Environmental Cooperation

Under the heading of Environment, the EST Section is responsible for, among other issues, climate change, national parks, the GLOBE educational program, and the Americas Fund.

Climate Change

Global climate change is a serious environmental challenge of the 21st century. The overall aim of the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change is to stabilize atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases at levels that will not be detrimental to human life or the environment. 

The U.S. Department of State, through its Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, coordinates U.S. international climate change policy. For an overview of U.S. policy and useful links, see the Department of State website. Also, for more information see the related links page on this site.

National Parks

National parks in the U.S. and Argentina have a long and proud history. Yellowstone National Park in the states of Wyoming and Montana was the first protected area in the western hemisphere. The second was the area near Bariloche, Argentina, which eventually became the Nahuel Huapi National Park. This land was given to Argentina by Francisco Moreno, a noted Argentine scientist, conservationist, and diplomat. U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, America's first great conservationist, met Francisco Moreno on a visit to Argentina in 1913.
 
Through a bilateral agreement signed by the U.S. and Argentina in 1997, both countries have agreed to cooperate regarding the management and protection of national parks and other protected natural and cultural heritage sites. The U.S. also provides technical support to Argentina regarding biodiversity and the conservation of exotic species.
 
The National Park Service of the Department of the Interior administers parks in the U.S. while the National Parks Administration of the Secretariat for Natural Resources and Human Environment administers parks in Argentina.

GLOBE Program

The Global Learning and Observations to Better the Environment (GLOBE) Program began in 1994. GLOBE is a worldwide internet-based program of science education, which brings together K-12 students, teachers and scientists from thousands of schools, in over 100 countries. Students, guided by teachers, collect weather and other environmental data and transmit this information via the Internet to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA). The data is compiled and mapped and then sent back to the students via the Internet. The GLOBE Program is a valuable learning exercise for students and is an important source of environmental information for scientists.
 
Argentina was an original participant in the international GLOBE agreement. Approximately 47 Argentine schools participate in the GLOBE Program; the majority of the schools are in Buenos Aires Province, but there are programs throughout the country.

The Americas Fund

The Americas Fund is part of the Enterprise for the Americas Initiative in which the U.S. Government has agreed to forgive USD 2.7 million of Argentine foreign debt. This money is deposited instead with the Fund. A Board of Directors, comprised of U.S. and Argentine government representatives and local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), evaluates environmental project requests and disburses funds with the purpose of "promoting activities destined to the preservation, protection, or management of Argentina's natural resources in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner, as well as promoting the improvement of the survival and development of children in Argentina." The Fund is designed to become self-sustaining through the participation of other governments and/or private donors.

For more information regarding the fund, please contact Silvia Tissoni, administrative assistant, at Stissoni@sernah.gov.ar