation because that seemed to 00:02:49.139 --> 00:02:51.680 be the main direction that we all need to go. 00:02:52.240 --> 00:02:55.360 And also climate action. At the same time as 00:02:55.360 --> 00:02:57.860 I was studying theater, theater has always been 00:02:57.860 --> 00:03:02.240 a force for social good and for social change, 00:03:02.280 --> 00:03:04.139 I mean. So theater has always been a force for 00:03:04.139 --> 00:03:08.659 social change. So it has always helped to deconstruct 00:03:08.659 --> 00:03:11.219 and reconstruct social norms. So you think about 00:03:11.219 --> 00:03:14.960 the media, think about Hollywood and its impact 00:03:14.960 --> 00:03:18.419 and its influence on culture and cultural norms. 00:03:18.780 --> 00:03:22.060 And so this is what got me thinking, hey, why 00:03:22.060 --> 00:03:25.530 don't we... combine these two and use theater, 00:03:25.689 --> 00:03:27.250 especially at the time I was really interested 00:03:27.250 --> 00:03:30.030 in interactive, and this is before immersive 00:03:30.030 --> 00:03:32.610 was even the buzzword, but immersive forms of 00:03:32.610 --> 00:03:35.189 engagement as a way to really create these powerful, 00:03:35.409 --> 00:03:38.289 impactful, and potentially life -changing experiences. 00:03:38.969 --> 00:03:42.729 And why not use those kinds of experiences to 00:03:42.729 --> 00:03:45.530 connect people to oceans, to ocean conservation, 00:03:45.909 --> 00:03:49.210 to climate action, to all the communications 00:03:49.210 --> 00:03:52.030 that we need. But do it in a way that's very 00:03:52.030 --> 00:03:56.469 innovative and very impactful and memorable and 00:03:56.469 --> 00:03:59.990 hopefully life changing. That's so amazing. And 00:03:59.990 --> 00:04:02.409 shout out to that teacher in New Mexico who inspired 00:04:02.409 --> 00:04:04.930 you to go into marine conservation. And it's 00:04:04.930 --> 00:04:07.289 crazy because I also did theater in high school. 00:04:07.409 --> 00:04:09.990 And so when I got to college, I was so like, 00:04:10.090 --> 00:04:11.669 oh, my gosh, do I go into theater? Because I 00:04:11.669 --> 00:04:13.789 love it. And you're so right about it breaking 00:04:13.789 --> 00:04:16.709 down like social norms because it truly just 00:04:16.709 --> 00:04:19.230 allows you to kind of. Be who you want to be 00:04:19.230 --> 00:04:20.910 and allow you to be the person who you've always 00:04:20.910 --> 00:04:24.170 strived to be. Your work bridges the worlds of 00:04:24.170 --> 00:04:26.490 marine science and performance art. How did these 00:04:26.490 --> 00:04:29.509 worlds meet for you? Oh, well, I guess you kind 00:04:29.509 --> 00:04:31.569 of just answered that a little bit. Sure, I can 00:04:31.569 --> 00:04:36.430 expand. It goes on. So I graduated a while back 00:04:36.430 --> 00:04:39.990 now. So after I graduated with two degrees and 00:04:39.990 --> 00:04:43.110 you do what I did, what everyone does with two 00:04:43.110 --> 00:04:47.269 degrees and immediately join the circus. So, 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:49.350 but for real, I actually joined the circus. I 00:04:49.350 --> 00:04:52.589 became a professional clown. And this was with 00:04:52.589 --> 00:04:55.769 like more of a French style circus. So we did 00:04:55.769 --> 00:04:59.110 the full face paint and I learned a lot of acrobatics 00:04:59.110 --> 00:05:01.709 and physical theater, physical movement type 00:05:01.709 --> 00:05:05.129 of work in a French kind of style. And so I worked 00:05:05.129 --> 00:05:08.750 with a particular circus group and we traveled 00:05:08.750 --> 00:05:10.790 all over, did lots of shows around California 00:05:10.790 --> 00:05:13.730 and the US and then eventually Australia. At 00:05:13.730 --> 00:05:16.620 the same time, I... I became a professional performer 00:05:16.620 --> 00:05:20.120 of all sorts, so a professional dancer and character 00:05:20.120 --> 00:05:22.199 actor. So I got to work in a lot of different 00:05:22.199 --> 00:05:25.160 music festivals, got to travel all over the world 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:27.339 and do music festivals, which was really amazing, 00:05:27.459 --> 00:05:31.100 and some interactive theater shows. I moved to 00:05:31.100 --> 00:05:35.540 LA and lived there for five years doing all sorts 00:05:35.540 --> 00:05:37.079 of different kinds of things. Some of it was 00:05:37.079 --> 00:05:39.199 corporate, some of it was for theater, some of 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:43.279 it was for... all sorts of other quirky things 00:05:43.279 --> 00:05:45.860 so and the reason I wanted to pursue that world 00:05:45.860 --> 00:05:48.560 is to really dive into the both into the entertainment 00:05:48.560 --> 00:05:50.800 industry to kind of learn the ropes but also 00:05:50.800 --> 00:05:56.180 what is going on with the immersive world currently 00:05:56.180 --> 00:06:01.579 and explore those mediums as an actor because 00:06:01.579 --> 00:06:04.360 one I enjoy performing so why not do it while 00:06:04.360 --> 00:06:07.259 I was young but also because I knew that I