Why This Man Didn't Speak for Seventeen Years | John Francis

John Francis is an environmentalist and a National Geographic Society education fellow who is nicknamed, "the planetwalker." After living through the devistating 1971 San Fransisco Bay oil spill and the sudden death of a neighbor, he stopped riding in motorized vehicles. Shortly after, he vowed to stop speaking so he could practice listening to others. During his 17 year silence, he walked across the country, taught classes at multiple universities, got a Ph.D. in environmental studies, and learned to play the banjo.
0:30 "Celebration" on the banjo
1:56 I started speaking again on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day
6:15 Life, death, and the oil spill
12:39 I stopped speaking on my birthday as a gift to my community
12:47 I started going to school, taught college classes, and got a Ph.D.
33:16 The next oil spill, and the call from the coast guard
35:06 Treating people well is part of being sustainable, and what I learned from the journey
37:23 The rest of "Celebration" on the banjo
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0:30 "Celebration" on the banjo
1:56 I started speaking again on the 20th anniversary of Earth Day
6:15 Life, death, and the oil spill
12:39 I stopped speaking on my birthday as a gift to my community
12:47 I started going to school, taught college classes, and got a Ph.D.
33:16 The next oil spill, and the call from the coast guard
35:06 Treating people well is part of being sustainable, and what I learned from the journey
37:23 The rest of "Celebration" on the banjo