Adam Met: How Taylor Swift (and you) Can Help Power the Climate Movement

Musician, activist, and climate advocate Adam Met joins the Scientista Podcast to talk about using the power of music—and the influence of artists like Taylor Swift—to mobilize fans for climate action. From street performances in Central Park to sold-out arenas and a PhD in climate policy, Adam shares his unique journey blending entertainment and advocacy. He explains why concerts are the perfect place for collective action, what other artists can learn, and why building a climate movement starts with meeting people where they are. Tune in for an inspiring conversation about music, activism, and the role we all can play.

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Transcript

🎶 Adam Met: Using Music, Data, and Advocacy to Amplify Climate Action

On this episode of the Scientista Podcast, Dr. Sweta Chakraborty and Monica Medina sit down with musician, educator, and climate advocate Adam Met—best known as the “A” in the multi-platinum band AJR. But behind the catchy lyrics and sold-out arenas is a systems thinker who’s building bridges between art, science, and policy.

From Street Performances to Sold-Out Arenas

Adam’s story starts in the streets of New York City, where he and his brothers performed in parks, learning firsthand how to capture attention from people who never asked to listen. That early experience of winning over strangers shaped how AJR built its fanbase—not through big marketing campaigns or a record label, but by pulling fans in close, giving them unique ways to participate, and letting them spread the word.

“It’s like a hurricane,” Adam explains, describing how fans became the engine of AJR’s growth. “You bring people in close and then send them out to evangelize.” That same grassroots strategy, he says, is at the heart of building an effective climate movement.

Why Climate and Music Aren’t Separate

While many fans know Adam for his music, fewer may know that he holds a PhD and has spent years working with the UN, Congress, and the White House on climate policy. For Adam, music and sustainability aren’t two separate worlds—they’re both systems problems.

“I was obsessed with climate from the moment I met Mary Robinson in high school,” he says, crediting the former president of Ireland and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights as his biggest inspiration. “Climate is a systems challenge, just like building a music career was a systems challenge.”

That systems approach led Adam to co-found Planet Reimagined, a nonprofit blending research and advocacy. Their goal: make research actionable from the start, ensuring it doesn’t just “sit on a shelf.”

Turning Concerts into Climate Action

One of Planet Reimagined’s boldest ideas? Turning concerts into sites of civic engagement. Partnering with Ticketmaster, they surveyed hundreds of thousands of fans to understand what actions people were willing to take at concerts—and then tested those ideas in real time on AJR’s tour.

“We had people phone-banking in the arena,” Adam shares. “In Phoenix, fans signed petitions for FEMA to recognize extreme heat as an emergency. Every city had a local action tied to it.”

The results were powerful: thousands of actions taken, local issues elevated, and fans empowered to carry the momentum home.

Why Artists Hold Untapped Power

Adam’s work reveals a simple truth: artists have enormous potential to mobilize action, but many are hesitant. “Most artists care about the issues,” he says, “but they’re scared of backlash.” His research shows, however, that fans wantartists to speak out—if it’s authentic and tied to what they already care about.

His advice? “Don’t start by asking fans to act. Bring them on the journey first. Show them what you’re learning, what you’re doing—and then invite them to join you.”

Finding Your Role in the Movement

Whether you’re an artist, scientist, or student, Adam believes everyone has a role to play. “No matter what field you’re in—medicine, engineering, art—it connects to climate,” he says. His challenge to listeners: write down what you do, what you care about, and brainstorm how those skills could contribute to climate solutions.

With a new book, Amplify, on the way, Adam’s mission is clear: to inspire a new generation of advocates who meet people where they are, connect the dots between their passions and the planet, and build a movement rooted in creativity, data, and heart.