wanted 00:06:07.259 --> 00:06:12.139 to eventually direct and produce and create this 00:06:12.139 --> 00:06:15.199 vision that I had started in undergrad so I had 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:17.199 from my undergraduate thesis I actually started 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:20.740 to create interactive performance pieces where 00:06:20.740 --> 00:06:23.819 we had for example had gone to Balboa Park in 00:06:23.819 --> 00:06:25.819 San Diego during Earth Day and did these little 00:06:25.819 --> 00:06:28.500 like interactive street theater types of things 00:06:28.500 --> 00:06:30.240 where I dressed up like a sea turtle and people 00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:32.959 had to save me from the net and so I started 00:06:32.959 --> 00:06:35.790 experimenting with stuff like this And then as 00:06:35.790 --> 00:06:38.110 I dived into what it's like in the professional 00:06:38.110 --> 00:06:41.389 world, got really good at costume design and 00:06:41.389 --> 00:06:43.370 makeup and that sort of thing and built a really 00:06:43.370 --> 00:06:48.269 beautiful network of amazingly talented actors 00:06:48.269 --> 00:06:50.610 and dancers and character actors and producers, 00:06:50.750 --> 00:06:53.370 directors and tech people and all this. And so 00:06:53.370 --> 00:06:58.509 that's what I had always kind of kept a toe in 00:06:58.509 --> 00:07:01.029 the ocean conservation world, too, where I had 00:07:01.029 --> 00:07:05.069 done some. coral reef conservation work in Thailand. 00:07:05.149 --> 00:07:08.290 I had done some in French Polynesia, always with 00:07:08.290 --> 00:07:10.649 this intention of kind of building off of what 00:07:10.649 --> 00:07:13.949 I had started in college and then eventually 00:07:13.949 --> 00:07:16.550 wanted to create, you know, a bigger and bigger 00:07:16.550 --> 00:07:19.730 project out of it. And so when the pandemic hit 00:07:19.730 --> 00:07:23.930 and I lost all of my jobs, I thought, well, maybe 00:07:23.930 --> 00:07:25.730 this is a good time to go to grad school. And 00:07:25.730 --> 00:07:28.670 I found this program at Scripps Institution of 00:07:28.670 --> 00:07:31.069 Oceanography. That was very interdisciplinary. 00:07:31.329 --> 00:07:33.810 So I was like, this is perfect. I can kind of 00:07:33.810 --> 00:07:37.089 fuse these two things together and leverage this 00:07:37.089 --> 00:07:39.689 program to take it to the next step because that's 00:07:39.689 --> 00:07:41.889 exactly what it was meant for. And so I got my 00:07:41.889 --> 00:07:44.310 master's in marine conservation and biodiversity 00:07:44.310 --> 00:07:47.649 from Scripps at UCSD. And that's exactly what 00:07:47.649 --> 00:07:51.180 I did for the program. produced an immersive 00:07:51.180 --> 00:07:54.540 show and so that show was at the birch aquarium 00:07:54.540 --> 00:07:56.800 in san diego and it was about how climate change 00:07:56.800 --> 00:08:01.439 impacts coral reefs and so we had a whole series 00:08:01.439 --> 00:08:04.560 of different actors and characters that were 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:08.420 corals and fish parrotfish we even had a climate 00:08:08.420 --> 00:08:11.639 change industry fossil fuel industry type of 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:14.639 character that bleached the corals and then we 00:08:14.639 --> 00:08:17.060 had what amounts to like a community engagement 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:20.399 kind of format but basically very interactive 00:08:20.399 --> 00:08:23.439 way of the audience connecting with the corals 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:25.519 and helping rebuild the reef so to answer your 00:08:25.519 --> 00:08:29.060 question of how does it all link that that was 00:08:29.060 --> 00:08:33.519 the seed or i should say that was the sapling 00:08:33.519 --> 00:08:36.820 that has grown out of what was initially the 00:08:36.820 --> 00:08:40.899 seed of creating something and that which has 00:08:40.899 --> 00:08:44.659 now become what i'm building to be a non -profit 00:08:44.659 --> 00:08:47.139 called resiliency immersive whose mission is 00:08:47.139 --> 00:08:50.159 to connect communities to ocean conservation 00:08:50.159 --> 00:08:52.419 and climate action through immersive experiences 00:08:52.419 --> 00:08:54.679 and theatrical storytelling so that's how it 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:56.620 all kind of connects and then at the same time 00:08:56.620 --> 00:08:58.990 i also do climate justice work on the side I 00:08:58.990 --> 00:09:01.830 think everything you just explained that you've 00:09:01.830 --> 00:09:04.470 done is the coolest thing I've ever heard. I 00:09:04.470 --> 00:09:07.490 also think it's really interesting doing theater 00:09:07.490 --> 00:09:10.669 in a way to show people like myself that doesn't 00:09:10.669 --> 00:09:13.710 have knowledge about climate change and climate 00:09:13.710 --> 00:09:16.490 action and bringing it into like a theater -esque, 00:09:16.570 --> 00:09:18.149 because that sounds like something I would want 00:09:18.149 --> 00:09:21.570 to watch, which you mentioned your event at the 00:09:21.570 --> 00:09:24.409 Birch Aquarium. Why do you think immersive experimental 00:09:24.409 --> 00:09:27.149 learning is so effective in communicating climate 00:09:27.149 --> 00:09:31.950 issues? I think it has a lot to do with impact. 