John Francis walks the Earth, carrying a message of careful, truly sustainable development and respect for our planet.

Why you should listen

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.

What others say

“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

John Francis’ TED talk

More news and ideas from John Francis

Live from TED

4 chances to see TED speakers live, this week and next

March 17, 2009

TEDIndia’s Lakshmi Pratury will be interviewing two TED speakers next week in the Bay Area: + March 30, 2009, hear TED2009 speaker Nandan Nilekani, the founder of Infosys and the author of Imagining India, at the Crowne Plaza Cabana in Palo Alto, 6:30-8pm. Tickets: $15 members, $25 nonmembers. Premium tickets (includes reception, book and priority […]

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TED2008: Days 3 and 4 in Quotes

March 2, 2008

Photos: Andrew Heavens “Imagine Martin Luther King saying, ‘I have a dream … But I don’t know if the others will buy it.’” – Boston Philharmonic conductor Ben Zander, on the importance of persuasive leadership “Human progress depends on unreasonable people. Reasonable people accept the world as they meet it; unreasonable people persist in trying […]

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TED2008: And The Point?

March 1, 2008

(Unedited running notes from the TED2008 conference in Monterey, California. Session twelve – closing session.) The session opens with the projection of will.i.am’s "Yes We Can" viral video based on Barack Obama’s speech. The two producers are in the audience. The video has been seen millions of times, a demonstration of the power of individuals […]

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