Politics Theory Other

It's become commonplace to describe our current epoch in terms of "uncertain times", whether when talking about the Covid-19 pandemic, geopolitical ruptures, or the rapid rise of insurgent political forces. But Natasha Lennard argues that talk of uncertainty and doubt often masks the violent certainties that structure our world - from the seeming inviolability and permanence of property and border regimes, to entrenched conceptions of gendered experience.

In today's episode we talked about how Natasha came to focus on this question, and the political implications of making a distinction between knowledge and certainty.

Notes:

On Un/Certainty:The Uses of Doubt in Dangerous Times

https://www.versobooks.com/products/3217-on-un-certainty?srsltid=AfmBOopaoxZxzJRVsNnOCKTkvlvzWGzrj5cm69etz4IrZS7MjV9x1cET

Richard returns to talk about this year's wildfires. We talked about the scale and extent of the wildfires, how they compare to recent years, and the threat of the so-called weather whiplash effect, with heatwaves and wildfires being followed by severe flooding. We also talked about how fire is impacting biodiversity, how better land use management could reduce the threat posed by wildfires, and why Richard thinks we should be cautious about applying an apocalyptic framing to the phenomenon.

Notes:

Welcome to the Pyrocene:

https://www.newstatesman.com/international-politics/climate-international-politics/2026/08/welcome-to-the-pyrocene

Europe’s summer of wildfires is just a taste of what’s to come:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/europes-summer-of-wildfires-is-just-a-taste-of-whats-to-come/

James Meadway joins PTO to discuss the report he recently authored for the Verdant think tank on the economic costs of the recent UK heatwaves. We talked about how the extreme weather hit productivity right across the economy - from construction workers and delivery drivers to office workers. And about how the increasing casualisation of the workforce makes UK workers increasingly vulnerable to the physical and financial damage caused by such events. We also talked about the impact on infrastructure and about the inadequacy of the Burnham government's response to the situation.

Notes:

The Cost of Heat: Summer 2026 UK heatwaves - an economic impact update:

https://www.verdantthinking.org/publications-and-events/the-cost-of-heat-may-to-july

Adam Tooze - "Mad dogs and ...": Heatwave economics - summer 2026:

https://adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-467-mad-dogs-and-heatwave

In the Wisconsin primary last week the socialist candidate Francesca Hong was narrowly defeated by her more centrist opponent. It's a result that some argue shows the limits of left politics in swing states and outside of Democrat voting heartlands - in spite of the prior victory of Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan. To talk through both campaigns, and what they tell us about the viability of left politics in the United States, PTO is joined by Maurice Weeks - co-founder of the Action Center on Race and the Economy.

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