00:09:32.570 --> 00:09:35.149 So in the theater world, we're constantly finding 00:09:35.149 --> 00:09:44.509 ways to evoke and help bring out emotion or to 00:09:44.509 --> 00:09:49.809 illustrate stories that are felt in a way that 00:09:49.809 --> 00:09:54.230 is more memorable because it's not just in your 00:09:54.230 --> 00:09:56.129 head space. You feel it in your heart space. 00:09:56.250 --> 00:09:59.500 You feel it emotionally. You feel it throughout 00:09:59.500 --> 00:10:02.679 your whole body. And I think immersive forms 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:05.279 of engagement are really good at this because 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:09.720 they can break the mental experience and help 00:10:09.720 --> 00:10:13.200 shift people's perspective into something a little 00:10:13.200 --> 00:10:16.799 bit more physical or emotional or sense -oriented. 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:21.299 So in a way, it's literally shifting your perspective. 00:10:21.759 --> 00:10:26.279 Sometimes it can be very literally. For example, 00:10:26.279 --> 00:10:29.440 some immersive theater will take you underneath 00:10:29.440 --> 00:10:34.120 tables or take you through like tunnels or like 00:10:34.120 --> 00:10:37.120 in Meow Wolf you'll go through a washing machine. 00:10:37.179 --> 00:10:39.639 So it's like literally taking you into these 00:10:39.639 --> 00:10:42.639 different forms and different realities of sorts. 00:10:42.840 --> 00:10:47.299 And so I think that's important for kind of shaking 00:10:47.299 --> 00:10:51.179 up our day to day. So, for example, if you go 00:10:51.179 --> 00:10:54.779 see a movie. And it could be like a really amazing 00:10:54.779 --> 00:10:56.960 documentary and you can feel really inspired 00:10:56.960 --> 00:10:58.639 and all this. But at the end of the day, you're 00:10:58.639 --> 00:11:02.059 still, you know, you grab your jacket and you 00:11:02.059 --> 00:11:06.080 go home. But with something like immersive experiences 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:08.759 that can that that really like shakes you to 00:11:08.759 --> 00:11:12.340 the core and can create these really profound 00:11:12.340 --> 00:11:15.399 and memorable experiences that you physically 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:18.980 remember. You're not just going to take your 00:11:18.980 --> 00:11:21.210 jacket and remember. go home and then forget 00:11:21.210 --> 00:11:22.769 about it the next day you're going to think about 00:11:22.769 --> 00:11:25.889 it and it might influence you in ways that you 00:11:25.889 --> 00:11:29.149 can't you wouldn't expect or in ways that you 00:11:29.149 --> 00:11:33.009 like subconsciously over time so I could actually 00:11:33.009 --> 00:11:35.509 go on forever about the power of immersive theater 00:11:35.509 --> 00:11:38.309 but I think ultimately it's that it's that it's 00:11:38.309 --> 00:11:41.570 a it's a very visceral experiences that shakes 00:11:41.570 --> 00:11:47.190 your reality quite literally Absolutely. Theater 00:11:47.190 --> 00:11:50.350 is an art form that truly just can change someone's 00:11:50.350 --> 00:11:52.669 perspective for the rest of their life. Theater 00:11:52.669 --> 00:11:55.730 also has this insanely unique ability to evoke 00:11:55.730 --> 00:11:58.970 deep emotional responses. Allie, how does your 00:11:58.970 --> 00:12:01.509 use of theater raise awareness for the climate 00:12:01.509 --> 00:12:04.370 crisis and provide healing for both actors and 00:12:04.370 --> 00:12:06.429 the community? So one thing that I found that 00:12:06.429 --> 00:12:12.470 was very successful with this model is that people 00:12:12.470 --> 00:12:15.269 respond really well. when they can see themselves 00:12:15.269 --> 00:12:19.350 reflected in stories. And so if you take a coral, 00:12:19.450 --> 00:12:22.730 for example, a lot of people may or may not know 00:12:22.730 --> 00:12:25.269 what a coral is. Even if you show them a picture, 00:12:25.370 --> 00:12:26.909 it's like, what is that? Is that a plant? Is 00:12:26.909 --> 00:12:28.809 that an animal? Somewhere in between? Who knows? 00:12:29.769 --> 00:12:35.629 But the more that people start to see their experiences 00:12:35.629 --> 00:12:38.049 reflected in what the coral is going through, 00:12:38.110 --> 00:12:39.429 the more they're going to empathize with it. 00:12:39.509 --> 00:12:41.730 So I think that's the key is empathy, actually. 