I.1 KAZ Vector | Eurasian Land Bridge
Earth-sensing infrastructures consume and “terraform” the planet at the same moment as they processes it, which is not without consequence, given that the energy appetite of these infrastructures — as well as of planetary-scale computation in general — is still largely sated by non-renewable resources. Matteo Pasquinelli calls contemporary digital infrastructures carbosilicon machines: “the historical assemblage of the industrial and information apparatuses, the grafting of the Turing machine onto the governor of the thermodynamic engine. Hence, once we realise that computational models of Earth are literally made from Earth — since they require tasty blocks of lignite or barrels of oil to be continuously supplied into the digestive system of planetary economy
Investigation-1
China’s Development Plan of China-Europe Freight Train Construction 2016-2020 is the backbone infrastructure plan for rail freight connections across Eurasia. Two main intercontinental rail trunk line groups were established by the plan: the first mainly uses the existing Trans-Siberian Railway (East Lines), and a second using the existing Kazakh rail network (West lines).
The West rail connections running through Central Asia mainly serve traffic destined to terminate within the region or to transit through to Europe, Turkey, and to a lesser extent, Iran. The West 1 Line exists from Xinjiang Alashankou (Dostyk) / Khorgos border stations, connecting to the Kazakhstan and Russian rail networks, passing through Belarus and entering the European Union in Poland (Bucsky and Kenderdine, 2020: https://www.mei.edu/publications/ferghana-valley-railway-should-never-be-built
On Thursday 21 November 2019, the first container rail service, branded as Euro China Train, arrived at the port of Gdansk following a twelve-day journey. From January 2020, the rail link will become regular with a frequency of one departure per week. On the way from China to Poland the train crosses Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus: 9-10 days are required for travelling from China to Malaszewicze, and 1-2 days are for the journey from Malaszewicze to the port of Gdansk.
Above, a satellite traces the route of the West Line a freight train like this would follow, starting in Incheon Port, South Korea, shipped to Qingdao Port or Lianyungang Port, China then onward west across China, northwest through Kazakhstan, west through Russia, Belarus closing in the port of Gdansk, Poland.
Instruction
Below is a KMZ file for the Kazakhstan Vector of the Eurasian Land Bridge.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vjmAJJtXQi-nwRwAyJL_-Y2XhRKx4coF/view?usp=sharing
1. Download and open Google Earth Pro (it is free)
2. Download the KMZ file from the link above.
3. Import the KMZ file into google earth: To view KML files, click Menu 
Settings 
Enable KML file import Save
On the left, click Projects 
.
Click the New Project button.
To add a file directly to your computer, select Import KML File. To add a file from your Google Drive or a shared file, select Import KML file from Drive.
Select the KML file you’d like to view.
3. Explore the area around one of the sites.
4. Use the historic imagery function
5. Open Quicktime player – under file, select new screen recording. Start recording.
6. Speak into the microphone as you scroll, zoom, move around the site.
7. Send video to bliplander@gmail.com.
Objective
Identify developments at each site (outbuildings, roof colours, landmarks, rail lines, machinery, barracks, place names, urban structures) to be cross-referenced at next stage with ground footage, online research, newspaper articles.
The objective is to collectively analyse and write up a case report on the psychological state of the freight train, to understand its lifeworld, examine the landscapes it moves through, analyse the perspectives it collects and runs off like night rain at gauge velocity.
All videos will be responded to with next steps. Details concerning the publication of the case report to follow.
Investigation-2 Ob-Irtysh Arctic Ocean Corridor through Semey's nuclear heart
Kazakhstan aims to use the vast Ob-Irtysh river system to gain access the world’s oceans via the Arctic port of Sabetta. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev are scheduled to discuss the project this fall in Omsk.
The landlocked central Asian country is furthering its efforts to develop new transport routes by utilizing Russia’s largest river system. Kazakhstan hopes to benefit from the rapid growth of Arctic shipping and piggyback along these newly developing trade routes. However, it must tread carefully as both Russia and China have vested interests in the region, including the latter’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Investigation-3 Ulba-Stepnogorsk dyad
Around 15 to 20% of the world’s explored uranium reserves are in Kazakhstan. [1] The country is the world’s largest producer of uranium, surpassing Canada and Australia in 2009. In 2011, Kazakhstan mined 35% of the world’s natural uranium supply. The country plans to substantially increase mining production in the next decade by opening 16 new mines. [2] Kazatomprom, a state-owned corporation in control of the country’s nuclear industry, plans to increase its profile in the world nuclear industry by providing more fuel cycle-related services; Kazatomprom’s goal is to supply 30% of the world’s fuel fabrication market by 2015. [3]
Kazakhstan played a key role during the Soviet era as a supplier and processor of uranium. Uranium was mined throughout the country and processed at Kazakhstan’s Tselinnyy Mining and Chemical Combine and the Prikaspiyskiy Mining and Metallurgy Combine as well as at the Kara Balta Ore Mining Combine in Kyrgyzstan and Vostokredmet’s Combine No. 6 in Tajikistan. Kazakhstan currently produces uranium dioxide pellets for nuclear fuel at Ulba Metallurgy Plant in the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk. In summer 2008, Kazakhstan and Canada (Cameco) established a joint venture to construct a uranium conversion facility at the Ulba Metallurgy Plant.
Russia and Kazakhstan are actively pursuing cooperation in the nuclear industry. At a January 2006 summit, leaders of the two countries agreed to work out a plan by May 2006 for the integration of their nuclear industries, especially with respect to the Zarechnoye uranium mining venture and Ulba Metallurgy Plant.
Kazakhstan has five nuclear reactors: four research reactors and one power reactor. The National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan is responsible for the country’s research reactors, including three at the former Semipalatinsk Test Site and one in Alatau, just outside the former capital of Almaty. The BN-350 power reactor in Aktau was shut down in April 1999. On 26 September 2000, the government of Kazakhstan rejected plans to build a new nuclear power plant at Lake Balkhash. However, on 21 November 2007, Kazakhstan’s Prime-Minister announced plans to construct, jointly with Russia, a new power plant in Aktau, which will host two 300 MWt reactor units. Kazatomprom and Russia’s Atomstroyeksport have established a joint venture, Atomnye Stantsii, to design and build medium-power reactors based on the VBER design.
Kazakhstan has several radioactive waste sites, including a storage facility for high-activity waste at the former Semipalatinsk Test Site. When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Kazakhstan inherited 1,410 nuclear warheads deployed on RS-20 [NATO designation SS-18 ‘Satan’] missiles and Tu-95 [Bear] heavy bombers. [4, 5] The Kazakhstani parliament approved the ratification of the START I Treaty on 2 July 1992. [6] Kazakhstan formally acceded to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) on 14 February 1994 and transferred its last nuclear warhead to Russia in April 1995. [7, 8]
