Fake plastic nappies — Big fat flaw week/month

It seems my biggest flaw is procrastination. But since that's not really a green sin, I think I'll let it pass.

But diapers. Oh diapers. These have been my eco-downfall.

I didn't use cloth diapers, heralded by attachment-parenting types and most environmentally friendly moms-and-pops. It's an issue that ranks right up there with breast feeding and baby-wearing.

To start, I would like to point out that at least three studies concluded there is virtually no environmental difference between cloth and disposable diapers. There are been critics to these studies, although they did take many factors into consideration.

It seems logical that cloth diapers are better, in that there's no polluting of the landfills although there's no disputing that both types of diapers use up natural resources. But doesn't the soft cloth against baby's bottom, later line-dried in the heat of nature's sunshine, seem like a better alternative?

It didn't for me for a few reasons. First off, I didn't start thinking of myself as a green parenting until six months into my second child's birth. By the time I contemplated changing, I'd have spent several hundred dollars in start-up nappies. The cost and work precludes lower-level income earners and working moms from truly considering cloth as an alternative.

And to be truly green, I firmly believe it should be accessible to everybody, regardless of income. How else are we supposed to make significant changes for everybody?

Grist's Umbra, of Ask Umbra fame, wrote she was relieved to find out there was little difference in diapering baby. After all, 99 percent of parents use disposables at one time or another and it should be considered good that disposables aren't 50 times worse than a diaper very few people are using.

And the biggest item to note from Umbra's column:

"For one child, over two and a half years, these impacts are roughly comparable with driving a car between 1,300 and 2,200 miles." Now we know exactly how much mileage to shave off our car to compensate for diapering each kid.

Since my children are both out of diapers (actually, it's almost for my youngest, but I am not enough of a stickler and too much of an optimist to count one diaper a day as "still in diapers") I'm effectively out of the debate. But for anybody still considering how to cover baby's bum, try some eco-friendly varieties like gDiapers or Seventh Generation. By all means, if you're able and willing, use cloth, wash in cold and line dry. Or maybe, try diaper-free babies, which is really a thing and has apparently worked for some brave parents.

Or just try to compensate in other areas. Stop using central air, or turn it down. Cut shower time down to three minutes. Eat more vegetables. Drive less. And, perhaps the most important aspect of eco-parenting, encourage children to do the same.

Photo by A Fresh Perspective | Zak Metz's photostream on Flickr

Flaw week; continued

Doritos!

I have many excuses for not listing all my green flaws in a timely fashion as I had promised. For instance, I have a non-stop barrage of family in town. Also, who really wants to list their flaws in an organized, thoughtful manner? And last night, I bought Lucky Charms, juice boxes and paper plates in an effort to make my eco-fied house somehow more kid friendly to my husband's kin.

This truly is a downward spiral. To make up for my uncharacteristic impulse buys (my husband demanded to know what I had done with his wife), I made some very tasty, adult-friendly, homemade mac-and-cheese my kids literally ate up.

So here's my eco-flaw of the day: I cave to peer pressure and Doritos. It's really unfair that guest kids are eating Doritos on the couch while my kids are banned to the kitchen table during snacks of crackers and milk. I understand this.

But there's lot of reasons to eat non-processed foods. They taste better. They're better for you. They're better for the environment. Trust me... I love Doritos. But sometimes you just have to say no for the greater good, meaning both the planet and my waistline.

So maybe the kids should be able to watch Saving Nemo while eating some stove-cooked popcorn (that's why God invented Friday Movie Night) and some homemade peanut butter cookies. It just takes a tiny bit of effort to feel a little better about "kid food" that doesn't have a bunch of mystery ingredients or excessive packaging.

But maybe I should consider that nobody is perfect, and while I might have bought one package of paper plates too many, I'll do better next time.

Dorito photo by giest on Flickr