A Political Ecology of Date Plantations in the Lower Jordan Valley
Gutkowski argues that climate change politics in these date plantations are inherently time politics, co-constructed by human and nonhuman actors. Through an analysis of interactions among Israeli, Palestinian, and Jordanian officials, scientists, farmers, agri-tech developers, and nonhuman agents such as the Red Palm Weevil and its containment technologies, this talk highlights how the temporal nature of power and the temporal power of nature drive the reorganization of borders.
By focusing on the routines of climate change rather than moments of crisis or emergency, this paper highlights the everyday lived dynamics that unfold between recurring cycles of slow and spectacular violence in the region. These mundane temporalities illuminate how people navigate, survive, and resist the challenges of climate change within agri-ecological systems, offering a nuanced understanding of life and struggle in one of the world's most contested landscapes.