John Francis Walks the Earth, a TED Talk

                The story of John Francis is simply remarkable. His entry into the world of environmental studies began in 1971, where he witnessed the destruction of two oil tankers crashing into each other beneath the Golden Gate Bridge. Traumatized by the half million gallons of liquid sludge that spewed directly into the Bay area of California, Francis swore off the use of motorized vehicles. From that day on, he walked . . . and walked . . . and walked. It was not a statement that he thought he was better than everybody else because he chose not to burn fuel for the means of transport—it became a life of introspection that led him down a path of activism.

                At the age of 27, an air of silence reigned over Francis. One day of silence eventually lasted a year, then another . . . then another. His ascetic lifestyle marched him on his way to Ashland, Oregon where he earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental studies. From walking around Washington State, he eventually landed in Missoula, Montana where he spent the next two years of study earning his master’s degree—teaching as he went along, remaining completely silent in the process. From there he left for the University of Wisconsin where he spent two more years writing on oil spills. During this time, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker had run aground, spewing crude oil into Prince William Sound—the largest oil spill in history at the time. Seventeen years later from his 27^th birthday, John Francis broke his silence.

So why is this important? What does John Francis’s vow of silence have to do with studying and caring for the environment, and why did he choose to speak out so many years later? Francis reflects on his silence as the first step in engaging in the conversation simply by listening, and he realized “that for those many years” he had “not been learning.” This introspection led him down a path of activism, culminating in him delivering an address at the 20^th anniversary of Earth Day, working as a coast guard, and serving as a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador. As he began to speak out, he realized that there exists an informal level to studying environment—a level where he “learned of people, and what we do and how we are.” He realized that the problem is bigger than himself, it encompasses all of us and how we treat each other, and this is the message he set out to spread.

His message is one of empathy: Francis suggests “how we treat each other is really how we’re going to treat the environment.” He encourages us to go out there and make a change for the better, to escape our mental prisons and to challenge ourselves to leave our comfort zones—to listen. The time is now to do something, “we have to become activists.” His message is that the world is bound by the faith we have in one another, and humanity must not remain silent as he had done so for seventeen years.

Reflection

John Francis’s tale of silence is one of optimism. I felt encouraged to get out there and engage in the conversation regarding our environmental future. Francis’s decision to abstain from the use of motorized vehicles is something I highly praise about his story. The use of motorized vehicles is so prevalent today that I cannot possibly imagine someone completely going without. The biggest takeaway from his presentation is his insistence in listening to the conversation. There are many different viewpoints in the world—some of which we may wholeheartedly disagree on—but it is important to try to hear the other side of the story rather than quickly resorting to polemics to make our point.