Operation OASIS finds first African partner – Dr Newton Jibunoh The Desert Warrior!

FREdome Visionary Trust | May 26, 2011 at 5:27 pm | Categories: Uncategorized | URL: http://wp.me/pgwuH-dh

Exciting news!

Following a meeting yesterday in Chelsea, London, African NGO,   Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE)  has agreed to become a partner to Operation OASIS.
An exploratory meeting between members of the OASIS network and Dr Newton Jibunoh and his FADE team revealed close synergies between our two projects: FADE's goal is to establish a wall of trees along the fringes of the desert in successive rows;  Operation OASIS seeks to establish tree belts on desert coasts to allow airborne moisture to cross onto the land, carrying rain clouds into arid interiors.

OASIS and FADE teams join up to fight the desert

Shared goals

Terms will be agreed for a way forward which will emphasise:

A shared commitment to promoting the reversal of  desertification as a way to counteract climate change
A recognition that the most devastating social ills stem from desertification - displacement, illiteracy, poverty,  tribal conflicts, food shortage and environmental degradation.
Appeals for funding pilot demonstrations of Operation OASIS to  maximise desert reclamation by re-establishing forests and crops in a moist rather than dry environment.

Dr Newton Jibunoh, Desert Warrior and founder of FADE, Africa

The  Doctor says, “Desertification  is the primary cause of Climate Change!”

Dr Newton C. Jibunoh is a world-renowned environmentalist popularly known as “The Desert Warrior”.  He founded FADE Africa to plant millions of trees with a group of volunteers to reclaim and resettle lands taken by the desert, in the northern parts of Nigeria bordering the Sahara desert, starting with kano, Borno and Yobe states. He resettles the  reclaimed lands with people by establishing schools and training programs for the teachers, setting up cottage industries, clean water, electricity, etc, and thereby curbing migration.
Operation OASIS is also a voluntary project,  founded by engineer and inventor Andrew K  Fletcher, who attended the meeting along with OASIS team member Craig Embleton of the Green Frontier. The OASIS solution proposes the reforestation of desert coasts to allow airborne moisture to cross onto the land, carrying rain clouds into arid interior. Excess wastewater will be salvaged from sewage processing and used to irrigate coastal tree belts.  The aim is the reversal of desertification and establishment of  agroforestry and eco-affluent societies.

A voice from the desert

The project is sponsored by the voluntary action of the FREdome Visionary Trust. Founder of the Hertofordshire based grass roots community group Greg Peachey said:

FREdome is all about finding a shared way forward. Now we need to communicate the relevance of this project to non-desert nations. We need to unlock international co-funding to finance practical action.
In Dr Newton we are delighted  to find a powerful advocate for our message.  In his lifetime, he has witnessed the Sahara desert's insatiable advance that constantly devours farms and villages, forcing people to abandon their homelands and migrate to already overpopulated cities.

The Operation OASIS network is uniting scientists, community organisers, local authorities, development agencies and communications professionals in staging a bid for funding from the EU Life + Communications Programme. Should it be successful, the network would have the resource to communicate our ideas worldwide and find partners to work on a demonstration of the system.

Links

FADE Africa is an international non-governmental organisation (ngo) accredited to the  United Nations World Summit on Sustainable Development. Find out more at   http://www.fadeafrica.org/

Find out more at the Operation OASIS website . http://www.operationoasis.com/

Help us keep going! Back our bid for £5000 from the Co-op.

This money would keep our OASIS network going until we can get proper funding - we are all volunteers, currently we receive no funding from any source.

Meet Dr. Newton Jibunoh Africas Voice for Action against Desert Encroachment

http://www.fadeafrica.org/index.php

Meet Dr. Newton Jibunoh. Nigerian soil scientist and Engineer who has crossed the Sahara Desert on solitary expeditions 3 times. His experiences from the expeditions has inspired a life project to bring attention to the expanding Sahara Desert and the shrinking lakes of Africa as a result of global warming. At the world conferences on climate change, he is leading the world as Africa's voice for action to reclaim Africa's land from the Sahara Desert.

YouTube - The Man Who Stopped the Desert - trailer 1 Narrated by Hugh Quarshie

YouTube - The Man Who Stopped the Desert - trailer 1 Narrated by Hugh Quarshie

An incredible story about a man who against all odds began to plant trees in the baron soil on the inner edge of the Sahara desert, transforming the environment for people to return to their birth place from the cities.

His work was copied by the people when they saw how effective trees were in holding back the encroaching sands of the Sahara. Trees are the key to reversing desertification and ending famine.

