After more than 100,000 people signed petitions started by Climate Parents, a national membership organization of parents taking action on climate change, Radio Disney announced it will withdraw from a controversial program that promotes fossil fuel extraction to school-age children in Ohio.
Lisa Hoyos, Founder and Director of Climate Parents, said, "We are pleased that Disney responded to our request to stop promoting oil and gas extraction to kids in Ohio. However, Disney engages schools all over the country on energy education, and we remain deeply concerned that the company has no policy in place prevent this from happening again.”
Climate Parents worked closely with their partners at CREDO Action, who helped gather more than 80,000 petition signatures on Credo Mobilize.com.
"There's no place for fracking in the Magic Kingdom," said said Zack Malitz, CREDO's Campaign Manager. “Disney has done the right thing by refusing to use its brand to promote dirty energy, and it needs to go further say it will never again partner with oil and gas industry groups to produce Disney-themed dirty energy propaganda for children."
"Rocking in Ohio" is a road show was created in a partnership that Radio Disney initiated with the educational arm of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association. It engaged school kids in a “game show” type activities that celebrated oil and gas extraction.
In addition to working with CREDO Mobilize, Climate Parents also hosted petitions on MoveOn.organd Change.org to gather more than 100,000 signatures and generate hundreds of social media posts.
"The response has been overwhelming," said Hoyos. "People from all over the country have spoken out against Radio Disney’s promotion of dirty energy in Ohio. But until Disney takes that commitment nationwide, we will continue to mobilize parents and families to ensure that Disney only promotes kid-safe, climate-safe energy."
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