Take Action: Monthly Letter-Writing Project, September 2008

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September 29, 2008

Dear Letter-Writing Coordinator,

Across the country, high gas prices are hurting many individuals, families, and local businesses. These prices are straining family budgets, forcing some people to reconsider vacations and other travel, and driving up the cost of goods that need to be transported, especially food.

These conversations provide an opportunity to begin new discussions with candidates running for Congress about energy consumption and conservation. Unfortunately, some of our representatives are offering short-term fixes to lower the cost of gas rather than sustainable proposals that would lead the country to conserve energy, improve energy efficiency, and increase renewable energy production.

This month we at FCNL are suggesting that you write your congressional candidates asking them to support long-term changes in our energy policy that will create sustainable solutions. Whether incumbents or challengers, candidates "listen louder" during campaigns than at any other times in their careers. The issues that voters raise during the campaign are more likely to become priorities for candidates once elected. Candidates need to hear that their constituents support sustainable, long-term solutions to our energy crises, and they need to hear this message now.

As always, please encourage letter writers to include personal details and to speak from their own convictions and experiences. In our sample letter, we have put the critical points in boldface for the writers' convenience. Thank you for your continued efforts to facilitate communication with Congress and congressional candidates on these important issues.

In peace,

Kathy Guthrie, Field Program Secretary

Sample Letter

Dear [congressional candidate],

Like most people in the United States, I am concerned about rising gas prices and the proposed solutions for lowering them. I am disappointed that the focus is on short-term fixes to lower the cost of gas rather than on sustainable proposals that would lead the nation to conserve energy, improve energy efficiency, and increase renewable energy production.

Please commit to supporting legislation that requires electric utilities to produce at least 20 percent of their electricity from renewable resources by 2020 and that mandates a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.
Only by investing in sensible, long-term solutions such as improving energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, and conservation will energy prices go down and the energy crises end. Please let me know how you plan to solve these problems responsibly, instead of with unreliable quick fixes, if you are elected.

Sincerely,

[your name]

Contacting Candidates

Find out how to contact your congressional candidates here.