Drought worries spread beyond Britain's borders 2011

Drought worries spread beyond Britain's borders

David Richardson

Thursday 05 May 2011 10:50

Apologies for returning to the subject I wrote about a couple of weeks ago, but drought is the story of the year. And it's not just here in eastern England, although we've probably got worse problems than most.
It spreads across the country, only easing close to the Scottish borders. But it doesn't stop at England. Most of Europe is suffering, the only notable exceptions being Spain and Italy, which is a bit of a paradox, and there seems little prospect in the forecast of the substantial UK precipitation we so desperately need. The few drops late last week, some of which dampened the Royal Wedding, were not enough.
More serious from a world perspective is a widespread drought across most of the wheat growing areas of North America. Kansas, Colorado, Oklahoma, and Texas have all had hot dry conditions and the USDA recently estimated between 42% and 69% of winter wheat crops in those states were poor or very poor. Assessing the entire US acreage of wheat, the agriculture department rated 36% as being in poor condition. And there, as here, it's too late for those crops to recover when rain comes.
Add to that the problems Canada and north central America still have with lying snow preventing spring sowing; inadequate rainfall in the northern half of China (a perennial problem there); and the on-going effects of last year's drought across Russia and several FSU states and there are the makings of a major supply crisis of staple foods.
We can't assume it's definitely going to happen when American maize and soya beans have not been planted (it isn't time yet) and after some parts of Eastern Australia had their best harvest for years (other parts, further north were flooded). South America, however, seems unlikely to fill the gap as Argentina threatens more export taxes and Brazil grows little wheat.
In any event, futures markets around the world went crazy with prices hitting records of over £220/t (briefly) before falling back £10 in one trading session. And if speculators smell more volatility they can be expected to continue distorting prices. The difficulty for those of us who grow the stuff is to judge when to enter the forward market and how much to sell. Overdo it, only to find crops fail, and we could find ourselves having to pay margin calls and/or buy someone else's production at goodness knows what price to complete a contract.
The other major dilemma is whether to invest in irrigation. On relatively heavy land farms, like we have, where we don't grow potatoes or vegetables, we've previously regarded it as a luxury we could do without. But if this year (and last) are examples of the weather we can expect in future it may be we should reconsider - always assuming we'd get the necessary permission when domestic and industrial water supplies are becoming a big issue.
In terms of national policy I am reminded of the days, after the Second World War when memories of food rationing were still fresh, of the "strategic reserves" governments tried to build up against a period the like of which we may be about to experience. Later, when we joined the Common Market they were called "intervention stocks" and got a bad name for being too big and expensive to maintain. But might it be time to re-visit those policies and make plans, next time we have a bumper harvest, to put some of it by for a rainy or droughty day?

David Richardson farms about 400ha (1000 acres) of arable land near Norwich in Norfolk in partnership with his wife, Lorna. His son, Rob, is farm manager.
http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2011/05/05/126634/Drought-worries-spread-beyond-Britain39s-borders.htm

Southern Brazil suffers from drought

Brazil: Flooding and drought causing losses

Drought inflicts losses of more than R$140 million (US$83 million).

By Cristine Pires, Marcos Giesteira and Ricardo Corrêa—17/01/2011

 
PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil – As Southeastern Brazil suffers from disastrous flooding, it’s the lack of rain that’s causing damage throughout the south.
Since August of last year, precipitation levels have remained below the lowest historical averages documented in the past 40 years.
The soil is cracked.
Emaciated cattle walk the countryside with nothing to eat, since grass is sparse.
Some animals die of starvation.
The artesian wells that once supplied residences are now dry. Water comes only when water trucks make their rounds, attempting to bring relief.
Scenes such as these, once restricted to Brazil’s rugged northeast, are now a routine part of life in Rio Grande do Sul, which has suffered severe drought for years.

Minas Gerais Gov. Antônio Anastasia (left) visits local business hit by the floods in the city of Carvalho, in the state of Minas Gerais, on Jan. 15. (Courtesy of Wellington Pedro/Imprensa MG)

But this summer the drought, which has been attributed to the meteorological phenomenon La Niña, has been stronger than ever. The cooling of the Pacific Ocean significantly has reduced the amount of rain in southern Brazil during the summer months of December to March.
The Campanha Region is the hardest hit, with damages already totaling R$140 million (US$87 million).
Eight municipalities have declared a state of emergency: Candiota, Herval, Pedras Altas, Hulha Negra, Santana do Livramento, Pedro Osório, Lavras do Sul and Cerrito. Others – Bagé, Piratini, Pinheiro Machado and Aceguá – are awaiting approval from civil defense authorities to do so.
In Candiota, one of the cities hardest hit by the lack of water, 600 families living in rural areas depend directly on the supply from two water trucks working nonstop to keep up with demand.
Dairy farming – the city’s economic backbone – has been particularly affected because the priority has been providing water for residents, not cattle.
“We are stepping up distribution because the water is running dry in the wells,” says Candiota Mayor Luiz Carlos Folador.
Some cattle farmers are taking their herds out of the city in search of areas that haven’t been devastated by the drought.
“This week we had a breeder take eight truckloads of cattle off to other cities in search of green pasture,” Folador says.

