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mnl top646 Woodstock City Council has endorsed a proposal by Mayor Jerry Acchione to create a new shelter for those currently living on Woodstock streets and in encampments. The so-called homelessness service centre would be paid for by a recent cash windfall from the province. Woodstock resident Andrew Blackmore said it can’t happen soon enough. “We have a lot of homeless here in Woodstock and the surrounding area that don’t have a place to go, and they just take over everything,” commented Blackmore. Woodstock is receiving $1.99 million from the province’s Building Faster Fund after exceeding its target for housing starts in 2023. The money would be used to buy property for the service centre, explained Mayor Acchione. “What I envision is a low barrier shelter system that accepts couples, maybe has a storage spot for stuff that they’re collecting. Somewhere they can go, stay an entire day and night,” he said. Woodstock Mayor Jerry Acchione speaks with CTV News (Bryan Bicknell/CTV News London) Woodstock currently has 50 shelter beds in three different locations. It’s a model the mayor said is not practical. “They have to be out first thing in the morning, so there’s that quick, ‘you gotta pack up and go again,’” he said. Woodstock council’s vote on the mayor’s proposal came in at 4-3. Among those opposed, Councillor Mark Schadenberg, who said the money could be better spent on infrastructure projects. “Only so much money to spend out there, and to earmark 1.99 million to a homelessness project that doesn’t have a plan - there’s no building purchase, there’s no land purchase. What it is, is a good idea that has no backing behind it, no structure or framework to it,” said Schadenberg. The proposed service centre would be created in partnership with Oxford County. County council still has to sign off on the arrangement. County Council will consider a notice of motion from the mayor on Wednesday. In the meantime, Woodstock has a deadline of March 2026 to spend the provincial funding, which can only be used for housing related projects. “We’re taking resources, and we’re taking it away from other things to try to clean up encampments, and just keep throwing band aids on something. We’re not helping the solution,” said Mayor Acchione. Shopping Trends The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us. 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Rico Carty, who won the 1970 NL batting title with the Atlanta Braves, has diedActivists participate in a demonstration with a sign that says "we don't have another year!" at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. via Associated Press The UN’s annual environment summit is meant to be a place where countries come together and agree to act on tackling the climate crisis. But the 29th gathering of the conference of the parties (COP29) seemed more fractious than ever, with some representatives even walking out of the final negotiations. Advertisement Despite the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres warning that “failure was not an option” last Thursday – and scientists fearing that 2024 may be the hottest year on record – many countries now feel betrayed by the final agreement of this year’s summit. Described as “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever” with offerings from developed countries written off as mere “crumbs”, here’s a look at the issues which split the conference. The big one: climate finance The primary target of this year’s COP was to come up with a new sum for how much money should be sent to developing countries to help them recover from climate emergencies while also transition to cleaner energy systems. Advertisement COP previously agreed to offer those countries $100 billion (£79bn) per year, but that deal expires in 2025. Experts believe the world now need to aim to raise around $1.3 trillion (£1.08trn) per year by the end of the decade to meet the needs of vulnerable countries. But a draft of the final COP29 text shows the fund only reaching $250 billion a year by 2035 instead – a number most delegates from developing nations did not think was anywhere near enough. Advertisement After representatives from small island nations walked out of negotiations in fury, the number was increased to £300 billion – which is still a long way off the target. The least developed countries and island states - the moral voices of climate justice - have walked out of the talks as they refuse to be associated with a text that will undermine climate action for the next decade #NoDealIsBetterThanABadDeal pic.twitter.com/cqu3eGBHnp — Mohamed Adow (@mohadow) November 23, 2024 That sum would also be given to the developing world in grants and low-interest loans from wealthier countries. It would only increase to the £1.3tn figure if private investors or extra taxes on fossil fuels were introduced for individual countries. The deal eventually secured the approval of all attending nations on Saturday night, but the sum was dismissed as an “abysmally poor” amount by India’s negotiator Chandni Raina. Advertisement Claiming the decision was not reached by consensus, she said : “This document is little more than an optical illusion.” The bloc of least developed countries (LDC) – constituting of 45 countries and 1.1 billion people – also claimed the agreement unpicked three years of negotiations on climate finance. And Panama’s special