Citizens’ Climate Lobby is an international grassroots organization that trains students and volunteers to build relationships with their elected representatives in order to influence climate policy. Citizens’ Climate Lobby works with both Republican and Democrat representatives in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate to pass climate legislation, mostly in the form of enacting carbon dividends.
The following activity outlines resources to write effective and meaningful LTEs. LTEs are a great way to get others in your community involved in issues of climate change and the environment.
Access CCL’s information on writingeffective LTEs
Read through the training materials and answer the following questions:
Question: Why is writing LTEs important? List 2 reasons.
Question: What are some topics that can be coupled with climate change action? An example topic could include the recent transition of power and Biden’s commitment to the Paris Climate Agreement.
Question: Name 1 thing you should “do” in your LTE and name 1 thing you should not do in your LTE.
Follow the basic formula below (referenced from CCL) to draft your own LTE:
- Reference something in the news or a specific part (line, thought, etc.) of a news story. A short reference praising the writer or paper works well.
- Transition into how it relates to climate change.
- Identify a solution.
- Present a call to action.
- Close creatively by employing a rhetorical device such as repetition, a play on words or closing the circle from the letter’s beginning.
See an example of an LTE.
Question: Figure out what excites you the most about writing an LTE. Is there a particular topic you are interested in surrounding climate change or the environment?
a. How might your work or education factor into your topic of choice?