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Power to the people! Green activists have taken their cause directly to the hotels and tried to replace their lightbulbs in the name of energy efficiency. You know what? They have a point...

It was one of those stories that broke over the weekend, got missed in the rush to put out construction photos on Monday, and we thought best to leave until the next weekly round-up. However, with the story quickly gaining momentum and syndication across the Internet, it was just too good not to re-publish now.

Unfurling a banner that read "Mickey Harms the Global Climate" in Hong Kong Disneyland's Hotel, Greenpeace activists drew attention to the amount of power that the hotel alone uses each year with the almost 200 incandescent bulbs used in the lobby of the hotel. They argued that using more energy efficient bulbs could save the equivalent carbon dioxide of 1400 doubel-decker bus trips around the territory! They managed to change two of the lightbulbs before Disney officials stopped them.

One Greenpeace activist, climate and energy campaigner Frances Yeung, commented: "Disneyland actually dims its own fairytale by using energy inefficient bulbs and is costing our environment." Hong Kong Disneyland retorted by saying they were "dedicated to running our operations in an energy efficient manner while offering the best quality of entertainment and services to our guests." (Source: ABC News)

Greenpeace certainly have a point - theme parks like Hong Kong Disneyland go through an enormous amount of energy on a daily basis. While for some this may be an example of a high-profile environmental group picking on an easy high-profile target, it is a good way to highlight the environmental cause. While we know that Disney has taken several important steps to ensure the environmental friendliness of Hong Kong Disneyland - including energy efficient fixtures in the bathrooms, for example - there is so much more it could do.

While this could easily be viewed as a negative, it is an opportunity for Hong Kong Disneyland to take the lead and showcase what an environmentally friendly place the park can be. It is already the park surrounded with the most natural beauty, and it is a perfect place to launch an ongoing environmental campaign. With Greenpeace and Disney working together, we could have a very green future indeed.

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