One day in 1983, John Francis stepped out on a walk. For the next 22 years, he trekked and sailed around North and South America, carrying a message of respect for the Earth -- for 17 of those years, without speaking. During his monumental, silent trek, he earned an MA in environmental studies and a PhD in land resources. Today his Planetwalk foundation consults on sustainable development and works with educational groups to teach kids about the environment.
"Part of the mystery of walking is that the destination is inside us and we really don't know when we arrive until we arrive." John Francis
"Let's take this compassion and
love that we have in TED to out there to the world.
We are the environment!
How we treat each other is really
how we are going to treat the environment!"