The purpose of this work is to present a theoretical-methodological approach to the study of environmental conflicts and to show a possible way to study their longerlasting effects, an aspect we call social productivity. The methodological approach has been organized around two case studies: the “conflict over the pulp mills on the Uruguay River” and the “conflict for the environmental restoration of the Matanza- Riachuelo basin.” These cases were selected for being outstanding disputes in Argentina’s public environmental debate. The text poses questions as well as considerations for further discussion on the effects of environmental conflicts, the responses of state authorities and the debates over alternatives to development.