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Visitors to the fairy tale world at Disneyland today are encouraged to celebrate Earth Day the Disney way. Activities include a live art show using earth friendly paint, a Build a Bear workshop where kids can build an “earth day soy bear,” and pictures with Cha Cha The frog at the Rainforest cafe. While Disneyland paints the town green, environmentalists are seeing red when faced with Disney’s business practices in the real world. The Rainforest Action Network reports that the U.S. division of Disney publishing produces 50 million books and 30 million magazines annually. The material used to make that paper is sourced from a variety of places. The RAN has asked Disney to change the way it certifies its paper sources to ensure material is not coming from endangered Indonesian rainforests. So far, Disney’s safeguards have fallen short. Since the first Earth Day was established by US Senator Gaylord Nelson on April 22, 1970 its popularity has grown. It is now celebrated in cities and countries around the world. However corporations are increasingly using the day to promote their brand and products, even while their daily business practices are opposed by environmental advocates.

GUEST: Laurel Sutherlin, Communications Manager for the Forests Program at Rainforest Action Network (RAN).

Find out more about Rainforest Action Network at www.ran.org.