00:12:42.309 --> 00:12:45.820 And so... With the show that we did at the aquarium, 00:12:46.039 --> 00:12:52.740 for example, we had the corals start out the 00:12:52.740 --> 00:12:54.659 show with, well, first of all, I should say, 00:12:54.700 --> 00:12:56.320 it was a whole immersive experience. So people 00:12:56.320 --> 00:12:59.080 come, they enter the space, they get to meet 00:12:59.080 --> 00:13:01.720 the different parrotfish and the corals kind 00:13:01.720 --> 00:13:03.240 of interacting with people as they're kind of 00:13:03.240 --> 00:13:05.279 mingling and talking to each other. And then 00:13:05.279 --> 00:13:08.259 when the theatrical show started, we had projection 00:13:08.259 --> 00:13:11.179 mapping of actual coral footage that we worked 00:13:11.179 --> 00:13:14.379 with the science team. that was doing coral research 00:13:14.379 --> 00:13:17.100 at Scripps and so on. So anyway, it was this 00:13:17.100 --> 00:13:20.320 whole like ocean immersive environment that you're 00:13:20.320 --> 00:13:24.019 in. And the corals start the story by doing their 00:13:24.019 --> 00:13:26.799 Polynesian dance, which is very fun and lively, 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:30.159 bright colors of fabrics and everything. And 00:13:30.159 --> 00:13:33.740 then the industrial character comes in and tears 00:13:33.740 --> 00:13:37.580 off their fabrics to reveal these white body 00:13:37.580 --> 00:13:40.000 suits underneath. And so there's something very 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:44.259 visceral about that image of getting literally 00:13:44.259 --> 00:13:48.019 torn and to reveal that bleaching effect and 00:13:48.019 --> 00:13:51.399 because the actor was able to emote in her face 00:13:51.399 --> 00:13:55.460 that's happening there's something powerful that 00:13:55.460 --> 00:13:58.919 happens when people see that so they can still 00:13:58.919 --> 00:14:00.899 feel this empathy when they see like a coral 00:14:00.899 --> 00:14:02.919 like an image of a coral reef being bleached 00:14:02.919 --> 00:14:06.039 but when they see the human emoting it there's 00:14:06.039 --> 00:14:09.460 something that connects people on an emotional 00:14:09.460 --> 00:14:14.740 level And I suppose it's anthropomorphizing it 00:14:14.740 --> 00:14:18.240 in a way that really resonates with people. And 00:14:18.240 --> 00:14:21.200 that seems to be very effective. You've mentioned 00:14:21.200 --> 00:14:23.700 that your climate action play is aimed at millennials. 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:26.779 Could you tell us a bit more about why this specific 00:14:26.779 --> 00:14:33.240 generation? Sure. So if we wait too long to do 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:36.440 the climate action. Something that happens a 00:14:36.440 --> 00:14:38.159 lot is, oh, the next generation will take care 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:40.139 of it. Oh, it'll be the next generation. They're 00:14:40.139 --> 00:14:41.740 smart. They're young. They're motivated. They'll 00:14:41.740 --> 00:14:44.000 figure it out. The problem is we have a very 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:47.200 short window of time in which we have the opportunity 00:14:47.200 --> 00:14:52.639 to take significant action to protect the stability 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:55.820 of climate on our planet. Because the thing with 00:14:55.820 --> 00:14:58.220 climate change is it's not so... much that the 00:14:58.220 --> 00:15:01.039 change is concerning climate change has always 00:15:01.039 --> 00:15:02.759 been part of the history of the earth that's 00:15:02.759 --> 00:15:05.179 not such a big deal what is a big deal is the 00:15:05.179 --> 00:15:09.200 rate of change is so high and so much higher 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:12.080 than anything that we've ever seen in the history 00:15:12.080 --> 00:15:14.240 of our planet that we don't know what's going 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:18.320 to happen in terms of how intense things are 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:20.879 going to get and how shooken up these cycles 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:23.039 are going to get and how that's going to disrupt 00:15:24.240 --> 00:15:27.559 the relative stability that we've had during 00:15:27.559 --> 00:15:35.440 the most of our human existence so um remind 00:15:35.440 --> 00:15:40.860 me what where i was going with that why the you're 00:15:40.860 --> 00:15:43.460 aiming this at millennials like this generation 00:15:43.460 --> 00:15:48.740 thank you you're welcome so because we have such 00:15:48.740 --> 00:15:51.980 a short window of time to protect that stability 00:15:52.820 --> 00:15:56.320 on the planet we have we have to take action 00:15:56.320 --> 00:15:58.879 as soon as possible and then actually really 00:15:58.879 --> 00:16:02.059 we should have been doing this 50 years ago 70 00:16:02.059 --> 00:16:06.120 years ago ideally but you know now is the next 00:16:06.120 --> 00:16:10.419 best time and so the reason I like to focus on 00:16:10.419 --> 00:16:12.019 the millennial generation is because they are 00:16:12.669 --> 00:16:15.370 the ones who are either already in positions 00:16:15.370 --> 00:16:18.190 of power or are going into positions of power 00:16:18.190 --> 