Jacob Simon Reminds Us To Look For Good Climate News.
Cleanse your feed and remember that we sometimes get it right.
I first saw Jacob Simon on my TikTok ‘For You Page’ sometime in 2024. He was walking around NYC, relaying climate news of the day. I saved the video to keep watching more later.
We somehow ended up on a panel together during Climate Week NYC this past September, which is where I met Jacob for the first time. The warm energy that he exudes in his TikTok videos is felt in person. I learned that Jacob was a competing figure skater for years. He showed me a few videos and I went down an internet thread of seeing him compete. As a lifelong New Yorker with a fear of ice skating, I was immediately impressed that Jacob made skating look so effortless. He’s since rededicated that energy to hopeful storytelling.
As a freelance writer who sometimes has to lean into somewhat depressing news, I had wanted to know why Jacob chose to spotlight optimistic stories. During a recent conversation, we discussed how some harsher or negative climate stories are more likely to get views online.
Ever since we first met, I have recommended that people who are worried about the climate crisis should follow Jacob. Doom scrolling isn’t great for us emotionally, and I want more people outside of media and content creation world to hear good stories. It is harder to imagine a better world that features lower emissions and less trash if we tell ourselves it is too late. Jacob’s videos are often a reminder that there is still some time. The fight for environmental justice is not over until it’s over.
I believe that we need to imagine what a better world, and climate wins keep us energized. Anything going right in the world is inspiration and motivation for current and future progress. If all we consume is negative news online, we start to have a warped perception of the world. And yes, I know that we live in a world were some governments are pushing for better climate legislation while others are trying to rollback them back. But as I wrote above, a better planet is worth fighting for. Jacob’s storytelling is one of the forms of internet storytelling that I look to whenever I fall down the dark whole of internet environmental despair.
Viewers have responded well to Jacob’s enthusiasm for good news too. Some say his videos have changed their perspective on climate coverage. The responses to him explaining wins been his favorite part of creating content this past year:
“The comments, messages, and conversations I've had with people telling me how my content has helped them with their mental state and inspired them to take an action in their own lives has been the highlight.”
During the panel last September and during our recent conversations, Jacob encouraged others to try their own positive storytelling too.
“My best piece of advice is create something you love. You'll watch your stuff over and over again, and if it isn't authentically you, you'll grow tired of it,” he emailed me. “Create what you want to see in the world, and then talk to your audience and see how you can improve your communication, style, and presentation of information.”
Remember when TikTok went dark for about a day or so? In anticipation of that particular shutdown (and also in hopes of reaching more people with his storytelling), Jacob has been working on more long form content including his newsletter. He also has new video ideas in the works about communities that are working on climate solutions.
“I'll be finding these people and organizations, helping them out, and bringing my audience into the mix where we all dedicate some time, energy, and money into bringing their projects to the next level,” he told me via email. “It's gonna be a great way to mix content with real-world impact, and it's gonna be the start of something really impactful and powerful.”
I can’t wait to learn about those communities.
Jacob Simon is all over the interwebs, check out his website.
Byline:
I wrote about overconsumption and mental health for none other than Teen Vogue for their series The Last Stop. I spoke with former shopaholics, social media users who have vowed to shop less in 2025, and psychology experts. It’s so easy for overconsumption to take over someone’s life when it’s part of how they ‘destress’ from a rough week and that behavior is normalized online.
“I can't be spending like an influencer. I don't have influencer money,” Meg Locker told me during our call for the article. “I need to make sure I'm taking care of myself financially and not killing myself for these tchotchkes… stuff that isn't going to mean anything to my future children or when I leave this planet.”
Weekly R.E.P.OR.T
Reading: this article about the intersection of environmental justice and immigration written by my friend, Yessenia.
Eating: my leftover yucca con cebolla.
Playing: catch up with my freelance taxes.
Obsessing: over Dominican history. For personal reasons that I somewhat explain in this video.
Recommending: that you make sure all of your identification documents are up to date.
Treating: myself to some matcha ice cream to soothe my soul in these trying times.
Currently listening to this on repeat:
Find me on Bluesky. That other app has gone to the birds. I’m on Threads too.
If you’d like to support me and see more of my work, consider sending a quick tip on ko-fi. It’ll be cheaper than a matcha latte at most coffee shops near me.
Thank you <3