representative for climate change, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez, said: “Developed nations always throw text at us at the last minute, shove it down our throat, and then, for the sake of multilateralism, we always have to accept it, otherwise the climate mechanisms will go into a horrible downward spiral, and no one needs that.” Speaking before the deal was struck, he also slammed the suggested $250bn sum, saying it was a “spit on the face of vulnerable nations like mine”. Advertisement He added: “They offer crumbs while we bear the dead. Outrageous, evil and remorseless.” Similarly, the charity ActionAid UK said: “There’s no sugarcoating it: this text is a complete catastrophe and a farce. “With floods and droughts tearing through the Global South, the goal announced remains a drop in the ocean compared to the trillions needed to help climate-hit communities adapt and recover, especially women and girls who are among the worst impacted.” But others still felt the overall sum was too high – and too much pressure was on developed countries to pay up. One European negotiator told Reuters : “No one is comfortable with the number, because it’s high and (there is) next to nothing on increasing contributor base.” Advertisement “They offer crumbs while we bear the dead.” - Panama's special representative for climate change, Juan Carlos Monterrey Gomez Some nations also raged that the funds would be shared with countries that had stronger economies, like India. Others complained the offering was only a fraction of what was being spent on war globally in the last few years and pointed out that there was a lack of definition around what exactly they mean by climate finance. What about the 1.5C limit? The Paris Agreement, from COP21, saw 196 countries pledge to limit the global temperature increase to just 1.5C compared to pre-industrial levels. Advertisement The world is already dangerously close to that target. At the present rate of progress, it’s expected to reach 1.5C by 2040. A climate scientist at Berkeley Earth told Bloomberg that the 1.5C limit has been “deader than a door nail” for some time now. There have therefore been some argument that COP’s ongoing goal of staying below 1.5C is pointless, because they believe it is no longer feasible. However, it is still a symbol of the pressing climate crisis and so it remained a pivotal part of the talks. Advertisement As Imperial College London’s professor Professor Joeri Rogelj said : “Much has been said about whether limiting warming to 1.5C is still possible, and the odds are no longer in the world’s favour on this one. “However, with every fraction of a degree of warming, life on earth will become much more dangerous. It doesn’t matter what the number is. Every country has to deliver emissions reductions that are as deep as they can possibly be.” Extreme weather: People walk through floodwaters following a dam collapse in Maiduguri, Nigeria, Tuesday, Sept 10, 2024. via Associated Press The questionable hosts Last year, COP was controversial because it was held in the UAE, which makes most of its money through fossil fuels. Advertisement This year, it had the same problem – oil and gas make up 90% of Azerbaijan’s exports and fossil fuel interests. The president of the hosting nation, Azerbaijan leader Ilham Aliyev, even praised oil and gas as a “gift of God” when the summit started. He also accused western nations of “double standards” for buying fossil fuels from his country while urging the world to go green. So it is no surprise that Mohamed Adow, director of the climate and energy think tank Power Shift Africa, laid into the hosts of this year’s conference. Advertisement He said it was “one of the most poorly led and chaotic COP meetings ever”, saying this presidency is “one of the worst in recent memory”. Speaking shortly before an agreement was reached, he said: “We only have a matter of hours remaining to save this COP from being remembered as a failure for the climate and embarrassment for the rich world. “We need Mukhtar Babayev [COP29 president] to get his act together.” Babayev is a veteran of the oil industry, and Azerbaijan’s ecology and natural resources minister. Adow added: “No deal is better than a bad deal. Poor countries don’t need to be held hostage in Baku. If rich countries fail to deliver what they owe in climate finance, then they should be forced to come back next year in Brazil with a better plan.” Fossil Fuels – are they in or out? COP26′s president Alok Sharma was left in tears in 2021 when the wording on reducing dependency on coal was watered down in the 11th hour negotiations for the final agreement. Advertisement COP27 just kept the same wording – a promise to reduce dependency on coal – without expanding it to natural gas or oil, or offering a time frame. COP28 managed to move the dial a bit more, so countries pledged to transition away from all fossil fuels. But this year, the European states who want countries to promise to move away from the fossil fuel industry faced backlash from Arab states. Then Saudi Arabia was even criticised for obstructing much of the final text, and allegedly tried to remove references to “transition away from fossil fuels”. Advertisement In the end, COP29 just repeated that pledge to move away from the carbon-emitting industry but without strengthening it or offering a time line. Still, Green Party co-leader Adrian Ramsay told HuffPost UK