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[SJC <indexer AT localnet.com>]

Lynn Wigglesworth wrote:
> They don't say how they calculated the 'footprint' of each type. I 
> wonder if they considered the millions and millions of disposable 
> diapers that will be in landfills forever? My youngest is 13 and I'm 
> still using the cloth diapers as rags.
>
> Lynn Wigglesworth
>   
I'm with you on this one.  For one thing there is not nearly enough 
information in the article to really know what they did and didn't 
include. 

There are supposedly compostable disposables now but when I went south 
last year I saw disposable diapers along the roadsides and in rest parks 
in plenty of places., not looking composted at all.   :-(   Made me glad 
it's usually too chilly here for folks to be changing their kids 
outside.  In our local parks, the parking areas are maintained by 
contract crews from the local supported-living folks.  Half of them have 
to be carefully (read: expensively) trained about how to deal with human 
wastes, adding to the cost even to those discarded in trash cans, or 
worse yet, half-discarded (thrown toward/near miss?) in cans.

Dogs root through them, people have to cope with them, ugh.  Nothing 
beats being really tired on a road trip, pulling into a rest stop, 
getting to to stretch, and having your foot land on a discarded 
disposable diaper.  Wonder if they accounted for the cost of dealing 
with those messes?

There's all that plastic...cellulose...chemical treatments....who knows 
what all else?  All the rashes and other skin problems:  when I was 
still working in the doctor's office we saw several patients per week 
with issues relating to disposable diapers.  Very often the problem is 
that since the things are so absorbent, mothers just plain don't change 
kid often enough.  Cloth diapers have the 'advantage' (kid point of 
view) of leaking, thereby forcing the mother to take care (change) of 
kid, sad but true.   Ours didn't but some doctors will even prescribe 
cortisone (!!!) ointments and not even discuss changing habits or cloth 
diapers....grrr.  Wonder if they counted the costs of starting kids on 
steroids at the age of 2 mos, or whenever; the cost of medical care....

I can think of plenty of other issues with the disposables, but the 
article really doesn't convince me as it leaves out too much.  And I'm 
like Lynn, I used cloth diapers purchases as "cleaning rags" from a 
diaper service, $5/huge bagful.  I bought one bag with each of 3 kids, 
4-5 years apart and when they were no longer diapers, used them for all 
kinds of rags until the house burned.  No need for bleach if kid has a 
proper diet, they are promptly and well washed and since I am a strong 
believer in sunshine, maybe an extra day on the line from time to time.  
And no raw butts.

Once in a while I am in the grocery store and almost every time I see 
folks with these giant boxes of disposable diapers in their carts.  Not 
too long ago I looked at the price of them, just out of curiosity.  Boy, 
I was mowed over.  Some of those things approach a dollar apiece!  I've 
no clue who has enough money to even buy the things.  Also, I noticed 
they even have disposable underpants for little kids now.....Yikes! 

Susan Jane, starting on a bushel of pears this sunny morning