How to choose the best option from the carbon menu. When all you want is a drinkable wine at an affordable price, the sommelier’s list in a posh restaurant can seem more of a hindrance than a help. So it is with carbon offsets. The list of options can seem long and confusing when set against the simple objective of getting somebody else to reduce greenhouse gases on your behalf. And, given the intangible nature of offsets, buying a dodgy short on a tonne of carbon is just as easy as getting a corked bottle. — The Economist

Brazil says: environment and economy compatible. Brazil’s recent success in slowing the pace of Amazon destruction shows that preserving the environment need not slow economic growth, President Luiz Inacio da Silva said. In his weekly radio address Monday, Silva said the 25 percent drop in the rate of Amazon deforestation in the 12-month period that ended in July 2006 should improve Brazil’s credibility abroad. — International Herald Tribune.

The Standby Buster. We all leave something on standby at night, which costs us money and adds to the burden on the environment. That could be avoided with the Standby Buster … an energy-saving electrical socket and remote-controlled – which lets you switch off multiple appliances completely rather than leaving them in standby mode – all from a single button press. — Tech Digest

Green goss. We can confirm that [Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie] have settled on a chateau in the south of France called Chateau Val Joanis [for their new home]. Not only does this estate boast almost 1,000 acres of much-needed privacy, but it also includes a productive — and very old — eco-friendly vineyard. — ecorazzi

Turning yellow into green. If the “if it’s yellow let it mellow” debate still rages in your home, have we got the solution for you: a waterless urinal. — Treehugger