OK, THIS Is Some Ridiculous Poop

Eugene Volokh provides this link to a story on the latest ridiculousness to come out of the mouths of so-called environmentalists. At least, I presume it came out of their mouths...

Citing the environmental hazards of both disposable landfill-fillers diapers and the detergents used to wash cloth diapers, some wacky people are now proposing that babies go diaperless. In some parts of the world, babies are allowed to poop and pee wherever they wish. I'm guessing those are some of the more stinky, disease-ridden parts of the world.

Look, if you live out in the open or in a very, very small village, a little poop here and there doesn't make much of a deal. If your baby is running around in a field, his poop might fertilize the crops. And a tiny bit of poop never hurt anyone. But can you imagine cities like that? You want to talk about the environmental hazards of washing diapers? How about all the detergents and other chemicals that would be released into the environment from washing poop off of carpets, couches, stroller liners, etc. or spraying air fresheners? How about all the diseases that would be transmitted through the fecal-oral route (has anyone ever been successful at stopping a baby from eating random things it finds lying around?)

And just one other thing these people overlook. They say you can learn to tell when your infant is pooping; this is true. But babies usually don't signal that they're about to poop more than a few seconds in advance, just long enough to get the baby off your hip, if you're lucky. Not only that, but in order to learn your baby's signals, you have to actually be with the baby for extended periods of time. Aren't these the same people who want mothers to work all the time and put their children in day care?

I like cloth diapers. I like them mostly because they give me a third alternative to bulky stockpiles of diapers or constant trips to the store. If the budget gets tight one month I can just skimp on the disposables, which I use mainly for sending the kids to Grandma's. But no diapers? That's just ridiculous.

These people are nuts. What are they thinking??