If you’re looking to find incredible inspiration when it comes to sustainability efforts and accomplishments, then take a look at this profile of Dr. John Francis. Read on to discover who this man is and what he’s done for our planet so far!
Dr. John Francis is an American environmentalist, more commonly known as The Planetwalker. He was born to a West Indian immigrant in Philadelphia and moved over to Marin County in California as a child.
By this point, you may be querying why Francis is nicknamed ‘The Planetwalker.’ Well, this all started in 1971, when Francis, in his twenties at the time, witnessed a devastating oil spill in San Francisco Bay. This was a huge turning point for this man, demonstrating the true extent of environmental harm.
Even when Francis joined a group of volunteers who cleaned beaches and worked hard to save birds and marine creatures affected by petroleum, he felt the urge to make an even more significant commitment. Thus, Francis soon vowed never to use transport, instead walking everywhere on foot! When traveling long distances in this fashion, people would sometimes ask Francis what he was doing, to which he would then argue back. Therefore, in 1973, our Planetwalker made the commitment to stop speaking so that he could not argue with his community members, only listening to what they had to say instead.
As time went on, Francis found this listening time incredibly valuable. He ended up staying silent for a whopping seventeen years – aside from a phone call he made to his mother after a whole decade of silence. During the time he wasn’t speaking, Francis communicated with gestures, writing, and playing the banjo. However, he ended this vow in 1990 on Earth Day, only to be knocked down by a car the day after. Following the accident, he actually persuaded the ambulance team to let him walk on foot to the hospital!
During his silence, Francis completed three impressive college degrees, ending in a land management Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This doctor actually walked to Ashland, Oregon, to enroll in a course at Southern Oregon University, completing a BA here.
After this, he walked to Washington state and built his own boat, getting in touch with the University of Montana and declaring that he wanted to enroll in a postgraduate degree program in about two years. After walking and sailing to Montana, he finished his degree there.
Francis didn’t have much money – when money became available to pay his class fees, the funds were put on his transcript for credit. He also taught classes alongside studying for his postgraduate degree.
Next, Francis walked his way to Wisconsin, taking up his doctoral studies and concentrating on the impact of oil spills. During the time of his studies, the Exxon Valdez disaster happened and brought significant attention to Francis’ research. On completing his studies, this doctor walked to Washington, DC.
It was in 1994 that Francis decided to start using transport again. He believed he could be a much more impactful environmentalist if he could get around quicker. Thus, he went on a bus at the border of Brazil and Venezuela. The United States Coast Guard had appointed this doctor to work on legislation concerning the management of oil spills.
In 2009, he could be found in Australia, walking the Great Ocean Road for a movie being made by Tourism Victoria. He is also the author of ‘Planetwalker: How to Change Your World One Step at a Time' and has a wife and two sons.
If you’re looking to find incredible inspiration when it comes to sustainability efforts and accomplishments, then take a look at this profile of Dr. John Francis. Read on to discover who this man is and what he’s done for our planet so far!
Dr. John Francis is an American environmentalist, more commonly known as The Planetwalker. He was born to a West Indian immigrant in Philadelphia and moved over to Marin County in California as a child.
By this point, you may be querying why Francis is nicknamed ‘The Planetwalker.’ Well, this all started in 1971, when Francis, in his twenties at the time, witnessed a devastating oil spill in San Francisco Bay. This was a huge turning point for this man, demonstrating the true extent of environmental harm.
Even when Francis joined a group of volunteers who cleaned beaches and worked hard to save birds and marine creatures affected by petroleum, he felt the urge to make an even more significant commitment. Thus, Francis soon vowed never to use transport, instead walking everywhere on foot! When traveling long distances in this fashion, people would sometimes ask Francis what he was doing, to which he would then argue back. Therefore, in 1973, our Planetwalker made the commitment to stop speaking so that he could not argue with his community members, only listening to what they had to say instead.
As time went on, Francis found this listening time incredibly valuable. He ended up staying silent for a whopping seventeen years – aside from a phone call he made to his mother after a whole decade of silence. During the time he wasn’t speaking, Francis communicated with gestures, writing, and playing the banjo. However, he ended this vow in 1990 on Earth Day, only to be knocked down by a car the day after. Following the accident, he actually persuaded the ambulance team to let him walk on foot to the hospital!
Dr. John Francis is an American environmentalist, more commonly known as The Planetwalker.
During his silence, Francis completed three impressive college degrees, ending in a land management Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. This doctor actually walked to Ashland, Oregon, to enroll in a course at Southern Oregon University, completing a BA here.
After this, he walked to Washington state and built his own boat, getting in touch with the University of Montana and declaring that he wanted to enroll in a postgraduate degree program in about two years. After walking and sailing to Montana, he finished his degree there.
Francis didn’t have much money – when money became available to pay his class fees, the funds were put on his transcript for credit. He also taught classes alongside studying for his postgraduate degree.
Next, Francis walked his way to Wisconsin, taking up his doctoral studies and concentrating on the impact of oil spills. During the time of his studies, the Exxon Valdez disaster happened and brought significant attention to Francis’ research. On completing his studies, this doctor walked to Washington, DC.
It was in 1994 that Francis decided to start using transport again. He believed he could be a much more impactful environmentalist if he could get around quicker. Thus, he went on a bus at the border of Brazil and Venezuela. The United States Coast Guard had appointed this doctor to work on legislation concerning the management of oil spills.
In 2009, he could be found in Australia, walking the Great Ocean Road for a movie being made by Tourism Victoria. He is also the author of ‘Planetwalker: How to Change Your World One Step at a Time' and has a wife and two sons.
From taking note of this doctor’s achievements so far, any individual can see that Dr. John Francis is a fantastic example to follow.
Firstly, it’s evident that sustainable practices are more crucial than you probably first thought initially. By making such a massive commitment to walking, Francis has fully demonstrated the harm that transportation causes.
Furthermore, we can learn that businesses that take on sustainable approaches could have more of a chance of succeeding than those which don’t. Becoming a responsible figure in eco-awareness may gain more support than you think.
Finally, the crucial takeaway is that anyone can make a huge difference. You can easily take one step at a time to better our planet.
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