A Talk by Dr. J. Francis

Can only walking and not talking for years together make you famous? You must be thinking already that I am be crazy. Remember the movie Forrest Gump? He didn't walk though. But he ran. Ran for a cause. People followed him and joined him for the run. Now this was a movie!

I was privileged to attend a lecture last evening at the IDC audi. It was by a man who has walked all over the US, from the west coast to the east coast, from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast. Not just that, he refused to drive his car nor did he oblige to any offers of lift, holding a backpack over his shoulder and playing the Banjo. He didn't talk. He used his mime skills to convey people what he wanted. He did this for 17 long years. And what could be the reason you must be thinking. He wanted to convey the message of ill effects of oil spill, cutting of trees and message of love. During these 17 years, he managed to complete his Masters in Environmental science and get a PhD in Land Management with emphasis on Oil Spillage, from Univ of Wisconsin at Madison!

He is currently employed by US Coast Guards to work on legislation related to Oil spills and also named the UN Environmental Program Goodwill ambassador.