Letter to the Editor template

Letters to the editor are most likely to be accepted as a response to articles which have run recently in the paper you are writing to. If you use it as a response to a story, insert the date and title of the original article in the first line as indicated.

The LTE below can also work as a stand alone. Just cut out the parenthetical info at the beginning and submit as-is even if the paper you have in mind hasn't written about the topic. If you can include a local element to the story it is more likely to be printed. For instance, in this letter, referring to Indiana governor Mitch Daniels makes it of interest to Indiana newspapers.

[PAPER NAME]

Letter to the Editor

268 words

Gov. Mitch Daniels recently said "no thanks" to addressing global warming ("Insert title of story here," date). By doing so, he's also saying "no thanks" to lower utility bills, new jobs, and a role for Indiana in a new clean energy future.

Studies by the EPA and others have shown that climate legislation currently being debated in Congress would lower ratepayers' bills. A peer-reviewed study by the Union of Concerned Scientists found that comprehensive climate and energy policies similar to that in Congress would rapidly reduce energy costs, and those savings would grow to $129 billion for businesses and $900 per year for the average U.S. household in 2030.

Other Midwestern states are saying yes to climate legislation. Just this week, governors from Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin accepted recommendations from a diverse advisory group to develop a regional plan to cap and reduce global warming emissions. The recommendations align closely with the federal bill and in some respects go even farther to address climate change.

Although Indiana had strong wind energy development in 2008, it has yet to meet its renewable energy potential. It's the only Midwestern state that doesn't require utilities to obtain a portion of their electricity from renewable sources. The federal climate bill includes a national renewables standard, which would create jobs for Indiana steelworkers to manufacture wind turbine parts and generate income for farmers who sell their agriculture wastes as an energy source.

With its strong manufacturing base and ample renewable energy potential, Indiana is poised to be a leader in a clean energy future. When it comes to climate legislation, Gov. Daniels should be a yes man.

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