Letters to the Editor

Give Ethanol Critics "the Finger".... Join ACE's Grassroots Letter Writing Campaign

 

  • Want to help fight the misinformation campaign against E15 blends that is being put out there by the American Automobile Association?
  • Do you want to help let people know how E15 blends can benefit consumers and help lower gas prices across the United States?
  • Would you like to win a brand new Amazon Kindle Fire?

If you answered yes to these questions, please join with the American Coalition for Ethanol (ACE) as we identify media outlets and organizations that have published or broadcast inaccuracies about ethanol, the RFS and E15 and tell them we won't stand by while ethanol is unjustly attacked. With your grassroots participation in our letter writing campaign, we can set the record straight.

Contest Details:

  1. Various national and regional media outlets will be selected for you to contact between now and January 25 with letters in support of ethanol and/or the RFS.
  2. Follow the guidelines below in order to participate in the letter writing campaign and become eligible for winning a prize.
  3. Since you are going to do all of this hard work, you will have a chance to be rewarded! At the end of each round of letters to particular media outlet, one person will be selected to receive a prize. All other participants will be then be entered in a Grand Prize Drawing where the winner will receive a brand new Amazon Kindle Fire.

Participation Guidelines

Round 4: American Automobile Association (AAA)

  1. The last organization we want to target is the American Automobile Association (AAA). To participate, write a letter to Triple A between now and January 25. You can submit your letter or comments to AAA's PR Manager Michael Green by emailing him at mgreen@national.aaa.com or by mailing your comments in care of Michael Green to AAA's national office, the address is listed below. You can also call Green's office number which is (202) 942-2082.

American Automobile Association

607 14th Street NW #200

Washington, DC 20005

  1. ACE does not have a recommended word limit for your letter to AAA; however it is recommended that you keep your comments short and to the point. It would be good to keep your letter to 250 words or less.
  2. Once you have submitted your letter or comments, please send a copy or report your conversation to Chuck Beck, Director of Public Affairs, via email at cbeck@ethanol.org or fax or mail a copy to the ACE office.
  3. In order to be entered in the drawings for the Amazon gift card and the Amazon Kindle Fire, participants must provide a copy of your letter to ACE. ACE may ask permission to republish your letters.
  4. We will draw for the winner of a $25 dollar Amazon gift card for Round 4 on January 27. The final drawing for the Amazon Kindle Grand Prize will occur at the end of the entire campaign on January 25. You can be entered to win the Kindle up to four times, by participating in each of the four rounds of letter writing.
  5. If you win a gift card, you cannot be re-entered in further gift card drawings, but you will be entered in the Grand Prize Drawing for the Amazon Kindle.

Before you get ready to write your letter, here are a few helpful tips:

Tip #1: KEEP IT CURRENT

  • Write about a timely topic, one that is currently being or has recently been covered.
  • Use talking points provided by ACE to help you draft the letter.
  • Reference the date, author, and title of the article or editorial to which you are responding.

Tip #2: BE CONCISE AND SPECIFIC

  • Focus on your topic and make your point clear.
  • Using an example from your own life can enhance the persuasiveness of your letter.

Tip #3: FOLLOW THE PAPER'S GUIDELINES

  • Comply with any limits set on length or word count.
  • Supply any of your contact information requested by the paper.

Tip #4: SHARE YOUR EFFORTS

  • Letters should also be shared with your political representatives as a reminder of what's on the minds of their constituents.

Example Letter 1:

Your campaign against E15 blends is tiresome. As a person living in a Midwestern state, and who has benefitted from the rural success of ethanol, your defense of Big Oil's lies on ethanol and in particular of E15 is offensive.

The facts are that E15 is the most tested fuel in EPA history. Numerous tests were conducted before the fuel was approved for public use. I find it laughable that you focus on a couple of partial results of tests that were conducted by the CRC and API instead of looking at the legitimate testing data that was put together by the government. It's a joke how you write off the hundreds of thousands of miles of testing data to focus on a couple of minor test results put together by the oil industry.

Simply put, E15 blends are not a cure-all for the nation's dependence on foreign oil. But opening up the fuel market so blends like E15 can be offered to consumers does help drivers at the pump and the pocketbook and helps keep American dollars in our own backyards instead of heading overseas.

Example Letter 2:

As a longtime supporter and member of your organization, I am disappointed about the recent scare campaign that your group is undertaking on E15 blends. Your misinformation campaign on a fuel that has been safely tested by the federal government before being approved for public use does not help motorists at all and is only serving to confuse potential consumers of the new fuel blend.

E15 blends underwent a battery of tests by a number of groups before it was okayed for public sale. Federal tests showed that when the fuel was tested that none of the vehicles tested displayed a malfunction indicator light (MIL) as a result of the ethanol content of the fuel, no fuel filter plugging symptoms were observed, no cold start problems were observed and no fuel leaks or conspicuous degradation of the fuel systems were seen as well.

Also, several precautions are being undertaken to prevent misfueling for consumers, those steps include, a larger than normal size fuel label identifying E15 blends and what the fuel can be used in, and a comprehensive EPA-certified Misfueling Mitigation Plan that helps assure that the fuel will be properly and consistently blended and sold to consumers.

So stop with the misinformation campaign on E15, it's time that your members and your group work to get the right information on this fuel blend to your members and the public.

E15 Talking Points

  • Can be used in Model year (MY) 2001 and newer cars, as well as MY 2001 and newer light-duty trucks, MY 2001 and newer medium-duty passenger vehicles (SUVs), and all FFV vehicles.
  • Cannot be used in all motorcycles and ATVs, all vehicles with heavy-duty engines, such as school buses, transit buses, and delivery trucks, all off-road vehicles, such as boats and snowmobiles, all engines in off-road equipment, such as lawnmowers and chain saws, and all MY 2000 and older cars, light-duty trucks, and medium-duty passenger vehicles (SUVs).
  • No other fuel has undergone as much technical scrutiny as E15.
  • During the testing process, 35 different automobile makes ranging from 2001 and 2010 model years were used by federal agencies to see how E15 blends would perform.
  • Using E15 is not a mandate, consumers aren't forced to use it and retailers aren't forced to sell it.
  • Using E15 in unapproved vehicles, boats and small gasoline powered engines is prohibited by federal law.

Click here for a list of Frequently Asked Questions on E15.

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