1. Internal Dispute in Hindu Temple Cancels Royal Visit
2. A Temple of Communal Harmony
3. xOZ5Y=&SEO=
4. Palm Tree Plantations Not Environmentally Friendly
5. Daily Inspiration

1. Internal Dispute in Hindu Temple Cancels Royal Visit

www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk

EDINBURGH, UK, December 2, 2008: A visit by the Duke of Edinburgh to a city Hindu temple has been called off because of a row between members, it was revealed today. The visit, on Thursday, has been cancelled because of a dispute between two parties based at the Shree Hindu Temple and Community Centre, in St Barnabas Road, Leicester.

Some of the members wrote to Buckingham Palace asking that the visit be cancelled claiming the temple is poorly run. The final decision to call it off was made at a meeting last night. The authorities feared the visit could have been marred by a protest.

Temple general secretary Rashmi Joshi said: "The temple is run by volunteers who were very much looking forward to the visit, and they are very sad about this situation. This is a very sad day for the community."

The visit to the temple was part of a full day of several religious visits by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh across Leicestershire.

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2. A Temple of Communal Harmony

www.expressbuzz.com

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3. xOZ5Y=&SEO=

It is a place of worship for people belonging to those seeking blessing and solace from Goddess Bhadrakali, which is the main deity of the temple. The temple is open to all.

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4. Palm Tree Plantations Not Environmentally Friendly

news.bbc.co.uk

LONDON, ENGLAND, December 2, 2008: A major international study says palm oil plantations reduce plant and animal diversity, and do little to reduce carbon emissions. Researchers say tropical forests are increasingly cleared to make way for palm oil crops, leading to a reduction in habitats for many rare species. The problem is most acute in Malaysia and Indonesia which produce around 85% of the world's palm oil. The report is published in the journal Conservation Biology.

Palm oil is a common vegetable oil, and is now regarded as a major source of biodiesel, however the researchers question whether it really offers environmental benefits over conventional fossil fuels. Clearing land to start plantations involves burning huge tracts of forest, a process which produces large amounts of greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide. The researchers estimate at least 75 years of biofuel production is needed from the plantations, to save on emissions anything like the amount of carbon dioxide produced by this burning. The lead author of the study is Finn Danielsen of Denmark's Nordic Agency for Development and Ecology. "Our analysis found that it would take 75 to 93 years to see any benefits to the climate from biofuel plantations on converted tropical forestlands," he said.

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5. Daily Inspiration

www.hinduismtoday.com

Silence is the first door to spiritual eminence.
   Adi Sankara (788-820), in his Vivekachudamani, 368

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