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Provides news briefs related to the economy of Alberta. Carbon dioxide emissions and the international conference in Kyoto, Japan; The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP); Delayed transactions of the Alberta Stock Exchange; Top trader of the week; Top residential sales; Bankruptcy; The dangers of used oilfield equipment from the United States; Samac Engineering Ltd.; The Frontier Centre for Public Policy in Winnipeg; Technology Partnerships Canada; Untreated pine as roofing.

Discusses the controversy surrounding the proposed Canada Endangered Species Protection Act, known as Bill C-65. The number of officially endangered species and their habitats; The complaints of ranchers, oilmen, and other land users; The efforts of Environment Minister Sergio Marchi; The concerns over the parameters set by the bill.

Discusses the reactions of Federal Environment Minister Sergio Marchi to the 1996 research on global warming. His intentions to make Canada a world leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are allegedly causing the global warming phenomenon; His avoidance of discussing the costs of reduction and the uncertainty of the science behind the claims; The impact on Alberta. INSETS: The healthy smoker, by David Philip;Baywatch causes cancer.

Informs that Toronto, Ontario-based petroleum company Imperial Oil Ltd. has leaked a document entitled `The High Costs of Kyoto,' on the economic impact that supporting the Kyoto global warming agreement would have on Canada. The expected effect of Prime Minister Jean Chretien's promise to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions; Canadian Environment Minister Christine's Stewart's response to Imperial Oil. INSET: Global warming's weird science.

Discusses the impact of the environmental agreements in Kyoto, Japan, on industries in Canada. Global warming concerns; Comments of Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien; Plans for Canada to postpone its commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; Avoiding a emissions reduction schedule.

Offers news briefs pertaining to Canada for January 11, 1999. The former Supreme Court Justice Willard Estey's report on Canada's grain transportation system; British Columbia losing population to other provinces; Amoco Canada's gas leases in the environmentally sensitive Whaleback region of southewestern Alberta; Spending on video lottery terminals in Alberta.

Focuses on the issue of environmental regulations in Canada. Complaint of industrialists on the need for both federal and provincial environmental approvals; Laws to help harmonize the two sets of regulations; Efforts of Alberta's Environment Minister Ty Lund.

Considers the charge by Alberta environmentalists that there is a long-term conspiracy to divert water from the northern part of the province to the south and then to the United States. Why some believe that a study of Alberta's network of dams and reservoirs points to a water export plot; The Prairie Rivers Improvement, Management and Evaluation plan; Claim of Cliff Wallis, Alberta Environmental Network, that North American Free Trade Agreement is part of the plot.

Cites `Special Places 2000: Alberta's Natural Heritage,' from the Department of Environmental Protection, which proposes to permanently wall off vast areas of Alberta from use by resource industries and many recreationists. Proposed wildland recreation area for the Eastern Slopes Region; Energy Department reaction; Claim of Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers that they were not consulted; Oil and gas exploration in Rocky Mountain areas; Long-term effects of oil and gas activity.

Cites a background paper issued by the federal government on the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (awaiting royal assent) which found the act significantly broadens Ottawa's power to block projects deemed ecologically unsound. The act also appears to enhance the federal government's ability to scrutinize projects related to the development of natural resources. Examples of Ottawa's over-reaching its constitutional powers; Details.

Focuses on the Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act approved by the Alberta government, which will establish the Environmental Appeals Board to hear objections by individuals, groups, or companies to any proposed project for which provincial approval is required. Charges the bill politicizes the environmental approval process; Possible costly barrier to investment; Comments from Environmental Protection Minister Brian Evans.

Discusses the fight that environmentalists have launched against Alberta's proposed all-encompassing Natural Heritage Act governing all parks, special places and wilderness. Criticism of the act; Response from Environment Minister Ty Lund; Challenge to the bill by the Federation of Alberta Naturalists and the Alberta Wilderness Association.

Explains opposition to a proposed utility corridor to be cut through the Lakeland Recreation Area near Lac La Biche, Alberta. Why the corridor is controversial; Tract part of the Special Places 2000 initiative to set aside important ecological areas; Other conflicts between the government and environmentalists; Creation of the Lakeland Recreation Area in 1992; Conflict of preservation with development allowances in the initiative; More.