that COP itself remains a strong forum which “offers the chance to bring nations together to act and move away from the fossil fuel economies that are destroying our planet and making life intolerable for millions in the global South.” He added: “A COP that excludes the fossil fuel companies and their lobbying arms while supporting representatives of countries and indigenous peoples most impacted by climate change can transform all our futures.” An attendee reacts during a closing plenary session at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Joshua A. Bickel) via Associated Press Advertisement Where were all the major players? There was a noticeable absence of major world leaders at this year’s COP. Neither US president Joe Biden nor Chinese leader Xi Jinping turned up, despite leading the world’s two largest economies (which also have the largest carbon footprint.) UK PM Keir Starmer was one of only two G7 leaders who spoke at the summit. For an ambassador from One Young World – a youth forum which sent a delegation of activists to Baku this year – that was not enough. Bodhi Patil, a climate “solutionist” from Canada and CEO of Inner Light said it was “deeply concerning” leaders from major polluting countries were absent this year, especially the when fossil fuel lobby had 1,700 representatives there – making it the fourth-largest delegation. But he told HuffPost UK: “We can’t wait for global leaders to take action. “It falls to grassroots movements, indigenous leaders, and local communities to drive change and hold the world accountable for climate finance commitments.” Advertisement The final lacklustre deal also meant even those who did attend were under fire for claiming to be climate leaders – like the British. The UK’s nature representative Ruth Davis said “the UK continues lead the way” at COP29, prompting ActionAid to accuse the government of trying to put a “shine on a terrible deal”. It said the agreement was a “far cry from [Labour’s] lofty claims of putting climate change at the heart of foreign policy only months ago.” Corporations over indigenous voices Before the deal concluded, scientist and chief executive of Climate Analytics, Bill Hare warned that it was a “step back” not to include small islands and the least developed countries more in negotiations. Advertisement Similarly, another One Young World ambassador told HuffPost UK his hope that this year’s summit could be different were dashed. The founder of Barlig Rainforest Coffee Project and Indigenous Youth Eco-Cultural Warriors of Mountain Province, Daniel Maches said he wanted COP to bring “concrete solutions” while recognising indigenous rights. “It is our ancestral domains that are looked upon as vital in combating GHG emissions, so they should be as loud as any others at a summit like COP,” he said. However, he added: “There is a tendency for these events to focus on spectacle rather than impact. I was hopeful that COP would be different, but it’s shown that world leaders aren’t taking climate change seriously. How can they be when corporate players continue to lobby and control government initiatives? Advertisement “I am hopeful that things can improve, and young people in particular push to actualise effective climate policies. “But COP29 hasn’t alleviated my fear that the climate crisis is slipping beyond our grasp, and that farmers and indigenous peoples - whose survival is inextricably linked with the land - will suffer the most.” What about next year? Donald Trump , who is returning to the White House in January, is expected to have a major impact on the overall fight against the climate crisis. He pulled the US – which is world’s top historic greenhouse gas emitter – out of the Paris Agreement (1.5C limit) during his first term in office. Advertisement He is expected to have an even stronger impact on the global environmental challenge in his second term too, having already shown a preference for fracking. Even away from the US’s impact, it looks like the next summit is already beset with its own challenges. Set to be held in Belem’s Brazil, the impoverished city has been racing to prepare to host the next COP, trying to clean up its river filled with untreated sewage and garbage quickly before thousands of delegates descend. There are also heavy expectations that COP30 will be a turning point, marking three decades of climate negotiation. Advertisement But perhaps that’s a reasonable expectation. After the disaster and division of COP29, things certainly can’t get too much worse. Related Climate Change climate crisis cop29 COP29: Host Of Climate Change Summit Praises Oil And Gas As 'Gift Of God' COP29: Are We Losing Faith In The World's Largest Climate Summit? Exclusive: Brits Warn Labour Not To Let Donald Trump Derail Fight Against Climate Change

