COPENHAGEN TOOLBOX #3: Get your climate concerns published or aired during the Copenhagen talks!

Why?
While a short letter to a newspaper or calling talkback radio may seem like nothing in comparison to the enormity of the climate challenge we face, it is an important way to influence our leaders. The media, in all its forms, is more pervasive in our lives today than it has been for any other generation. Whether you get your news via the radio, the television, the web or from the newspaper, your moods, attitudes and opinions are being affected. What’s more, politicians have staffers dedicated to media monitoring so this is a great way of effectively communicating that fact that Australians want real leadership and action on climate change.

How to go about it?
We’ve put together a few talking points to help you get started, outlined a few basic tips if you’re a first time letter writer and included a list of the Letters to the Editor email addresses of a number of major Australian newspapers.

Some talking points you could use in your letter or on radio:

** Two years ago rich nations promised to deliver a legally binding climate deal in Copenhagen – we cannot let them fail to fulfil this promise

** Delays in dealing with climate change will cost lives – many of the world’s poorest people are already struggling to survive in a changing climate making any further delays completely unacceptable

** Climate change requires all of us to make changes in our lives. I have recently implemented the following changes in my own life [give one or two very brief examples]. It will be much easier to convince people to implement changes such as these if we see real leadership on climate change from our Government.

** The suggested points for the farewell letter to Rudd could also form a good basis for a Letter to the Editor

**Each day during the UN Climate Talks, our climate tracker Phil Ireland will be reporting from inside the talks to let you know exactly what the Australian delegation are getting up too. You can quote his blogs or use their content however you like!

Some letter writing tips:

** Keep it short, sharp and to the point.
** Add your personal stamp – include a comment about why you are writing, share a funny anecdote, don’t be afraid to be creative or get personal
** Keep it relevant – you’re much more likely to get letters published if you respond to a story or an opinion piece in the newspaper, preferably the same day or the day after.
** Get a whole heap of people that you know writing on the same day: newspaper editors choose a representative selection of letters to print.
** Send it wide – email your letters to as many editors as possible. Use the blind copy (bcc) function so it doesn't look like spam.
** Make sure you include your name, contact details and permission to be published!

Where to send your letter?

letters@theaustralian.com.au
letters@smh.com.au
letters@theage.com.au
Link to Financial Review Letters to the Editor form
Link to Herald Sun Letters to the Editor form
Link to Daily Telegraph Letters to the Editor form

This list is just a beginning - don’t be shy in sending your letter around as widely as you can and including your local community newspapers too. Wikipedia have an extensive list of Newspapers in Australia.

Calling talkback
What radio station do you listen to for your daily or weekly dose of news?
It's likely that over the next 2 weeks they will have some focus on the UN Climate Summit. When you hear those magic words, give them a bell and it can be a simple as letting them know that you too are following the talks and care what happens.