| Very strictly speaking, either you cannot choose the | | | | apparently have overcome the old problem with |
| best diaper, or whatever diaper you choose, you can | | | | 500-years-to-degrade. |
| make the case that you have chosen the best. | | | | You cannot escape economic and environmental |
| Speaking very scientifically, technically, and | | | | issues. Even if you try reducing the dilemma to its |
| philosophically, neither cloth diapers nor disposables | | | | simplest terms and going with the most traditional, |
| have a distinctive advantage. No matter how devoted | | | | conservative choice, you still will land right at the |
| to science and empirical data you may feel, your | | | | intersection of conscience and pragmatism. Arbitrarily |
| choice of "the best diaper" will turn on your personal | | | | deciding cloth diapers are best, arguing if they worked |
| preference. Neither cloth nor plastic-plus-paper | | | | for your father and they worked for you, then they will |
| commands the preponderance of evidence. Because | | | | work just fine for a third generation, you still must |
| you ultimately will make a subjective choice, you should | | | | reconcile with costs and the environment. Choosing |
| try both, discovering which works best for you, and | | | | cloth diapers, you are choosing a lot of household |
| which seems to feel the best on the baby. | | | | laundry. Have you exchanged your old washer and |
| As you experiment and draw your independent | | | | dryer for new "Energy Star" models? Even if you had |
| conclusions about the best diaper, make certain you | | | | the "old" ones in service for only five years, the new |
| investigate your high-tech, earth-friendly, | | | | models will deliver at twice the energy efficiency, |
| state-of-the-art, twenty-first century options, because | | | | reducing greenhouse gases but costing you far more |
| diaper technology has evolved considerably. In the far | | | | than you anticipated. And have you considered the |
| future, twenty-second century anthropologists probably | | | | gray water? Have you installed a gray water |
| will claim the advent of diaper technology itself marks | | | | recapture or recycle system? Old, decaying water |
| a significant leap in human evolution. Meanwhile, you | | | | filtration systems will not reduce all the chemical and |
| should look at cotton-hemp hybrid reusable diapers, | | | | bio-hazards you send down the sewer, and your |
| because they significantly reduce cotton's ravages of | | | | landscaping needs the water. |
| the soil and water supply. You also should look at | | | | Have confidence and faith. Whichever diaper you |
| disposable compostable diapers; diaper technicians | | | | choose, it will be the best for your baby. |