Dr. John Francis is an environmental educator, author, and former UN goodwill ambassador. He is the founder and director of Planetwalk, and environmental education organization, and speaks on pilgrimage and environment around the world. In 1971, he witnessed an oil spill in San Francisco Bay, stopped using motorized vehicles and began to walk. To learn to listen better, John took a 17-year vow of silence shortly thereafter. His journeys on foot have taken him across the US, the Carribbean, and South America. His commitment has led him to a PhD, and he has given a TED talk, and been featured on Sunday Morning on CBS. He is the author of Planetwalker: 17-Years of Silence, 22-Years of Walking, and The Ragged Edge of Silence.