Displacing the Anthropocene: Colonisation, extinction and the unruliness of nature in Palestine

Recent ‘Anthropocene’ commentaries have argued that as humans become decisively entangled in natural systems, they collectively became a geological species-agent potentially becoming aware of its own place the deep history planetary time. Through this, argument goes, pre-political collective consciousness could emerge, paving way for progressive construction common world, beyond particularistic justice-claims. The reverse case is made scholarship settler colonialism: Anthropocene rooted histories colonial violence and deeply tied up with dispossession ‘extinction’ Indigenous life-worlds. In this article, we foreground nature–human entanglement crucial understanding operations but also instability colonialism Palestine. We suggest fractures openings legible when paying attention to ‘afterlife’ nature was erased due enmeshment people. provide historical ethnographic account past emerging entanglements between Palestinians refugees their nature, ultimately arguing indigeneity recalcitrant obliteration. With mind, return Anthropocene’s focus on universal human extinction ethical by critically engaging it from standpoint colonised displaced populations, like Palestinian refugees. conclude only profoundly unequal access Life entrenched foregrounded addressed, does real possibility recognising any common, global vulnerability species faces emerge.