00:16:20.889 to have that agency and that authority to make 00:16:20.889 --> 00:16:23.009 those really significant infrastructure changes 00:16:23.009 --> 00:16:25.909 that we need both at the policy level and at 00:16:25.909 --> 00:16:29.789 the business level and and so on the older generations 00:16:29.789 --> 00:16:34.090 to some degree yes but as we've seen they seem 00:16:34.090 --> 00:16:36.799 to be a little bit stuck in their ways I would 00:16:36.799 --> 00:16:40.320 say we can include Gen X, since they tend to 00:16:40.320 --> 00:16:43.059 be forgotten. It depends on if they're interested 00:16:43.059 --> 00:16:45.419 in this kind of thing. And then, of course, Gen 00:16:45.419 --> 00:16:47.639 Z, too, I think is definitely going to resonate 00:16:47.639 --> 00:16:50.000 really well with this. But the millennials really 00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:55.860 are in the positions of Congress and all of that. 00:16:55.919 --> 00:16:58.159 They're going into those positions, if not already. 00:16:58.360 --> 00:17:01.799 So I think that's the primary reason to reach 00:17:01.799 --> 00:17:04.279 out. And same with Gen Z. If we were to wait, 00:17:04.380 --> 00:17:08.710 for example, for... the youngest and because 00:17:08.710 --> 00:17:11.509 of this uh format that we have with resiliency 00:17:11.509 --> 00:17:16.269 is very like um big and has lots of costumes 00:17:16.269 --> 00:17:18.150 and everything people always say oh my gosh this 00:17:18.150 --> 00:17:20.130 is perfect for children and yes it is children 00:17:20.130 --> 00:17:23.009 really do respond really well to it however i 00:17:23.009 --> 00:17:25.109 wouldn't want to focus only on children because 00:17:25.109 --> 00:17:27.950 of exactly this this issue that if we wait for 00:17:27.950 --> 00:17:31.089 them to figure it out it's too late it'll be 00:17:31.089 --> 00:17:34.500 too late It's already a little bit too late for 00:17:34.500 --> 00:17:37.099 all of us, so we do the best that we can now 00:17:37.099 --> 00:17:40.240 with the time that we have. That's awesome. I 00:17:40.240 --> 00:17:43.140 have truly never even thought about it as thinking 00:17:43.140 --> 00:17:46.140 about it from the perspective of the generation 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:49.380 that's going into the positions of power should 00:17:49.380 --> 00:17:50.839 be the one that we're really trying to focus 00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:53.619 on. I've always kind of thought, oh, obviously 00:17:53.619 --> 00:17:56.480 we should try to influence all generations, but 00:17:56.480 --> 00:17:59.819 like you said, there's wishful thinking out there 00:17:59.819 --> 00:18:03.059 for that kind of push. But I think it's amazing 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:05.359 because I've always thought of it as like, oh, 00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:08.480 Gen Z will be like the one to like really change 00:18:08.480 --> 00:18:11.019 the way because I've noticed a very strong attachment 00:18:11.019 --> 00:18:13.420 to the environment with people that are in Gen 00:18:13.420 --> 00:18:16.759 Z, like myself, my friends, my people in my major, 00:18:16.799 --> 00:18:19.720 what have you. But yeah, focusing on millennials 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:22.680 is a really good idea because it's going to make 00:18:22.680 --> 00:18:24.980 the change happen now because they are the ones 00:18:24.980 --> 00:18:27.400 who have the ability to make the change. Now 00:18:27.400 --> 00:18:29.519 we're going to pivot slightly. We're aware that 00:18:29.519 --> 00:18:31.930 you have an indigenous background. Indigenous 00:18:31.930 --> 00:18:34.089 knowledge has always been integral to understanding 00:18:34.089 --> 00:18:36.509 and responding to environmental issues, especially 00:18:36.509 --> 00:18:38.990 here at Cal State San Marcos. We have a very 00:18:38.990 --> 00:18:41.289 deep -rooted history with Indigenous knowledge. 00:18:41.809 --> 00:18:44.109 How do you incorporate Indigenous perspectives 00:18:44.109 --> 00:18:46.309 into your storytelling and into your performances? 00:18:47.029 --> 00:18:50.809 Oh, yay. I love this question. So, yeah, growing 00:18:50.809 --> 00:18:55.869 up, we are Piro, which the Indigenous word is 00:18:55.869 --> 00:18:58.950 actually Atsihem, which is our... the last remaining 00:18:58.950 --> 00:19:01.730 word of the language. Piro is actually the Spanish 00:19:01.730 --> 00:19:07.029 word for the indigenous group that was central 00:19:07.029 --> 00:19:12.369 to New Mexico. So my family are one of the last 00:19:12.369 --> 00:19:15.829 remaining descendants of the Atsihem. We have 00:19:15.829 --> 00:19:21.069 basically been assimilated and kind of over time 00:19:21.069 --> 00:19:24.099 just sort of disconnected and people have moved 00:19:24.099 --> 00:19:26.200 on and gone moved to other places and so on so 00:19:26.200 --> 00:19:29.039 we don't have a centralized tribe of sorts we're 00:19:29.039 --> 00:19:32.279 not a federally recognized tribe so what we have 00:19:32.279 --> 00:19:36.660 are literally the stories and the the remaining 00:19:36.660 --> 00:19:41.619 um memories that was passed down from my great 00:19:41.619 --> 00:19:44.119 -grandmother to my grandmother to my mother to 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:49.220 me to and then to the generations um continuing 00:19:49.220 --> 00:19:54.180 on so This means that it's very special, all 00:19:54.180 --> 00:19:57.200 of those memories and all of that knowledge that 00:19:57.200 --> 00:20:00.400 we have been able to retain despite everything 00:20:00.400 --> 00:20:04.099 that has happened and despite the attempted genocide 00:20:04.099 --> 00:20:10.900 of all of the indigenous peoples here. And so 00:20:10.900 --> 00:20:14.319 I think the best way to answer this question 00:20:14.319 --> 00:20:17.000 is that it's something I don't really have to 00:20:17.000 --> 00:20:20.069 think about. indigenous way is just something 00:20:20.069 --> 00:20:23.369 that I grew up with and so it just makes sense 00:20:23.369 --> 00:20:26.670 and then it wasn't until much later that I started 00:20:26.670 --> 00:20:29.589 to realize that oh I guess that you I guess that 00:20:29.589 --> 00:20:32.230 you could consider that to be like an indigenous 00:20:32.230 --> 00:20:35.170 perspective but in reality it was really just 00:20:35.170 --> 00:20:38.440 well why wouldn't you think of yourself as one 00:20:38.440 --> 00:20:41.539 with the environment, as in harmony with, as 00:20:41.539 --> 00:20:45.339 everything that you do is in consideration of 00:20:45.339 --> 00:20:49.460 how everything is holistically working together 00:20:49.460 --> 00:20:54.059 as opposed to in domination over, or as our current 00:20:54.059 --> 00:20:57.579 paradigm is based and rooted in extraction of 00:20:57.579 --> 00:21:02.779 domination over. And so... In my storytelling, 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:05.900 I suppose, some of that just kind of comes out 00:21:05.900 --> 00:21:10.180 naturally. And then in thinking through how we 00:21:10.180 --> 00:21:13.220 can use resiliency going forward, I would love 00:21:13.220 --> 00:21:16.720 to continue to use it as a platform to help uplift 00:21:16.720 --> 00:21:19.799 those voices that have historically been left 00:21:19.799 --> 00:21:23.059 out or excluded or never had a voice. And this 00:21:23.059 --> 00:21:28.200 includes both human and non -human. So I guess 00:21:28.200 --> 00:21:31.500 to give an example. for the Birch Aquarium event 00:21:31.500 --> 00:21:37.200 again. The choral characters worked very closely 00:21:37.200 --> 00:21:40.420 with a couple different Polynesian groups to 00:21:40.420 --> 00:21:43.980 kind of integrate the Polynesian perspectives 00:21:43.980 --> 00:21:46.359 and knowledge into those characters and into 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:50.019 the performances. We wanted them to have like 00:21:50.019 --> 00:21:53.799 a global representation of reefs, since reefs 00:21:53.799 --> 00:21:55.960 are all over the world and they require global 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:59.319 action because climate change is their biggest 00:21:59.319 --> 00:22:02.559 threat and climate change requires a global collective 00:22:02.559 --> 00:22:08.460 action. And so the corals danced to a Tahitian 00:22:08.460 --> 00:22:11.660 song. And so we had them do a Tahitian dance. 00:22:12.650 --> 00:22:14.990 And then we also opened the space. We opened 00:22:14.990 --> 00:22:17.069 the whole experience with a traditional Hawaiian 00:22:17.069 --> 00:22:20.450 chant from the Kumulipo. And so I was very lucky 00:22:20.450 --> 00:22:22.789 and very fortunate to work with this beautiful 00:22:22.789 --> 00:22:26.150 Hawaiian elder who was able to provide that chant. 00:22:26.430 --> 00:22:29.589 And it was honoring the coral reef ancestors, 00:22:29.589 --> 00:22:33.450 understanding that the corals have come first 00:22:33.450 --> 00:22:36.410 because they are millions and millions of years 00:22:36.410 --> 00:22:38.990 old. And so they are our original ancestors. 00:22:39.369 --> 00:22:41.750 So that is one way to kind of integrate the indigenous. 00:22:42.440 --> 00:22:45.420 knowledge and perspective. And then going forward, 00:22:45.519 --> 00:22:47.720 yes, the stories that we'll tell, I would love 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:53.000 to continue to weave in not just the knowledge, 00:22:53.180 --> 00:22:57.339 but also the stewardship and advocate for how 00:22:57.339 --> 00:23:04.339 can we help generate positions for Indigenous 00:23:04.339 --> 00:23:07.240 stewards and leaders. And I think this is something 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:10.140 that... We've seen some successes with like the 00:23:10.140 --> 00:23:13.599 Chumash Marine National Sanctuary being led by 00:23:13.599 --> 00:23:16.920 the Chumash is a beautiful example of what can 00:23:16.920 --> 00:23:19.160 happen when there is indigenous leadership. And 00:23:19.160 --> 00:23:22.579 so that is one route of advocacy that I would 00:23:22.579 --> 00:23:26.500 