Cidade de Goiás, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the state of Goiás, is having its historical areas threatened by the damage caused by heavy rains. (Courtesy of Corpo de Bombeiros/Goiás)

Prevention is key
The drought-afflicted municipalities are asking their state governments for comprehensive preventive policies so they won’t have to worry about the water supply again. They are also seeking funding for the construction of new dams and wells and for the renovation of existing ones.
They’re also asking for tanks to store rainwater.
Palliative measures, like distributing food and drinking water, already have been taken.
The Civil Defense of Rio Grande do Sul sent 300 care packages and 50 water filters to families in rural Candiota. More than seven tons of food were sent to Herval.
In coming days, more cities should receive aid, officials said.
In the city of Bagé, water is being rationed in 12-hour periods.
“It’s a critical situation,” says electricity supplier Carlos Eber Dias Pereira, 46. “We have families who stay up until dawn to take advantage of the 12 hours in which they have water and can shower, wash dishes and do all their household chores.”
Losses in the Campanha Region are estimated at more than 50% of the state’s corn, soybean and sorghum crops, according to the Association for Technical Assistance and Rural Extension Businesses of Rio Grande do Sul (Emater).
Pereira also has been following the agony of his relatives in rural areas.
“They’ve lost everything: their entire crop of corn, and everything else that has dried up,” he says. “Their cattle are dying. The situation is horrible.”
http://www.infosurhoy.com/cocoon/saii/xhtml/en_GB/features/saii/features/main/2011/01/17/feature-02

Listen to the children about the global water crisis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkNY78B2Jio We have a plan to recycle billions of tons of waste water to irrigate and reforest deserts to create fertile rainforests in arid lands. Do you have the time to listen to a solution that has the capacity to stabilise climate change? Visit http://www.operationoasis.com/ to learn

Operation OASIS

http://www.co-operative.coop/join-the-revolution/operation-oasis

We are currently flushing our planet down the toilet.

We simply cannot afford to continue wasting water when there is a sound economically viable option to use that water that all of us flush down the plug hole and toilet to irrigate and reforest massive areas of desert and transform the soil into moist fertile crop producing land to feed an ever increasing population. Failure is an option we simply cannot afford. The first pilot project is on target for the arid coastline of Andalucia in Spain. Once completed we intend to roll out the project to the shores of the Sahara and Middle Eastern Deserts. We need your vote to kickstart a simple project that has the potential to reverse global climate change.

Something is seriously wrong when oil rich nations buy the last remnants of fertile land from the starving millions in Ethiopia! Surely it makes far more sense to convert their own deserts into rich moist life bringing soils using excess treated waste water from Europe, removing pollution, providing shipping with a paid return cargo (instead of transporting sea water as ballast at great coast to the companies and the environment).

Initiative description

Operation OASIS is about peaceful international teamwork: To bring rain back to deserts, so the world can grow enough trees and crops to stabilise the climate and provide desperately needed food, fuel, safe materials and employment.

Our waste recycling initiative will convert raw sewage into fertiliser and waste water to safely irrigate the desert and grow trees.

Did you know that when trees are grown near the coastline next to a desert they change the local climate? This can stimulate rainfall inland, then nature takes over and the forest spreads by itself.

We are applying for funding to demonstrate how simple and effective this can be.

The idea behind Operation OASIS was researched and developed by inventor and former sewerage engineer Andrew K Fletcher. His ultimate vision for the project is to re green the deserts of Africa, providing work, food and an alternative to living in conflict and urban slums.

The Operation OASIS bid is supported by volunteers of the FREdome Visionary Trust in Hertfordshire. Our group aims to involve individuals and communities to make a better world for our children to inherit.

So far we have been successful in getting British professionals, environmentalists, academics, shipping and the waste water industries to talk. We have potential collaborators who are motivated to help us recycle sewage as a useful desert fertiliser, but our project needs resources.

If you want cleaner coastlines, and more forest - please vote for us!

How will the £5k be spent?

£2000 to cover representation at the Arab Water Forum in November 2011.£2000 for project management expenses. £1000 to pay for translation services to help disseminate proposals to overseas partners

Who will benefit?

The environment and communities

-by reclaiming arid land to feed the starving millions
-by recycling huge amounts of raw sewage
-by establishing agro-forestry abroad
-by launching a growth venture that could attract investment and create new jobs in UK

Find me on:

• fredome.wordpress.com/

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