A pop star’s shaky climate campaign

Permits for wind and solar projects are separate from oil and gas permits, so any potential development would still have to undergo a number of reviews. Still, Met believes his plan would streamline the process. And last week, the Bureau of Land Management provided an encouraging response, suggesting it might all work out.

“Once the BLM has approved a particular use of the public lands — for example, by issuing a lease for oil, gas or geothermal development — the agency can authorize additional uses of that land if it determines that those additional uses are compatible is with the existing authorized use,” wrote Tracy Stone-Manning, director of the Bureau of Land Management, to Curtis and Levin. “The BLM recognizes the potential value of co-locating renewable energy projects with existing fossil fuel development.”

A winding path to climate activism

When Met was in high school in New York City, he went to a lecture by Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland, and came away inspired to work on human rights issues. “That was the moment I thought, this is what I want to do,” Met said.

As a student at Columbia University, he studied with economist Jeffrey Sachs, who worked on the Millennium Development Goals, and became more interested in climate issues. He subsequently obtained a master’s degree in constitutional religious law from New York University. “I really enjoyed being at school,” he says.

All the while, AJR was taking off. The brothers started busking in New York City, moved on to playing parties in Columbia, broke into the club scene and released their first major label album in 2015. They soon toured the world, where Met began to witness the effects of climate change in Europe, Asia and beyond.