Carbon Clear Offsets Your...Diapers?
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA 
on 05.18.06
TreeHugger has previously reported on the carbon-neutrality of events (like this years' Olympic Games and World Cup), companies (like EcoTone Publishing and Working Assets) and even movie productions (as with Syriana). Clearly, it's no longer just about cars or travel; these days, it's possible to make sure just about anything doesn't contribute to climate change. The latest (and perhaps oddest to date) addition comes courtesy of the UK's Carbon Clear, which offers to make your baby's disposable diapers carbon neutral. While we prefer biodegradable or compostable, the entrance of such common consumer products into the climate-neutral market is either a sign that the cooling-climate trend is entering the mainstream, or that the apocalypse is nearly upon us...we can't decide. TreeHugger does know that every little bit helps, and we're glad to see that you can now get babies started on TreeHugging at an early age. ::Carbon Clear via ::Hugg (site in beta)
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Sigh. Well, it beats just blindly using disposables with no thought as to the cost to the planet I guess, but I still prefer my organic cloth diapers that have been 'pre-worn' by seven other babies and will be passed on to yet another baby when my son outgrows them rather than going to fill a landfill.
When are you going to cover Clean and Green? You cover every other renewable energy credit marketer out there while Clean and Green has offset Global Green's After Oscar Party, Wild Oats, Pharmaca, Arbor, and is now enabling the 20,000 attendees at the national AIA Convention in June to offset their entire trip an conference!
Check them out:
www.cleanandgreen.us
I just don't believe that this is the answer! It makes it okay to use ordinary disposable nappies (diapers) while there are reasonable alternatives.
The people who use disposable diapers are going to continue using them anyway. At least this way they can do something positive. As opposed to doing nothing at all.
I think this is a great idea. Yes, there are other alternatives like gdiaper flushable diapers, chlorine free diapers, and cloth diapers. But with the current economy, most moms who would like to be more environmentally conscious and buy the green diapers can't afford it. Also so many moms multitask, take their kids on errands with them which makes it near impossible to keep their child dry by using cloth diapers, and there are also caregivers that won't change cloth diapers and have soiled cloth diapers around other children. I think it is unfair to judge others because of their choice to use disposable diapers. That kind of mentality is what has intimidated generations of people of becoming more conscious. That self righteous attitude is what people have associated with "crazy tree-hugging hippies." And what Carbon Clear is trying to do is say, "yes, it is easy to be green. we can take little steps, and eventually we will get there."