Geography Lesson #1: Kazakhstan, my first destination, is way over on the upper right of this picture. Central Asia is a part of the world that few of us Americans can find on a map, let alone know anything about. It’s becoming strategically important as China’s mega infrastructure project, the Belt & Road, goes right through its heart on its way to the Mediterranean and Western Europe.
This is my third visit to Kazakhstan, which is pretty weird in and of itself. NGIN brings me to Kazakhstan to work with local entrepreneurs and then Vienna to attend UNIDO’s annual conference. Both are other-worldly in their own way. Getting “there” is anything but direct: four flights to Astana, three flights to Vienna, and three flights back to ABQ. Travel hint: the more flights to a destination the cheaper the trip.
The day before flying to Astana, Kazakhstan, we visited with friends on the outside deck. 24 hours later and its a different world..
Flying over the Mediterranean as we approach the coast of Israel. What, you didn’t know Israel is on the way to Kazakhstan? It is if one of your stops on the way to Astana is Dubai.
Kazakhstan History Lesson #1. Astana is Kazakhstan’s capital., built around 1997 from scratch. The story goes that Kazakhstan decided to build a new capital to minimize spying by the Ruskies (Kazakhstan achieved independence in 1991). If I were an architect, this is where I’d want to practice. Pictured above is the Astana Expo built in 2017 for a major summit. The big ball is an out-of-this-world energy museum. This is just one of many spectacular buildings sprinkled throughout the capital. It’s pretty amazing what can be built when money is no object and all decisions are made by one guy, referred to through out Kazakhstan as the “First President.”
I’m in Astana because NGIN is conducing a UNIDO Global Climate Innovation Program (GCIP) “National Academy.” This program puts local cleantech entrepreneurs through a 4-day bootcamp on how to be successful. We’ve helped over 1600 entrepreneurs from eight developing countries with GCIP during the past ten years. Perhaps the most surprising thing about GCIP is that there are any entrepreneurs at all in these far away places.
As I’ve probably said way too often, I believe the key to slowing climate change is to accelerate/leverage/boost/enable (pick your term) local entrepreneurs to get their cleantech innovations into market, no matter where they are. 99% of the world does not enjoy the entrepreneurial culture that fuels much of the U.S.’s economy and thus desperately needs programs like GCIP. While the innovativeness of these local entrepreneurs are generally a grade or two below Silicon Valley’s finest, they still represent real opportunities to de-carbonize their local economies.
NGIN’s Kevin and Chloe do most of the heavy lifting, taking entrepreneurs through the 20 UNIDO key factors of success. These are very much hands-on workshops as entrepreneurs try to apply the success factors to their businesses in real time.
One of the best things about this trip is meeting the local entrepreneurs. Universally upbeat and eager to learn, watching the transformation they undergo in just four days is remarkable and very gratifying. We met with entrepreneurs trying to build companies in waste management, recycling, fish production, oil field adaptation and organic fertilizers. While not likely candidates for becoming a Unicorn (a company with a $1Billion valuation before going public), several of them looked like they could build successful companies competing in their regional market.
Intimidating: This high school Junior presents to the group with more poise and smarts than most of us acquire in a lifetime. I think she was 17 going on 47. Very well thought out organic fertilizer business concept.
I was privileged to be invited to share a holiday meal with the extended family of one of the locals. What an experience! Grandmothers, aunts, sons, daughters, grandchildren and cousins were part of Saule’s family (seated to my left). I did my best to eat the Hungary-Man portions of horse meat and other local delicacies. Talk, eating, drinking, singing, giving thanks and laughter were the norm. Somethings are the same no matter where one is.
And pulled out the Cognac, tea, chocolate, and Chicken McNuggets. Turn on the portable speakers with the Fine Young Cannibals” playing and the meeting officially got started.
20F really isn’t that cold with enough Cognac.
After a week, we sadly leave Kazakhstan behind . View is of the mountains in the southern part of Kazakhstan. Only three legs to Vienna — Istanbul, Bologna and then Vienna.
Flying over Austria, about to land in Vienna just before midnight.
Fascinating. The world is awakening to a new dawn...........I hope the revelations come quivckly enough to save the planet. Seems Freddy is doing a fair amount of "heavy lifting" as well. Gregg
I grew up during the Cold War, this area was called Soviet Central Asia, part of the old 19th century Russian Empire and off limits. We've just got back from two weeks in Uzbekistan and it was a revelation, clean modern cities mingled with UNESCO world heritage sites in Bukhara Samarqand and Tashkent. The latter was flattened by an earthquake in the '60's and rebuilt by teams from all over the USSR with wide tree lined avenues. The flip side was that Moscow needed cotton, which needs irrigation. The disaster of tapping rivers led to the Aral sea disaster. But it is an area of stark, almost Martian beauty well worth the long trek in a 4 × 4. Rather than looking to the west or east, it seemed that they are finding their own way, and good luck to them having spent two centuries as pawns in the "Great Game"
Fascinating. The world is awakening to a new dawn...........I hope the revelations come quivckly enough to save the planet. Seems Freddy is doing a fair amount of "heavy lifting" as well. Gregg
I grew up during the Cold War, this area was called Soviet Central Asia, part of the old 19th century Russian Empire and off limits. We've just got back from two weeks in Uzbekistan and it was a revelation, clean modern cities mingled with UNESCO world heritage sites in Bukhara Samarqand and Tashkent. The latter was flattened by an earthquake in the '60's and rebuilt by teams from all over the USSR with wide tree lined avenues. The flip side was that Moscow needed cotton, which needs irrigation. The disaster of tapping rivers led to the Aral sea disaster. But it is an area of stark, almost Martian beauty well worth the long trek in a 4 × 4. Rather than looking to the west or east, it seemed that they are finding their own way, and good luck to them having spent two centuries as pawns in the "Great Game"