Friends,
Former Los Angeles Mayor (now U.S. Ambassador to India) Eric Garcetti framed it well by outlining the two big challenges we need to meet in our communities and country: first, how to assure we have a planet and communities to live in – to protect and preserve our natural world with much more sustainable lives; and second, to assure that everyone has a place in that world – to be truly inclusive so all belong and can thrive.
These are big ideas, big challenges, requiring global as well as local action. We know we can’t solve them ourselves of course, in Bloomington. Yet we also know we can make a difference and are obliged to do so. I’d like to focus on the first of those challenges this month.
Bloomington is very well positioned to achieve serious progress on climate. Start with our detailed, specific, Climate Action Plan (here). Add a dose of dedicated annual funding. Add the activism and passion of the people, especially the young. Add our new regional, bipartisan urban/rural task force, “Project 46” (here). And Bloomington can continue great progress on several key facets of this challenge:
Where people live. One’s carbon footprint is dramatically affected by where one lives. Bloomington is the most densely populated city in Indiana, and thereby we can do a lot of good things for our community and our planet. We need to continue expanding affordability – adding to the 1,400 units we’ve done lately. We need to keep making our buildings more efficient. Density helps all of that, and the thousands of new homes planned at Hopewell and Summit can boost that momentum. We need to do good regional planning for growth.
How people move around. Bloomington’s 23 square miles contain more than 30 miles of trails and side paths, with more miles on the way. We've opened protected bike lanes and invested millions in sidewalks. Most significantly, we’re in position to have the best transit system in any small American city. Funding is there. Plans are underway, including our first bus-rapid-transit line and new micro-transit options. Bloomington Transit is thinking big. We have the potential to make living in our small city as transit-friendly as America’s biggest cities like New York or Chicago. That can be a game changer for climate and quality of life.
Clean and efficient energy. We live in a primarily coal-powered state, crying for better energy options. We are supporting solar installations all over town. We support investments in more efficient buildings. Our federal government has enacted the strongest climate bill ever, to accelerate and finance the changes needed. And our regional taskforce of Project 46 will help us engage business, institutions, utilities, and the public to work together to get to net zero.
Sustainable food, water, and work. We support local agriculture and healthy water systems. We protect open lands (note that living densely idea) and protect our water sources. We’re investing in long-term green water infrastructure to deal with harsher weather more naturally, and we hope to launch a major waste-to-energy system soon. We support good local jobs with higher wages, and we’ve partnered to assure best-in-class digital access for all, to improve access to education, health care, workplaces, and commerce from our homes.
Fortunately, these different ways Bloomington addresses climate change and protects our community and our planet all work together in synergy. They feed off each other in a virtuous cycle, making our quality of life better, less expensive, and less carbon intensive.
It’s easy to get discouraged by news around the world, whether violence or poverty, authoritarianism or climate. We have real and big challenges indeed. But know that our Bloomington is heading in the right direction, in all these areas listed above. Keep the momentum, and stay or get involved. Keep the faith in how Democrats are advancing all of these policies and projects, locally, nationally, and globally. It’s up to us. And yes we can.
Democratically yours,
John Hamilton
P.S. Election Day is tomorrow! Vote for our Democrats, and also, please be sure to VOTE YES and support the school referendum. MCCSC can do some truly transformative work to improve early education and child care, and build more equity in our system. Polls open 6am to 6pm, and you can find your polling place at Indianavoters.in.gov