Oklahoma residents on Sunday mourned the death of former Democratic U.S. Sen. Fred Harris , a trailblazer in progressive politics in the state who ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 1976. Harris died on Saturday at 94. Democratic Party members across Oklahoma remembered Harris for his commitment to economic and social justice during the 1960s — a period of historical turbulence. Harris chaired the Democratic National Committee from 1969 to 1970 and helped unify the party after its tumultuous national convention in 1968 when protesters and police clashed in Chicago. “Fred Harris showed us what is possible when we lead with both heart and principle. He worked to ensure everyone had a voice and a seat at the table,” said Alicia Andrews, chair of the Oklahoma Democratic Party. Harris appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago earlier this year as a guest speaker for the Oklahoma delegation, where he reflected on progress and unity. "Standing alongside him in Chicago this summer was a reminder of how his legacy continues to inspire,” Andrews said. Kalyn Free, a member of the Choctaw nation of Oklahoma and the DNC, said that there is no one else in public service whom she admired more than the former senator. “He was a friend, a mentor, a hero and my True North. Oklahoma and America have lost a powerful advocate and voice,” Free said in a statement. “His work for Indian Country will always be remembered.” “Senator Harris truly was an Oklahoma treasure and was ahead of his time in so many ways,” said Jeff Berrong, whose grandfather served in the state Senate with Harris. “He never forgot where he came from and he always remained focused on building a society that would provide equality of opportunity for all.” Harris served eight years in the state Senate before he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he served another eight years before his 1976 presidential campaign. State party leaders commemorated his work on the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, or the Kerner Commission, to investigate the 1960s riots. Harris was the last surviving member of the commission. Shortly after his presidential campaign, Harris left politics and moved to New Mexico and became a political science professor at the University of New Mexico. —- Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.LISBON, Portugal (AP) — The goals are flying in again for Arsenal — and it just happens to coincide with the return from injury of Martin Odegaard. Make that eight goals in two games since the international break for Arsenal after its 5-1 hammering of Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League on Tuesday, tying the English team’s heaviest ever away win in the competition. Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.Over 18,000 would-be judges have signed up for the 2025 judicial elections

Election 2024: Greens are better for farmers than Independents, Clare candidate saysTransgender Rep.-elect Sarah McBride calls GOP attacks 'an attempt to distract' from the issuesThe US defense secretary's Fiji trip signals “a clear shift of the Fiji Islands from being pretty much pro-China to being pro-US, pro-Australia and New Zealand,” Hong Kong-based international affairs and economics observer Angelo Giuliano told Sputnik, commenting on the country's gradual pivot toward Washington. “Fiji used to have a security agreement with China,” Giuliano recalled, referring to the 2011 memorandum between China’s Ministry of Public Security and the Fijian Ministry of Defense, National Security and Policing, which allowed Fijian police to receive training in China, and for Chinese officers to be deployed on the islands. In late 2022, elections forced Fiji’s China-friendly PM out, replacing him with Sitiveni Rabuka, a retired major general who instigated or was involved in four separate coups between 1987 and 2006. Rabuka “was backed by the US and probably funded by the US. They helped him to get into power. And right after that what he announced was a clear shift of policy going from being pro-China to being pro-US,” Giuliano said, referencing the new PM’s push to the policing deal, and the South Pacific could be “destabilized” by China’s “unwarranted influence.” Yesterday, 18:51 GMT “China did not try to influence the politics within Fiji because it goes against China’s philosophy” of “noninterference in other countries’ affairs,” Giuliano said, recalling that the PRC’s approach is grounded in engaging nations through trade. US efforts to force Fiji to pivot toward Washington are designed to further American control of the Pacific, but aren’t as concerning to China as tensions over the Philippines, Taiwan, etc., the observer believes. “Fiji is quite far. I think it’s just about the US having their hands on a new potential military base in Fiji. It’s just the way they do it. The more bases they have around the world, the more they think that they can hold on to power,” Giuliano summed up. Washington's push to maintain hegemony in the South Pacific is linked to its longstanding efforts to keep other powers from challenging its dominant standing in the broader Pacific region, and to set up a series of "island chain" defenses aimed at containing China's naval capabilities, with Fiji situated smack dab in the middle of the so-called "third island chain." Excerpt from New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy map showing the East Asian and Pacific Island nations at the faultlines of the US's so-called 'Island Chain Strategy', designed to hem China in militarily and commercially in its home shores. © Photo : New Lines Institute for Strategy and Policy Sputnik recently documented US another China-friendly government - using a campaign of election influence in the Solomon Islands through the US Agency for International Development. Like Fiji, the Solomon Islands' government ran afoul of US strategy and plans for the region by signing a security pact with China in 2022. The China-friendly government survived the vote and successfully formed a new governing coalition.

