Letter from Bill Gates Foundation regarding Operation OASIS

Dear Mr Gates

Following your interview on television yesterday regarding the logic in supporting developing countries so that they in turn help to support our own economy is precisely what we have been advocating within the Operation OASIS Project, detailed on the website link below.

This project was designed to prevent further drought in Somalia and Ethiopia following the Feed The World Appeal in the 80's and offers a common sense approach to restore arid coastlines into productive agro-forestry based practices by making use of the existing ballast water practices in the bulk ocean transport chain.

Currently, sea water is transported as ballast and released back into the sea at great financial and environmental cost. This practice is under close scrutiny  by the E.U. and the U.N.  and legislation is placing a heavy compliance burden on shipping, who's only option on the table so far is to install and run expensive sterilization equipment in a bid to prevent the introduction of invasive marine species which have already wreaked havoc on marine and shipping environments, depleting the food chain further.

Oasis offers a land based end use for the treated waste water ballast that can be used safely to grow crops and timber resources along the worlds arid coastlines and in doing so we believe we can stimulate increased annual rainfall in these regions to enable people to return to the land and find valuable employment in providing food and renewable resources.

This act alone will ease the amount of food required to support people in drought stricken areas.

We would welcome an opportunity to discuss Operation OASIS in more detail and thrash out any doubts you may have about this approach.

Best Wishes

Andrew K Fletcher

Info info@gatesfoundation.org to me show details 4 Nov 2011 (2 days ago) Dear Mr. Fletcher, Thank you for contacting the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We appreciate the opportunity to review your request and learn about the mission of Operation OASIS. While we understand how important your work is on behalf of the community you serve, unfortunately, it falls outside of the foundation's giving priorities, and we are unable to provide support. As you may know, the foundation's work stems from our belief that all people deserve the chance to live healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, we focus on improving people's health and giving them the opportunity to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, we seek to ensure that all people-especially those with the fewest resources-have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. For more information about the foundation, including our funding guidelines, recent videos, photo galleries, and a link to the foundation's blog, please visit www.gatesfoundation.org. We appreciate your commitment to your work and wish you all the best. Sincerely, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Grantee & Public Communications www.gatesfoundation.org