Discusses the impact of road salt leaching on farmland in Alberta. Complaints from a Grimshaw farmer, Joe Bliska, that the Alberta Environmental Protection Agency has stalled a decision to clean up contamination; Effects of Alberta Transportation's stockpile of mixed salt and sand; Efforts to order a clean-up of the damaged farm land.

Presents an excerpt from remarks made during a House of Commons debate by the leader of the Reform Party of Canada. Carbon dioxide emission limits, international negotiations, actions of the Chretien government, and the effects of the Kyoto, Japan conference; His definition of the Meech Lake effect, or the Law of Meech; Taxes as a source of payment for the fallout from emission legislation.

Details the Alberta proposal to harmonize environmental regulations among Canadian provinces in 1996. The proposal of Canada-wide standards for air, water and soil quality as well as ending duplication of assessments and inspections; The use of provincial cooperation to end jurisdictional overlap; The role of Ty Lund, Alberta's environment minister; Speculation on the effect on foreign investors, especially Japan; Environmentalist concerns.

Focuses on a plan unveiled by Canadian Environmental Protection Minister Ty Lund on March 28, 1995. `Special Places 2000: Alberta's Natural Heritage.' Concerns of environmentalists; Discussion of the Spray Lakes area near Canmore; Other aspects.

Reports on the move of Alberta Environment Minister Ty Lund and Energy Minister Pat Black to derail federal Environment Minister Sheila Copps' National Action Program on Climate Change temporarily. Alberta ministers' refusal to approve new taxes and regulations aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emission; Reactions of activists and public officials.

Announces former Conservative Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's commitment to the economically perilous goal of reducing Canada's emissions of non-toxic carbon dioxide (CO2) to the levels that would prevail in 1990 by the year 2000. Actions by the Climate Change Tax Group in 1994; Promises by Prime Minister Jean Chretien; The Clean Air Strategic Alliance.

Looks at the controversy engendered by Alberta's intention to award rights to log a virgin forest south and west of Wood Buffalo National Park. Environmentalists contention that Alberta has already reached the saturation point for logging; Charge that government tree inventories are not only inadequate but dangerous; Shortfall in timber supplies at some mills; Mill representatives attempting to work out common ground between rival bids.

Examines the ways in which the new Canadian federal cabinet are working to establish their green credentials. Prime Minister Jean Chretien would turn B.C.'s Clayoquot Sound into a national park; Environment Minister Sheila Copps announced Ottawa would review the environmental impact of all federal taxes, subsidies and grants; Finance Minister Paul Martin's 1992 paper on redirecting national economies toward environmental sustainability through taxes; Details.

Tells of a little-known Alberta Fish and Wildlife regulation that wardens used to fine a flotilla of anglers at Crawling Valley Reservoir on Labour Day Monday. While retired Oyen Dr. James McCracken, 74, and his nine buddies were careful to abide by the posted regulations, and measured to be sure their walleye were 15 inches long, they were not aware of the ban on filleting. Size of their fine; Their anger that the filleting ban was not posted; Comments from McCracken.

Provides details of the Canada-Alberta Agreement for Environmental Assessment Co-operation, signed by Alberta Environment Minister Brian Evans and his federal counterpart Pierre Vincent. The agreement allows for Edmonton and Ottawa to share the duties in disagreements over industrial development. Playing the province against the federal government a favored tactic of litigious environmentalists; Comments from Cliff Wallis, president of the Alberta Wilderness Association.

Examines allegations that the Canadian Department of Environmental Protection deliberately counted 30 percent more trees than exist in the Whitecourt-area forest to entice Alberta Newsprint Company to sign a local forestry management area contract. Claim the over-count stems from the ministry's heavy reliance on aerial photography; Responsibility of an FMA holder for quality and survivability of the forest region; Possible solutions.

States the newly-formed Rocky Mountain Ecosystem Coalition has demanded that Alberta carry out an environmental impact assessment prior to the sale of oil and gas rights in Kananaskis Country and other `eastern slopes' regions. Scheduled sale of drilling rights; Effects of seismic lines, drilling, pipelines and access roads in fragmenting critical wildlife habitat; Existing provincial eastern slopes policy; Probability Alberta Tories are not listening.

Examines the Alberta cabinet's ratification of the Natural Resources Conservation Board's (NRCB) decision to scale back a $2.5-billion tourism complex proposed for the Canmore area by a group of developers. Questions on degree of environmental protection of Wind Valley area; Economic benefits of Three Sisters Resorts; Effects of large-scale tourism; Economists' views on tourism; More.