WALKING THE WALK...

A local community college radio host recently interviewed environmental practitioner John Francis, the author of Planetwalker: How to Change Your World One Step at a Time. The memoir describes Francis’ self-imposed break with fossil-fuel powered transportation after the damage he observed following a massive oil spill near the Golden Gate Bridge in 1971. In a walking journey that stretched to 22 years, 17 of which were spent in silence, Francis traversed the country many times; and earned undergraduate and graduate degrees, including a Ph.D. from the prestigious Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in Madison, Wisconsin.

The natural world offers us constant reminders to slow down – see, smell, taste, and listen in new ways. Feng Shui literally means Wind and Water, refreshing and redefining our spaces, as well as ourselves. Because we are a part of our environment, we have the ability to influence and change it for the better. For Francis, our environmental problems are not just about pollution, man-made ugliness, and loss of habitat, but are truly a manifestation of how we treat each other. In finding the ability to respect both ourselves and others we will truly be walking the walk – and making a difference.