<Insert Date>
Editor’s Name
Newspaper
Street Address
City, State, ZIP Code

Dear <Editor’s Name>:

The article “<insert newspaper headline>“ which ran <insert date it appeared> contains factual errors about balloons and their impact on the environment. It’s important to set the record straight so your readers are accurately informed on the issues and fully aware that balloons are not causing sea animal deaths.

To date, there’s absolutely no scientific evidence that a latex balloon has ever caused the death of a sea animal.

The balloon industry and independent researchers have spent considerable time investigating these claims and databases going back to 1980. Even though no claim has held up and there is not one record of a balloon-caused animal death, the livelihoods of many small specialty businesses across America <including mine> are being hurt by such erroneous claims and misinformation.

Latex balloons are 100 percent organic and 100 percent biodegradable — produced from the sap of rubber trees. A latex balloon that has been inflated decomposes at a rate equal to an oak leaf exposed to similar conditions. Only latex balloons are used in releases. Studies show that most rise about five miles into the atmosphere where the decomposition rate is accelerated — they freeze and burst into small, spaghetti-like pieces and spread to the four winds. Common sense and the record clearly shows that the small size and wide dispersal of these pieces will not harm marine life.

Moreover, during the record-setting Center for Marine Conservation (CMC) 1997 Coastal Cleanup campaign, more than 175,000 volunteers collected 3.5 million pounds of trash and debris from 7,100 miles of rivers, beaches and underwater areas in 53 American states and territories. The CMC’s “Dirty Dozen” included cigarette butts (1.3 million), food bags and wrappers (300,420), glass beverage bottles (199,461) and metal beverage cans (164,548). Balloons (30,324) came in 37th and counted for .52 percent of the total — down from the previous year by 16 percent.

In fact, animals are exposed to hazards far more dangerous than balloons on a daily basis — from fishing lines, plastic containers, automobile exhaust and even windows. A Cornell University study revealed that more than 95 million birds are killed annually from crashing into closed windows. Should we keep all windows open?

Sincerely,

<Your Name>
<Title>
<Business/Store Name>