WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush hosted the Dalai Lama on Tuesday despite China's warning that U.S. plans to honor the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader could damage relations between Beijing and Washington.

The White House talks were held on the eve of a congressional award ceremony for the Dalai Lama, but the Bush administration took pains to keep the encounter with the president low-key in a bid to placate China.

The lazy days of summer are behind us, but that doesn’t mean we have to be swamped by school schedules or overwhelmed by other obligations. Take the following tips to live simply all year long.

When Amma came to the temple for Meditation Day on Tuesday, a small purse and hand-fan were waiting for her on her peetham. After sitting down, Amma placed the purse's strap over her shoulder and began fanning herself, beaming a smile as if she were modelling some of the most glamorous apparel in the world. Amma then showed everyone how the blade of the fan was made from chocolate-bar wrappers and how the purse had been woven from strips of disregarded plastic.

OSLO - Religious leaders united in a silent "prayer for the planet" alongside a retreating Greenland glacier on Friday as part of a widening spiritual drive to combat climate change.

"In our small world we all need to struggle together," said Sofie Petersen, the bishop of Greenland, of the meeting of Muslims, Jews, Buddhists and Christians aboard a cruise ship amid icebergs near Illulisat on the west coast.

What is so special about the three-acre campus of Amrita Vidyalayam (school for children) situated on the banks of the Adyar River in Chennai, India?

The lush greenery and flower gardens tell us a different story from the arid surroundings - a green revolution is quietly underway. Mr. Krishnamachari, the school Principal and Mr. Raj, former landscape expert, and GreenFriends staff have been working steadily to grow a paradise

Their aim - to help children enjoy Nature while caring for it.

A report from a visitor to Amritapuri, India.
"I had recently spent some time with Amma in her home-base Amritapuri, India. There I attended a question and answer session with Amma. As a response to an environment related question Amma spoke in length on different ways to protect the environment. She stressed again and again on the importance of caring for Mother Earth in all our daily activities. It was a very informative and an eye-opening session for me. I was surprised to find out that I was neglecting so many aspects of my daily routine that can be improved to save the earth. Amma was enumerating the different ways of preserving natural resources. She stressed on the importance of avoiding unwanted garbage. The concept of recycling is now well-known all over the world. A lot of effort is being made by some organizations to save the earth. However, there is still an enormous amount of wastage that pollutes the earth tremendously. If everyone joins hands towards protecting this earth, we can surely bring about a big positive change and