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Did disasters and massive pollution contribute to the shift in environmental attitudes in twentieth-century industrial society? The growing opposition to industrial excess suggests at the very least a significant increase in public awareness. Using recent cases as a starting point, this paper explores various levels of environmental conflict resulting from the excesses of more than two centuries of industrialization. It explores the nature of interactions aimed at establishing territory and functions. It also focuses on the negotiations between stakeholders to identify what underlies their conflicting issues, and advocates a redefinition of the environmental problem itself. What emerges is a history of the regulation of environmental conflict, by adopting a long-term perspective for understanding industrial excess.