By John Passacantando
Guest columnist

WASHINGTON - As we celebrate the 33rd anniversary of Earth Day today, Americans should be proud for many reasons.

We live in the country that created the very idea of national parks as well as a myriad of environmental protections to ensure our access to clean air, water and food.

Why, then, is the Bush administration systematically dismantling the laws designed to protect the environment and all Americans? How can this unraveling of rights occur in our country while the administration claims to promote freedom and democracy abroad?

A quick review of recent policy changes points to the staggering - and dangerous - nature of the environmental rollbacks put in place by this administration.

Just as some of the nation's oldest and dirtiest power plants were about to be forced to reduce the amount of pollutants they emit, the Bush administration let them off with a deceiving piece of legalese called the Clear Skies Initiative.

In the name of "healthy forests" and "fire prevention," the Forest Service has proposed nearly unlimited clear-cutting of forests.

The Environmental Protection Agency has announced plans to reduce the number of wetlands and waterways protected by the Clean Water Act.

Even whales are at risk. The Bush administration has proposed exemptions for the Department of Defense that will allow continued use of the Navy's new low frequency sonar that can kill marine mammals by shattering their eardrums.

And though there is plenty of talk about homeland security, the Bush administration has blocked efforts that would require thousands of chemical and nuclear plants to become more secure.

Furthermore, while President Bush openly worries about instability in the Middle East, all measures to make the U.S. less dependent on oil - for example through increased auto fuel efficiency or the Kyoto Protocol - have been stopped dead in their tracks.

So why aren't we all well aware of this war being waged against the environment?

Federal agencies with authority over environmental programs are working in a coordinated effort to help oil, coal, logging, mining, chemical and auto companies promote their short-term profits at the expense of our health and our public lands.

The bitter irony of this administration is that the patriotic language it has used to wage war on another nation seems desperately out of place here at home. Water, food, forests, air and oceans are at risk.

So are the futures of our families, our livelihoods and our personal health. In its efforts to promote a brighter horizon for those suffering abroad, the Bush administration should take a look first in its own backyard. What better day than Earth Day.

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John Passacantando is the executive director of Greenpeace USA (www.greenpeaceusa.org)