John Francis is an environmental educator, and former UN goodwill ambassador. In 1971, he witnessed an oil spill in San Francisco Bay, stopped using motorized vehicles, and began to walk.
To learn to listen better, John took a 17-year vow of silence. He walked across the US receiving a PhD. Speaking on Earth Day 1990, he told the crowd, “Environment is about how we treat each other.” He served as project manager and environmental analyst for the USCG Oil Pollution Act 1990 Staff, and authored Planetwalker: 17-Years of Silence, 22-Years of Walking, and The Ragged Edge of Silence, both published by the National Geographic Society. He is the founder and director of Planetwalk, an environmental education organization, and speaks on environmental issues around the world.
Contributions to Humans & Nature:
- Conversations Around the Green Fire: John Francis
John Francis talks with Curt Meine
Noteworthy Links:
- PlanetWalk.org
Visit the Planetwalk website to learn more about John Francis’s work and international walks.
