Name: Walk the earth ... my 17-year vow of silence
Uploaded: 2008-11-05T06:40:00Z
Duration: 19 min 10 s
Description: For almost three decades, John Francis has been a planetwalker, traveling the globe by foot and sail with a message of environmental respect and responsibility (for 17 of those years without speaking). A funny, thoughtful talk with occasional banjo.

John Francis: Walk the earth ... my 17-year vow of silence

Walk the earth ... my 17-year vow of silence

For almost three decades, John Francis has been a planetwalker, traveling the globe by foot and sail with a message of environmental respect and responsibility (for 17 of those years without speaking). A funny, thoughtful talk with occasional banjo.

Personal transformation can spark global impact when people commit fully to their principles. After witnessing a half-million-gallon oil spill, one man walked everywhere and remained silent for 17 years, learning that true listening reshapes understanding. Over decades and thousands of miles, he discovered that caring for the planet means changing how people treat one another. His vow of silence ended when he realized that the environment includes not just nature, but humanity itself.