Corporate India is striving to bring more women into the leadership ranks. Mphasis , RPG Group, KPMG, Target and PepsiCo are among companies that are rolling out initiatives like career sponsorship, management and leadership training, executive coaching, professional development programmes, job rotation, career counselling and collaboration with recruiters to implement inclusive hiring and equal pay interventions to narrow the diversity gap at the top. Executives at these companies say that the priority is to build teams that represent the communities in which they operate, and business thrives when employees feel like they belong and have equitable access to opportunity. According to the Economic Graph report published by LinkedIn and The Quantum Hub earlier this year, while female representation in India Inc has increased to 27% in 2024 from 24% in 2016, the share of women in leadership roles has moved up to only 18.3% from 16.6%. “It offers our women employees the opportunity to define their career objectives by pairing them with a mentor who has an established career in the participant’s chosen field,” said Ayaskant Sarangi, chief HR officer at IT firm Mphasis that has a ‘Womentoring’ programme to mentor and train female employees to take on leadership roles. 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RPG Group offers formal training, mentoring and coaching coupled with experiential learning opportunities to groom female employees for leadership roles. Women are excelling in leadership roles not just in support functions but also in core operations like sales, marketing and plantation management, said Riya Dalvi, chairperson – diversity, equity and inclusion at the conglomerate. At Target, high-performing female employees are taken through a six-month programme called ‘Ignite’, which focuses on personal branding, negotiation skills, networking and, for the first time this year, mindful mentorship, said Arun Kulkarni, vice-president – human resources at the Indian unit of the American retailer. “Women hold leadership roles across the business – in technology, operations, marketing and business. This includes our highest-level leader in India - Andrea Zimmerman, president of Target in India,” Kulkarni said. Recently, KPMG rolled out the Prism leadership development programme, focusing on key skills that women need to build on, with curated virtual tracks that women leaders can choose from. The purpose is to provide a platform to apply strategies and learning around the chosen topics, and each female leader picks as many tracks as possible of her choice, said Reena Wahi, partner and head of people, performance and culture at KPMG in India. The company plans to have women in 29% of leadership roles next year, and is accelerating hiring across levels with a focus on female employees during hiring and promotion cycles. Beverages firm PepsiCo has implemented mentorship and coaching programmes, as well as enabling policies covering caregivers, health and wellbeing. The companies are trying to address high attrition among female employees. While KPMG offers hybrid work arrangements so that women have the flexibility to work from home as and when needed, there are also leave policies that enable them to take time off to fulfil primary childcare or eldercare responsibilities. RPG Group’s sabbatical policy enables female employees to take extended leave for personal or professional development. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel )MILAN — Shoppers laden with bags from Fendi, Loewe, Prada and other designer labels clog the narrow sidewalks of Milan's swankiest shopping street, bringing joy to the purveyors of high-end luxury goods this, and every, holiday season. There's even more to celebrate this year: a commercial real estate company crowned Via MonteNapoleone as the world's most expensive retail destination, displacing New York's Fifth Avenue. The latest version of American firm Cushman & Wakefield's annual global index, which ranks shopping areas based on the rent prices they command, is a sign of Via MonteNapoleone's desirability as an address for luxury ready-to-wear, jewelry and even pastry brands. A man walks past a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The average rent on the Milan street surged to $2,047 per square foot, compared with $2,000 per square foot on an 11-block stretch of upper Fifth Avenue. Via MonteNapoleone's small size — less than a quarter-mile long — and walking distance to services and top cultural sites are among the street's key advantages, according to Guglielmo Miani, president of the MonteNapoleone District association. "Not everything can fit, which is a benefit," since the limited space makes the street even more exclusive and dynamic, said Miani, whose group also represents businesses on the intersecting side streets that together with Via MonteNapoleone form an area known as Milan's Fashion Quadrilateral. Women look a shop Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. The biggest brands on the street make 50 million euros to 100 million euros in annual sales, Miani said, which goes a long way to paying the rent. Tiffany & Co. is preparing to take up residence on Via Montenapoleone, and longtime tenant Fendi is expanding. The MonteNapoleone District says 11 million people visited the area this year through November, but there's no way to say how many were big spenders vs. window shoppers. The average shopper on Via MonteNapoleone spent 2,500 euros per purchase between August and November — the highest average receipt in the world, according to the tax-free shopping firm Global Blue. The street is a magnet for holiday shoppers who arrive in Maseratis, Porsches and even Ferraris, the sports car's limited trunk space notwithstanding. A mannequin is seen Dec. 12 in a shop in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Lights twinkle overhead, boutique windows feature mannequins engaged in warm scenes of holiday fun, and passersby snap photos of expertly decorated cakes in pastry shop