Website I just found

[Mommyk8]

Um doesn't it take like 100 years for a sposie to break down in a landfill plus all that gel stuff inside can't be environmentally friendly..and the water we use is recycled not just tossed away. I think that is a stupid article. Besides look at how we recycle our cloth diapers so that more than one baby uses the diaper.

[lizanneh]

I read about a study like that, and guess who paid for it?? Go on, guess? Still not sure? That's right, it was the companies that make DISPOSIBLE DIAPERS.

I read another study that said a person who uses the toilet uses about 80 gallons of water a month for that, and the energy/water use for cloth is on par with that. I also read that it takes one cup of petroleum to make on sposie. ICK!

[Celticcloths]

I've actually read the study, and it just proves what my DH always says. You can prove anything you want if you study it correctly and leave out factors that might change your results. They "forget" to factor in other things like that land is not a renewable resource like water is, and that the poop that people are SUPPOSED to dump in the toilet with disposables ends up in the land fill where it can leak into our water supply. Yuck! They also don't take into account the amount of water and energy used to manufacture disposables, which is far more water than you will ever use washing cloth. Bah!

[negrapy]

it seems like the study is just saying that it takes the same energy to use cloth and disposibles ... like previously mentioned this is not take in to consideration reusing cloth so that the energy in making them are only figured once per many wears, nor does it include the waste portion which is a lot of what we cloth diapers consider when we consider "more enviromentally friendly"
and yes a study can pretty much be "scientific" and say pretty much anything. One classic is a sociology study that linked increase ice cream consumption with crime rate increases at least on further look they decided it was probably the increase in heat that had more to do with the increased crime rate ....as well as the increased ice cream consumption

you can always check their references to get a better idea how valid the study might be

[A'smommy]

I've heard the argument too, and ITA with the momma that pointed out: there will be no more land! Once it's full of garbage, that's it. Here in Texas though, land is (relatively) cheap and plentiful...for now.

I try to add a little more to the conservation column by line-drying dipes and combining the prefolds in the dryer with other loads (since line-dried prefolds come out stiff as boards around here). And waiting til there's a full load of dipes helps too...but I need a decent-sized stash for that....hmm

It's all about balance
--K

[Samantha]

If you have enough money you can get a "study" to say anything you want.

I think a sposie takes 500 years to biodegrate (I could be wrong, but this is the number that has stuck with me)