Modernisation and global environmental degradation have coincided historically. When the relationship between the two is examined, globalised modernity can be seen to generate particular modes of knowledge, and simultaneously to displace, marginalise and then destroy others. Specific forms of large‐scale environmental degradation occur as a routine consequence of modernity as is well illustrated by the example of agriculture and its attendant expert knowledge system. The distancing of the site of degradation from its original cause confuses the allocation of responsibility. In the post‐Rio context, this poses enormous public policy problems regarding the level of legislation ‐ local, national, international or transnational.