Ask Umbra on the Great Diaper Debate

[Lumanette09]

so since menstrual pads have a similar issue (disposable or cloth, which is better for the environment) would your answer be the same?

[sweetgem123]

@Lumanette09 For that, they have the Diva Cup. 

[GrEenFoXX666]

you misspelled blood.

[J9FORGE]

cloth diapers ROCK!!!!!

[ImTheNumber1Hater]

I say we burn tires, log the forest, throw cigarette butts all over, use nuclear fuel, drive fuel INEFFICIENT cars and trucks, and all that other good stuff so then it clouds the whole debate on these stupid little diapers, or potty train kids @ 6 mnths. BTW this video sucks and why don't you show your face bitch?

[whatisupmynig]

Maybe if you werent so close minded you wouldnt be such a little brat, if people wanna debate, let them. Not like they are sitting around doing nothing, true its not as important as the things you have listed but hey, a lot of other people debate over those as it is. If you feel so strong about it, then go off and do something about it.

[GreenKaya420]

This issue is definatly more compex than a 1:57 video. I find it hard to believe that a disposable diaper taking 100 years + to decompose in a landfill is equal to washing a reuseing a cloth diaper over and over. I love grist but this is just disapointing.

[Bccaundefined]

I think she means the organic kind not those plastic things people seem to love to wrap around their kids asses.

[TheReliquary]

I think that the issue is much more complex than this vid states.

I live in Sweden where H2O is plentiful and electricity is mostly from renewable sources. So cloth nappies are clearly the best alternative (environmentally).

The studies assume that children'll use both types of nappies for the same amount of time. Wrong: cloth nappies get wet, alerting the child to what's happening. Result: they grow out of cloth nappies more quickly.

So don't believe this video. It's not so simple.