Grand Lake, in the Colorado Rockies, lies in the path of an assault on forests across much of the western U.S. and Canada. As a result of drought, warmer temperatures and an abundance of mature growth, the trees that carpet the slopes over millions of acres are falling victim to unprecedented levels of infestation by the mountain pine beetle.

SUVs fill the highways, e-waste clogs the landfills, and energy consumption is at record levels. Legislation protecting our air, land and water have been under threat by a pro-industry Bush administration. As the Al Gore-tutorial-documentary An Inconvenient Truth so poignantly warned the world: climate change is an imminent threat for which we are all responsible. To put it simply: the Earth is in crisis and Earth Day (April 22) has taken on huge global significance. It is needed to spur grassroots activism as it did in its first year, inspiring people not only to make changes in their own lifestyles, but to join with others to create an effective movement that can push through legislation and insist on strict environmental standards.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has been overwhelmed by the response to the federal proposal to list the polar bear as an endangered species. Last Monday marked the end of a 90-day public comment period on the issue, and more than 500,000 Americans chimed in—almost double the number of responses on any previous species listing proposal. The vast majority of comments were in favor of affording protection to America’s beleaguered northern white bear.

Following a 2005 Congressional mandate, the federal government has finally implemented an increase in the percentage of renewable fuels consumed by vehicles on America’s roadways. The new standards, announced by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency administrator Stephen Johnson last week, require 4.02 percent of all motor fuel—or about 4.7 billion gallons—sold in the U.S. in 2007 to come from renewable sources, primarily agricultural crops.