really like to focus on is making sure that there 00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:31.720 is that avenue for indigenous leadership, not 00:23:31.720 --> 00:23:34.619 just drawing from the knowledge, but actually 00:23:34.619 --> 00:23:40.099 creating space for people to Yeah, help un -mess 00:23:40.099 --> 00:23:44.940 up the world. That's nice. And I feel like very 00:23:44.940 --> 00:23:47.400 inclusive. And even like you said, people that 00:23:47.400 --> 00:23:50.140 don't have a voice, if they were to experience 00:23:50.140 --> 00:23:52.680 that, I feel like they would feel more involved 00:23:52.680 --> 00:23:55.819 for sure. Now, given the overwhelming nature 00:23:55.819 --> 00:23:58.259 of the climate crisis, we'd love to know how 00:23:58.259 --> 00:24:00.380 you cope with climate anxiety and uncertainty. 00:24:00.799 --> 00:24:03.420 How do you think performance art can help others 00:24:03.420 --> 00:24:08.400 manage those emotions? The first thing that comes 00:24:08.400 --> 00:24:13.400 to mind is somatic integration. So somatic being 00:24:13.400 --> 00:24:19.079 in your body. So one thing that I think our culture 00:24:19.079 --> 00:24:22.339 has gotten very accustomed to is seeing everything, 00:24:23.039 --> 00:24:26.579 experiencing everything through a screen or through 00:24:26.579 --> 00:24:30.660 sitting all day, working on a job at a desk job 00:24:30.660 --> 00:24:32.839 or watching TV forever, looking down at your 00:24:32.839 --> 00:24:35.279 phones. And there's not a whole lot of movement. 00:24:35.500 --> 00:24:38.420 And so I think... Being able to integrate more 00:24:38.420 --> 00:24:42.519 movement into our daily lives and daily practices 00:24:42.519 --> 00:24:46.200 is really key to help move that anxiety out of 00:24:46.200 --> 00:24:48.680 you. So it doesn't stay stuck in your body or 00:24:48.680 --> 00:24:51.740 stuck in your head or wherever it may live, but 00:24:51.740 --> 00:24:57.099 actually gets moved. And so things like dancing, 00:24:57.220 --> 00:25:01.039 going to music festivals is a great way. to release 00:25:01.039 --> 00:25:03.980 a lot of that pent up anxiety. And I think that's 00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:05.599 part of the reason why they're so successful 00:25:05.599 --> 00:25:08.579 is because people need that outlet and they don't 00:25:08.579 --> 00:25:10.700 even need to explain it. It's just they go to 00:25:10.700 --> 00:25:13.240 it. They feel that catharsis as it would be in 00:25:13.240 --> 00:25:18.819 theater language, that release. And so and I 00:25:18.819 --> 00:25:23.160 think things like yoga or sports in general or 00:25:23.160 --> 00:25:27.400 just running, whatever it may be, is really important 00:25:27.400 --> 00:25:31.339 to. continue on a daily basis so that we don't 00:25:31.339 --> 00:25:36.859 get so stuck and so caught up in the potential 00:25:36.859 --> 00:25:40.099 despair and hopelessness that we are bombarded 00:25:40.099 --> 00:25:44.200 with every day. That's so amazing. The work that 00:25:44.200 --> 00:25:46.799 you're doing, Bridges, performance art, and of 00:25:46.799 --> 00:25:49.480 course, climate action. And it's something that 00:25:49.480 --> 00:25:51.599 we've never really seen before, or at least I've 00:25:51.599 --> 00:25:54.279 never seen anything before. And Alex, I don't 00:25:54.279 --> 00:25:55.599 know if you've ever seen anything like that. 00:25:55.660 --> 00:25:58.319 I have not. I'm like mesmerized. Yeah, it's so 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:01.069 cool. And your experiences and life from. you 00:26:01.069 --> 00:26:03.829 know being in a professional circus and being 00:26:03.829 --> 00:26:05.890 a professional clown and then going like coming 00:26:05.890 --> 00:26:08.009 from New Mexico where they only had one marine 00:26:08.009 --> 00:26:11.109 conservation teacher and coming to University 00:26:11.109 --> 00:26:13.150 of San Diego and double majoring and everything 00:26:13.150 --> 00:26:16.549 in between has just been so inspiring to myself 00:26:16.549 --> 00:26:19.369 and hopefully to our listeners. But unfortunately, 00:26:19.490 --> 00:26:22.069 we are coming to the end of the podcast. However, 00:26:22.309 --> 00:26:24.490 we want to introduce you to a tradition that 00:26:24.490 --> 00:26:27.390 we do here at Climate to Action. We offer our 00:26:27.390 --> 00:26:29.589 listeners a chance to implement something into 00:26:29.589 --> 00:26:32.349 their own lives that helps combat climate change 00:26:32.349 --> 00:26:35.289 in some small ways. In other words, we call this 00:26:35.289 --> 00:26:38.420 our call to action. Ali, throughout your work, 00:26:38.460 --> 00:26:40.559 you've emphasized the importance of collaboration 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:43.119 and justice. What is one thing our listeners 00:26:43.119 --> 00:26:45.460 can do to contribute to climate action in their 00:26:45.460 --> 00:26:49.539 own lives today? There's so many to choose from. 00:26:49.700 --> 00:26:54.819 I think one of the most impactful things that 00:26:54.819 --> 