Letter to the Editor

Learn Why Plastics are a Problem

Step 1. Review the short Rethink Plastic brief prepared by the NH Network Plastics Work Group to learn about the problem with plastics.

Learn about Writing Effective Letters

Step 2. Read about writing effective letters to the editor from this guide by Citizen's Climate Lobby.

Find Your Local Newspaper(s)

Step 3. Find out how to write a letter to the editor for the newspaper(s) nearest you by reviewing this list from the NH Sierra Club.

Ask Someone to Read Your Letter

Step 4. Run your letter by the Ten Towns • Ten Actions Leader Resource or someone you know to check for clarity and effectiveness. Is there a call to action?

Submit Your Letter!

Step 5. Finalize the letter and submit it to your local paper. Usually a staff person calls to verify the letter is from you.

Step 6. As long as you've written a letter, send it to larger newspapers like the Concord Monitor and the Union Leader, to give it wider coverage - reducing it to 250 words for these two papers might actually sharpen your focus!

Step 7. Got more time? Try sending it to other papers on the Sierra Club list. Foster's Daily Democrat (Dover) often prints the entire letter and adds photos.

All of these tips work in Vermont too - with papers large and small!