Note: On July 3, 2005, the remarkable founder of Earth Day, Sen. Gaylord Nelson, died. On every previous Earth Day since 1970, Sen. Nelson was the day's public face, public voice and galvanizing presence. He spoke at events all over the country, year after year, scarcely slowing his pace despite advancing age. Though his voice is now silent, and Earth Day the less for it, he gave us what some have called the most remarkable public outpouring in American history. Sen. Nelson's message here has never been more timely and never more important.

A Message from Earth Day Founder Senator Gaylord Nelson

As the founder of Earth Day, I believe it is a day for learning about America's national lands and their wildlife-and how we can protect them by doing a better job of saving energy.

Protecting wilderness and saving energy - at first glance you might not see a connection, but if you study both in a little more detail you will discover some surprising links. For example, people can help protect wilderness by driving cars that use something besides gasoline (sometimes called "alternative fuels") and turning off lights when no one is in the room. These actions save energy and reduce our nation's dependence on limited supplies of something called "fossil fuels." Fossil fuels are resources inside the planet that must be pumped out and processed to power cars, heat our homes, and produce electricity.

But these fuels will not last forever. To remove fossil fuels from inside the planet often requires drilling oil wells or digging mines on beautiful wild lands. Such facilities, and the roads and large equipment they require, damage wild land and threaten the survival of the animals that live there. Also, burning these fuels causes air pollution and adds to the problem of "global warming"-a long-term rise in the temperature of the Earth's surface.

I hope you will take time to learn more about Earth Day, how to save energy and how to protect some of the most beautiful wild places in the world. After all, many of them can be found right here in the United States - places like Utah's West Desert, Yellowstone National Park, the Grand Canyon, and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeast Alaska.

And just for fun, go take virtual tour right now of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge by visiting: http://www.wilderness.org/OurIssues/Arctic/index.cfm

Thanks to Earth Day, you will probably learn more about wilderness and protecting the environment than I ever did at your age. With your knowledge and support, the world will have clean air and water, healthy fish and wildlife, and beautiful places to visit forever.