00:26:59.319 we can do is stay engaged in a collective action 00:26:59.319 --> 00:27:02.220 kind of way. And so that can be different things 00:27:02.220 --> 00:27:05.740 to different people. So that could mean... participating 00:27:05.740 --> 00:27:10.240 in a rally like we saw this past weekend. It 00:27:10.240 --> 00:27:14.660 could mean showing up to your local policymakers 00:27:14.660 --> 00:27:18.019 meetings and giving a public comment. It could 00:27:18.019 --> 00:27:20.700 mean lobbying with your local policymakers about 00:27:20.700 --> 00:27:23.420 a particular legislation that you support or 00:27:23.420 --> 00:27:28.799 oppose, or maybe even suggesting some kind of 00:27:28.799 --> 00:27:32.710 legislation that isn't there yet. And at the 00:27:32.710 --> 00:27:35.490 very least, even if you don't get involved with 00:27:35.490 --> 00:27:43.009 policy, stay positive and encourage the people 00:27:43.009 --> 00:27:47.809 closest to you, your friends and family, to never 00:27:47.809 --> 00:27:52.529 forget that our planet, our Earth, is such a 00:27:52.529 --> 00:27:55.329 gem of a planet and that if we f*** it up here, 00:27:55.549 --> 00:27:59.880 there's no going back. And so I think... it's 00:27:59.880 --> 00:28:02.319 important to maintain that perspective and so 00:28:02.319 --> 00:28:05.299 if anything the call to action would be to remember 00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:09.900 that we are part of one with our overall planet 00:28:09.900 --> 00:28:15.079 and we are not again in dominion over it and 00:28:15.079 --> 00:28:16.420 is there some there's one more thing I would 00:28:16.420 --> 00:28:19.180 love to add if that's okay absolutely so the 00:28:19.180 --> 00:28:21.119 other part of my life I didn't really get into 00:28:21.119 --> 00:28:24.019 so much is in the in the climate justice space 00:28:24.019 --> 00:28:27.190 but I am the climate justice policy coordinator 00:28:27.190 --> 00:28:29.430 for climate action campaign which is a local 00:28:29.430 --> 00:28:33.410 non -profit here in San Diego so this is my full 00:28:33.410 --> 00:28:37.369 -time day job um and then I'm building up resiliency 00:28:37.369 --> 00:28:42.450 immersive as like as we as we do you know going 00:28:42.450 --> 00:28:44.410 through the ups and downs of figuring out how 00:28:44.410 --> 00:28:46.369 to do what is the best way to do that as a non 00:28:46.369 --> 00:28:50.130 -profit or or whatnot but the the work at climate 00:28:50.130 --> 00:28:52.950 action campaign has given me a really fantastic 00:28:52.950 --> 00:28:57.269 insight into the policy landscape and how to 00:28:57.269 --> 00:28:59.930 most effectively make those make those changes 00:28:59.930 --> 00:29:02.690 at the local level which then have those cascading 00:29:02.690 --> 00:29:07.250 effects outward and so I think from that perspective 00:29:07.250 --> 00:29:14.529 I would also say that it's important to stay 00:29:14.529 --> 00:29:18.180 engaged and not bury our head under the sand 00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:21.559 despite how difficult it is and keeping in tune 00:29:21.559 --> 00:29:24.279 with the sorts of nonprofits that are doing this 00:29:24.279 --> 00:29:26.420 kind of advocacy work or are doing the really 00:29:26.420 --> 00:29:29.720 boots on the ground types of work can be really 00:29:29.720 --> 00:29:32.420 effective too because they can help guide okay 00:29:32.420 --> 00:29:36.319 this event is happening or or this project is 00:29:36.319 --> 00:29:38.880 happening and this is how you can get involved 00:29:38.880 --> 00:29:43.680 that is some beautiful and super powerful advice 00:29:44.599 --> 00:29:46.680 Allie, thank you so, so much for sharing your 00:29:46.680 --> 00:29:49.279 insights with us today. We've learned a lot about 00:29:49.279 --> 00:29:52.099 how creativity, policy, and community engagement 00:29:52.099 --> 00:29:55.180 can intersect to drive meaningful climate action. 00:29:56.039 --> 00:29:58.480 It's been incredible hearing about the work you're 00:29:58.480 --> 00:30:00.640 doing, and we encourage everyone listening to 00:30:00.640 --> 00:30:02.720 check out the resources Allie mentioned and take 00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:05.480 action in their own lives. Want to hear more 00:30:05.480 --> 00:30:08.220 from Climate to Action, a CSUSM student podcast? 00:30:08.559 --> 00:30:11.500 Be sure to check us out wherever you get podcasts 00:30:11.500 --> 00:30:14.660 and follow us on our socials at Climate to Action. 00:30:15.240 --> 00:30:17.799 That's at Climate to Action on Instagram and 00:30:17.799 --> 00:30:20.579 at Climate to Action on TikTok. We'll be posting 00:30:20.579 --> 00:30:22.539 updates, behind -the -scenes content, and more. 00:30:23.160 --> 00:30:25.599 Remember, it's never too late to start making 00:30:25.599 --> 00:30:28.200 a difference in the climate crisis. Keep learning, 00:30:28.359 --> 00:30:31.660 keep acting, and keep pushing for change. Until 00:30:31.660 --> 00:30:33.960 next time, this is Climate to Action signing 00:30:33.960 --> 00:30:36.799 off. Thank you.