Sustainable Bloomington

Sustainability Vision: The City of Bloomington, Indiana will become a sustainability leader by working as a community to preserve our natural resources, maintain our distinct culture, build a diverse and thriving economy, and ensure a healthy and equitable standard of living (as developed by the Bloomington Community in 2018). 

The City of Bloomington has a long-standing commitment to sustainability and City partnerships. Programs related to energy conservation, renewable energy, and waste reduction have helped establish Bloomington as a regional sustainability leader and strengthened the volunteer and entrepreneurial spirit of the community.

The City addresses sustainability through careful attention to environmental, economic, and social equity issues, and looks for linkages among those issues. Sustainability and livability are our guiding principles and are the foundations of quality, long-lasting economic and community development.

Follow the work of the Commission on Sustainability or Environmental Commission for more information on community programs and efforts. 

Join our Stay Cool Bloomington initiative! This comprehensive program aims to promote community resilience to heat and ensure the well-being of our residents during hot weather.

Stay Cool Bloomington Days at City Pools

Enjoy free access to the city's two outdoor pools when the National Weather Service (NWS) HeatRisk is at Category 2 or higher. 

Bryan Park Pool, 1020 S. Woodlawn Ave. and Mills Pool, 1100 W 14th St., are open daily during the summer from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. Call the Aquatics Hotline at 812-349-3741 for updated status of pool hours of operation.

The NWS HeatRisk tool is a forecasting system that takes into account how unusual the heat is for the time of the year, the duration of the heat including both daytime and nighttime temperatures, and whether the temperatures pose an elevated risk of heat-related impacts. When the NWS HeatRisk is at Category 2 or higher, that day is designated a "Stay Cool Bloomington Day at City Pools".

Parks and Recreation's Aquatics Hotline (812-349-3741), Facebook page (City of Bloomington, IN - Parks and Recreation) and the pools website will all be updated with the Stay Cool Bloomington Day at City Pools announcement by 11 a.m. on designated days. There is no charge for admission to the pools on designated Stay Cool Bloomington Days at City Pools as long as funding for the program is available.

Bloomington Community Heat Survey

The City of Bloomington has launched a critical initiative to address the growing challenges of extreme heat in our community. From July 1st to August 1st, 2024, we invite all residents to participate in the Bloomington Community Heat Survey. This 10-minute survey will help us understand how heat waves impact different neighborhoods and residents, identify areas most in need of cooling strategies, and develop a tailored, effective Extreme Heat Action Plan for Bloomington.

Your participation in this survey is invaluable. By sharing your experiences and insights, you'll play a vital role in making Bloomington more resilient to climate change. Your input will guide our decisions on implementing cooling strategies such as tree plantings, green infrastructure, and other innovative solutions.

The survey is designed to be accessible and respectful of your privacy. All responses are anonymous and confidential, and participation is entirely voluntary. You may skip questions or withdraw at any time. As a token of our appreciation, upon completion of the survey, you'll have the option to enter a drawing for a chance to win a $20 gift card. There is no cost to participate in the survey.

To take the survey, please scan the QR code below or click here.

Air Conditioner Distribution Program

Low income residents who live within the city limits and have a medical condition that increases their risk of a heat related illness can apply to receive one free window air conditioner and have it installed free of charge. The purpose of the AC Distribution Program is to prevent vulnerable populations from heat-related illnesses. Extreme heat kills more people in the United States than all other weather related events such as floods, tornados, and hurricanes. Extreme heat can be dangerous for anyone, but it can be especially dangerous for low-income residents with chronic medical conditions. High daytime and nighttime temperatures can cause stress on the human body which exacerbates health conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and renal disease. In addition, some medications (such as some antidepressants, diuretics, and beta-blockers) and chemotherapy treatments taken for a chronic illnesses may increase an individual’s sensitivity to heat by interfering with the body’s ability to regulate temperature, fluids, or electrolytes. No medical information or prescription from a doctor is required to participate in this program. 

The AC window unit is intended to cool one room in the resident's home in order to provide a place to retreat from extreme heat. Grant applications are available at Township Trustee Offices only. The Township Trustees will collect the required forms and documents and if all criteria are met, will provide an initial approval of the AC window unit installation. The approved applications will be sent to ESD for final review and approval. ESD will then schedule the installation with the company that ESD has hired to complete the installations. To locate your township trustee office, visit https://in.wayeo.us/, search for your property address, and then use the dropdown box on the top right to pull down “Township”. AC window units will be provided to those with approved applications on a first come, first serve basis while funding is available. Please contact your Township Trustee Office for more information.

HeatWatch Campaign

As part Stay Cool Bloomington, we are conducting a HeatWatch campaign in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, IU Luddy School of Informatics and IU Environmental Resilience Institute. This urban heat mapping campaign collects valuable temperature data to understand and address heat distribution across Bloomington.

Thank you to all who have registered! We've reached our volunteer capacity for the HeatWatch campaign. However, if you're still interested in helping our community become more resilient to climate change, we have new opportunities starting next month. We're seeking volunteers to help collect surveys related to our climate resilience efforts. To get involved in our upcoming survey collection initiative, please get in touch with anurag.bhat@bloomington.in.gov.

                                         Bloomington Climate Action Dashboard 

The City of Bloomington is excited to unveil its Climate Action Dashboard, an innovative platform to support City goals to make local climate action more transparent and accessible. Residents will have the opportunity to learn about the City’s ongoing initiatives, hear success stories and testimonials from community members, track community-wide progress towards emissions reductions, and access resources for individual climate action. To view and interact with the dashboard, residents can visit bloomington.climatenavhub.com. 

The dashboard was developed in partnership between the City’s Economic and Sustainable Development Department and ClimateNav, a public-benefit startup that builds tools and resources to help local governments fight climate change. The dashboard breaks down the City’s sustainability goals into the different sectors they address and includes information about City initiatives and opportunities within each sector. As an added benefit, the dashboard includes useful information and resources about actions that Bloomington residents and businesses can take to reduce their own personal carbon footprint within each of the sectors.