In Central Asia’s Brutal Winter, Fossil Fuels Trump Climate Politics

Central Asian countries are pragmatic about future energy needs, having decided to choose energy security over climate virtue signaling.

Workers walk as oil pumps are seen in the background in the Uzen oil and gas field in the Mangistau Region of Kazakhstan, on Nov.13, 2021. Pavel Mikheyev/Reuters

Commentary

Globally, winter cold kills more people than summer heat, and winter in Central Asia is no gentle visitor. Temperatures can plummet to minus 40 degrees C (minus 40 degrees F), transforming bustling cities into frozen landscapes and testing the limits of human endurance.