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Date:         Thu, 30 Jul 1992 12:02:00 MST
Reply-To:     JALOVE@ADMN.SAIT.AB.CA
From:         JALOVE@ADMN.SAIT.AB.CA
Subject:      CDN NEWS: Oldman,Whooping,Recycle
X-To:         biosph-l@ubvm.cc.buffalo.edu

CANADIANS RECYCLE

A Statistics Canada survey of 44,000 homes found the almost 50% of homes
have access to recycling programs.  Of those that have access to recycling
programs 85% say they participate.

They found that nearly one in five households compost some of their waste.
Almost 25% say they regularly took their own shopping bags when shopping.

The survey also said the most Candians still drive to work, buy disposable
diapers, and use pesticides on their lawns.

---------------

On the subject of lawns; A group in Calgary has these stickers they give
to people that have friendly lawns (No chemicals).  I forget what the stickers
say; Kid friendly or kid safe lawn or something like that.  You place the
sticker in the middle of a cut out flower (Cut from a plastic milk jug
usually, You recycle the rest of the jug).

The flower, with it's sticker, is placed on a wire stem (Coat hanger)
in front of the house on the lawn so that people will know it is a safe
lawn for kids to be on.

The concern for children is quite real,  I had a garage sale in June and
this guy was looking at something and his child (Just under two years old)
wanders onto my lawn grabs a dandylion and tries to eat it.

The father was very concerned until I told him that I didn't use pesticides
or herbicides.  I wonder what the effects are of a child eating a freshly
sprayed weed.


JUDGE ALLOWS OLDMAN CASE

A judge has allowed Friends of the Oldman River to go ahead with another
court challenge regarding the legality of the Oldman Dam.  This is quite
significant since it keeps the hope of decommisioning the Dam alive.  The
Dam has been opened and is full of water.

Martha Kostic, the spokesperson for the Friends of the Oldman, has laid
personal charges against the Provincial government and the Dam builders.
The charges were laid under the federal fisheries act and state that the
dam has caused significant damage to fisheries habitat downstream of the
Oldman Dam.


ALBERTA SAWMILL OK'ed WITH NO EARP

Construction of an Alberta sawmill has been given permission to proceed
by the provincial government.

Projects of this size are required to
have an environmental assessment before they are allowed to proceed.
Environmentalists have stated the government is not following it's own rules
and is being irresponsible in allowing projects to proceed without assessing
whether they will harm the environment.

Many environmentalists believe that this is a clear demonstration of the
Alberta Progessive Conservative government's disregard for the environment.


GOOD YEAR FOR WHOOPING CRANE

Rodger Edwards, of the Canadian Wildlife Service, stated that it was a
very good year for the whooping crane.  The Wood Buffalo national park,
the wintering ground of the remaining indiginous Whooping crane flock, has
attained it's first goal of establishing 40 breeding pairs.  Of the pairs
35 chicks are currently alive.  The spring-time weather usually results
in high mortality rates.

The whooping crane, who's numbers dipped to 16 birds in the 30's, is still
a very endangered bird with current adult populations at 131 in the Wood
Buffalo flock, 70 captive birds, and 12 in an experimental wild flock
at Grey Lake (Saskatchewan?).

The addition of 35 new wild crane chicks and 13 new captive crane chicks
will help in the recovery of these birds.  The establishment of the Grey
Lake flock, with it's different flight route and wintering location will
also ensure that a Hurricane or toxic disaster does not do massive damage
to the entire species.

The Wood Buffalo flock did have 22 birds die last year due to natural and
illegal hunting causes.  Other causes of Whooping crane deaths have been
low water levels in Wood Buffalo which lead to high predation and declining
food supplies.  The cranes also die from running into power lines.

Rodger Edwards also stated that if it was not for the birds long life span
it would have become extinct years ago.


James (Jim) Arthur Love, B.Comm
Calgary, Alberta, *CANADA*

E-mail: JALOVE@ADMN.SAIT.AB.CA
Voice : (403)-282-3020
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU