The story of Tim DeChristopher, the U. of Utah student who became an instant environmental activist when he bid on southern Utah oil and gas leases, is going global.

The Times of London profiled DeChristopher in its Sunday editions - and paint him the economics student as an accidental folk hero.

Here's a bit of the story:

He decided to go inside and cause a bit of disruption. Instead, something unexpected happened. An official approached him and said: "Hi, are you here for the auction?" He thought for a second. "Er, yes. I am."

"Are you a bidder?" she asked, smiling. "Well, er, yes I am."

DeChristopher found himself handing over his driving licence and a minute later had signed up. He took his bidding paddle, number 70, and sat down.

In the interview, DeChristopher gave a harsh assessment of the establishment environmental movement: "Their basic approach is that environmentalists should sign petitions and send donations. They want to make change one concession at a time, which gives them a seat at the table of power."

Labels: BLM, environment