As a mother of two young children I work hard to instill strong values and good behaviors.  So teaching them the preciousness of our natural resources and how to use them wisely is something I take seriously.

That’s why I was so pleased with the plot and new characters in Cars 2, Disney’s second movie of the successful franchise.  The story introduced an electric car, the concept of solar power, and the use of biofuels to mobilize the beloved Radiator Springs crew.

Granted, they took a tiny step in the first movie with George Carlin’s brilliant Fillmore the VW bus who peddles his own organic fuel, but they’ve gone much further this time with great effect.

Movies and the characters in them can become part of children’s imagination and their dramatic play. Cinema also provides fodder for these very active minds to formulate questions about the world around them, influencing what children see as possible and even normal.

Since the majority of what I watch is children’s programming, I have found a few other shows and movies espousing the importance of conservation, environmental stewardship, and renewable energy technologies.

But few of those have the same reach as a blockbuster like Cars 2. Kudos to the talented folks at Pixar/Disney for using a hugely powerful platform to provide—in a fun way—a teachable moment to both children and parents alike about the technologies available today that can preserve our resources.