displays. A visitor from China, Chen Xinghan, waited for a taxi with a half-dozen shopping bags lined up next to him on the sidewalk. He said he paid half the price for a luxury Fendi coat that he purchased in Milan than he would have at home. "I got a lot," Chen acknowledged. "It's a fantastic place, a good place for shopping." A man waits for a taxi Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleon street in Milan, Italy. A few store windows down, Franca Da Rold, who was visiting Milan from Belluno, an Italian city in the Dolomites mountain range, marveled at a chunky, yardslong knit scarf priced at 980 euros. "I could knit that in one hour, using 12-gauge knitting needles as thick as my fingers, and thick wool. Maximum two hours," Da Rold said, but acknowledged the brand appeal. Buildings are decorated Dec. 12 in Monte Napoleone street in Milan, Italy. Despite upper Fifth Avenue getting bumped to the No. 2 spot on the Cushman & Wakefield list, the organization that serves as the Manhattan street's guardian and chief promoter had praise for MonteNapoleone's achievement. "Milan's investment in its public realm is paying off, which is a win for their shoppers, businesses and city as a whole," said Madelyn Wils, interim president of the Fifth Avenue Association. She also expressed confidence that with new investments and a record year for sales on Fifth Avenue, "we'll be back on top in no time." The holiday season feels a little less jolly considering the amount of waste generated by gift-giving. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates the amount of household garbage in the U.S. increases by 25% between Thanksgiving and New Year's. After the decorations come down, all that waste heads to landfills, producing a significant contributor to climate change: methane gas. "Greening" the holidays is essential, and one simple tip is to think more about how sustainable the materials are in your decorations, decor, and, of course, gifts. Instead of plastics, you could opt for items that can be reused, are made of renewable materials or natural fibers that boast a smaller environmental impact in both production and durability. Due to consumers' desires for more eco-friendly goods, sustainable materials are among the biggest trends in home decor. Fortunately, there are plenty of affordable—and earth-conscious—home goods that make perfect holiday gifts. Made Trade rounded up a list of sustainable home decor trends in 2025 that offer dozens of creative options for holiday gift-giving. Each trend includes examples of great gifts for the home and advice for ensuring items are sustainably produced or can help create a more eco-friendly space. In the depths of winter's gray days, it's a real gift to see a little green, which is why indoor gardening gifts are a wonderful idea. Not only are they eco-friendly and promote sustainability—the more food you can grow yourself, the less you have to buy—they also foster an appreciation of nature and bring the natural world indoors to enjoy. Sprouting kits and microgreens require minimal amounts of space and sunlight, but a sunny, south-facing window will permit a small herb garden or leafy greens for salads. If you're not sure what kind of light your recipient has access to, go with gifting indoor grow lamps along with the plants, or pick a hardy, low-water houseplant—some can act as natural air purifiers too. When buying gifts for the home, consider what materials the items are made from and how far away they come from—not only are natural materials like rattan, jute, palm leaves, clay, organic cotton and linen, and ceramics more sustainable, but if they are being used by a local craftsperson, gifters are also saving on fossil fuels for the transportation. Plus, you're helping the local economy by supporting local craftspeople, so it's a win-win. Natural fiber pillows, sheets, blankets, and even doormats offer comfort and consideration of the environment. The most sustainable and eco-friendly gift is one you already have, so get creative about reusing materials already in or around your home (raid the recycling bin, find nice pieces of wood outside, wash out and reuse glass jars) to fashion them into new, thoughtful goods. Similarly, think vintage and secondhand—what items can you give a second life to by passing them along to someone who will find new meaning in them? Some of the most thoughtful gifts are small heirlooms—pieces of jewelry or a beloved ceramic dish—passed along to the next generation that will appreciate them. Green technology offers ways to reduce our carbon footprint in everyday life, and smart thermostats, solar lights, smart sprinklers, and smart plugs all make great gifts, saving people money and conserving our valuable resources. For those looking into home renovations or updating decor, try a new light fixture paired with smart blubs, or a new window treatment with smart shades. Even something as simple as a rain barrel can reduce energy use—and while the technology for that isn't very sophisticated, it certainly is, like composting, "smart." Integrated outdoor living is the ultimate gift, allowing us to bring the natural world into our homes. However, doing so sustainably takes a little more effort than simply leaving the doors to the deck open all the time. First, find eco-friendly and sustainable outdoor furniture, perhaps thrifting it or buying it used and fixing it up for a one-of-a-kind gift. If you can't go secondhand, choose furniture made of sustainable materials such as reclaimed wood, recycled plastic (great for outdoor rugs), or bamboo. For smaller gifts, consider solar lights, a water feature that recycles water, a rain barrel, or even a set of handmade wind chimes made from seashells. Story editing by Carren Jao. Additional editing by Kelly Glass. Copy editing by Paris Close. Photo selection by Clarese Moller. This story originally appeared on Made Trade and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio. Get the latest local business news delivered FREE to your inbox weekly.