Is globalization good or bad for the environment? Globalization is a complex combination of economic, cultural and political processes that aim to increase the interconnectedness of life in the contemporary world (Pacione, 2009). The question of whether globalization is good or bad for the environment is a very broad topic, which I will refine by providing an overview of some interrelated economic, social and environmental aspects. There are opposing views regarding the effects of globalization on the environment. These views will be examined in relation to the environmental Kuznets curve. In this essay, I will then focus on what I see as the negative implications of globalization on the environment. I will present the environmental Kuznets curve which conceptualizes the relationship between globalization and environmental sustainability. As the topic is very broad, I will focus on one particular case study, that of Brazil, which will provide evidence supporting the conflicting implications of Amazonian development and land use intensification. I will detail the importance and natural value of the Amazon rainforest as well as the economic incentives that support its development. This will be followed by a detailed discussion of the processes that lead to the rapid conversion of natural rainforest into agricultural landscapes, and will detail the impacts of this land conversion on the region's environment. I will then summarize the information gathered and conclude with why globalization is bad for the environment. Globalization and environmental sustainability are summarized in Environmental Kuznets Curves (EKC) which are commonly used to consider macro-changes in environmental quality outcomes..... . middle of paper......and the intensity of use is determined by economic incentives. These economic incentives have been brought about by Brazil's shift from local and national to global markets where demand provides significant incentives and rationality for the destructive and often irreversible land use practices that characterize the Amazonian cattle industry. Despite the considerable damage and degradation of the environment, it does not seem clear that changes or modifications will be made in order to mitigate the current negative effects. While globalization brings new, often lucrative, economic incentives, the environment is largely ignored and often completely ignored in terms of the consequences of such landscape modification practices. How Profits Trump Sustainability Provides Strong Incentive to Believe Globalization Is Bad for the Environment..