Why use cloth diapers?

After all, those paper ones are just so much more convenient, right? I guess I just should have listened to all those people who said cloth diapers are gross and that they're really not that much better than paper diapers.
Here's a little about paper diapers that really prove their point.

Sodium Polyacrylate Crystals Is the clear, absorbent gel that absorbs moisture in the diaper. This superabsorbent polymer (SAP) was removed from tampons for causing Toxic Shock Syndrome. To date, no studies exist as to whether sodium polyacrylate is dangerous when absorbed through baby`s skin for the first 3 years of life, 24 hours a day.
Additionally, SAP absorbs all moisture found on skin, including natural moisture needed to keep skin healthy. Baby skin has not developed the outer layer adults have, making baby skin more vulnerable to absorb toxins without the natural oils and mature protective layers of skin to block toxins.

Dioxins: Dioxins are the by-product of the bleaching process, and one of the planet`s most hazardous poisons. They are a highly toxic carcinogen and endocrine disruptor. The archives of Disease in Childhood reports that trace amounts of dioxin are present on disposables.
No Breathability Causes Rashes, Possibly Sterility Some babies are ‘rashy’ because air doesn’t circulate in disposables. Cloth breathes. That’s why there’s seldom a need for rash creams with cloth diapers. Also, a 2001 UK study published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood suggests that infant boys who wear disposables could experience impaired fertility as adults. The researchers found that the temperature of the scrotum was almost 2° higher in disposables, this temperature increase, may negatively impact future fertility.
Very Expensive: It costs an average of $3000 to diaper a child. Cloth costs a fraction of disposables and can be used by more than one child! Chemical Stew A study published in late 1999 by Anderson Labs found that lab mice exposed to various brands of disposable diapers experienced asthma-like symptoms. Dr. Rosalind Anderson, lead author of the report, says the following chemicals were among those released from the disposables: xylene and ethylbenzene, suspected endocrine, neuro-, and respiratory toxins; styrene, a suspected carcinogen and respiratory toxin; and isopropylene, a suspected neurotoxin
Fragrance Added: Babies already smell wonderful! Why ruin it with chemicals and perfumes? Some babies can have allergic reactions to the chemical mix, both respiratory, and rash.
Delayed Culture of Potty Training: At nearly a dollar a diaper if your child is in pull-ups, that is oodles of money that could be spent on something else. Most kids in cloth train by 2 years old.
TBTs Tributyl tin, a chemical compound which is known to disrupt sex hormones, has been found in disposable diapers, namely: Huggies and Pampers.

What are Dioxins?
The wastes created as a byproduct of the bleaching process contain dioxins. Dioxins don`t readily break down, which means that over the years they`ve been accumulating in our air, water, and soil. Once they`re out there, they enter the food chain and we`re exposed to them through the food we eat. Dioxins are now so widespread in the environment that virtually every man, woman, and child in America has them in their bodies. In fact, each day we ingest 300-600 times more than the EPA`s so-called "safe" dose.
Why are they Dangerous?
Dioxins are deadly. In fact, dioxins are believed to be the most carcinogenic chemicals known to science, and the U.S. EPA`s Dioxin Reassessment has found dioxins 300,000 times more potent as a carcinogen than DDT (the use of which was banned in the U.S. in 1972). There`s no way to sugar-coat the effects dioxins have on people and the environment. Recent research has conclusively linked dioxins to cancer, reproductive disorders among adults, deformities and developmental problems in children, and immune system breakdowns. And dioxins can cause these effects at exposure levels hundreds of thousands of times lower than most hazardous chemicals. source: http://www.niehs.nih.gov/oc/factsheets/dioxin.htm

Achieving Zero Dioxin: An emergency strategy for dioxin elimination.
September 1994. Greenpeace.
http://archive.greenpeace.org/toxics...s/azd/azd.html

How and why is TBT in Throwaway diapers?
You`d have to ask the manufacturers but throwaway diapers contain various plastic components: in the cuffs and fastenings and as part of the lining or waterproofing. TBT is used as a catalyst in the production process of certain plastics or as a stabiliser in PVC. What do the initials TBT stand for?
Tributyl tin, a chemical compound which is known to disrupt sex hormones, has been found in disposable diapers, namely: Huggies and Pampers.
TBT information
• A baby wearing five diapers a day could be in contact with up to 3.6 times the World Health Organisation`s estimated tolerable daily intake. (We can`t say whether it transfers from nappy to baby or how much.)
• Greenpeace Germany have evidence that TBT can leech out of things, such as plastics. Babies` skin is thinner than adults`. We can`t rule out that they might absorb it and it is better to be safe.
• TBT shouldn`t be in any household product, let alone something that is being worn next to babies skin.
• The fear is it could be absorbed into the body and disrupt the child`s hormonal sex balance.
• Manufacturers know about this but,are still selling diapers containing TBT.

Overview:
The mythology surrounding contemporary diapering is a direct descendant of the modern-day waste ethic, whose roots are generally seen as economic. With profits based on sales, manufacturers have a built-in incentive to foster planned obsolescence. And so it is with diapers. The pure and honorable cotton diaper represents approximately 10 percent of the U.S. diaper market--even though it has a viable life of 80-100 uses. Capturing the other 90 percent of market share is, of course, the single-use, throw-away diaper.

Today`s new and improved single-use diaper is made of an outer layer of waterproof polyethylene plastic. Sandwiched between the plastic and a water-repellent liner is a thick layer of an absorbent, cotton-like material made from wood pulp. A super-absorbent polymer that turns to gel when the baby urinates is embedded into the wood pulp of most U.S. single-use diapers.

Once they are used, roughly 90 percent to 95 percent of the 18 billion feces-and urine-filled disposable diapers enter the household trash stream and ultimately end up in landfills, creating an immediate public health hazard. Leachate containing viruses from human feces (including live vaccines from routine childhood immunizations) can leak into the Earth and pollute underground water supplies. In addition to the potential of groundwater contamination, air-borne viruses carried by flies and other insects contribute to an unhealthy and unsanitary situation. These viruses could include Hepatitis A, Norwalk and Rota Virus.

Although modern, single-use diaper packaging recommends rinsing feces in the toilet, this is impractical and is in fact discouraged by the one-piece diaper design, which does not allow the diaper to be torn apart easily. In addition, rinsing the tremendously absorptive, single-use diaper in the toilet produces a very full, very heavy, very wet diaper. For these and other reasons, it is doubtful that any more than 10 percent of parents actually rinse out single-use diapers as a matter of course.

This unsanitary practice of commingling untreated sewage and solid waste in landfills--of dumping raw sewage directly into the environment--should raise eyebrows among more than those whose job it is to oversee the public health. Interesting statistic: In 1951, 90% of the population used cloth diapers. The incidence of overall diaper rash was 7.8%(including the 10% disposable paper diapering population) In 1991, 90% of the population used disposable paper diapers. The incidence of diaper rash was 78%.

I think we'll be switching to paper diapers right away.