12 - Friday, May 4, 1990 - North Shore News The dirt on disposabie diapers PARENTS CAN CLEAN UP THEIR ACT BY BOYCO7TTING THROW-AWAYS MOTHERS, THE creators and sustainers of life itself, must sometimes wonder if it’s all worth it. Usually under-appreciated by the children they toil for and under-valued by a society that measures worth by the size of one’s pay cheque, homemaking moms are often robbed of a politi- cal voice and the oppertunity to occupy positions of power within our societal framework. Today, however, }'ll tel] you about two ways that mothers --- and fathers, too, —— can not only celebrate the contribution they, as parents, make to the earth, but make a statement that is powerful, political and planet-friendly. One way is to attend the Worldwide Home Environmen- talists Network’s (WHEN'S) se- cond annual, garbage-free In- disposable Mother’s Day Picnic, originally conceived as a way to prove to the politicians of the world that ‘‘garbage’’ isn’t neces- The other way is to give up disposable diapers and to start diapering your child in cloth. Talk about power? By making that decision, you have personally withheld from the landfill at least half a tonne of plastic, paper pro- duct and fecal waste. Now that’s clout! The WHEN picnic is open to all mothers and friends of mothers everywhere, and will be held, weather permitting, at the Breckton Oval totem pole site in Stanfey Park on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 13 from 1 to 4 p.m. According to WHEN director Sue Cameron, the idea for the event was born last year after a storm of protest erupted over the trucking of Lower Mainland waste to a landfill site at Cache Creek. By hosting a first-of-its-kind garbage-free event, Sue and her friends aimed to show the world that ‘‘garbage,’’ as we had known it, was unnecessary. WHEN has since helped orga- nize a number of other garbage- free events, such as fast year’s Walk for Environment. On Mother's Day, picitickers are asked to forgo all throw-aways in favor of cloth napkins, china plates and reusable storage containers for their food. West Van’s queen of coffee par- ties, Andrea Miller, will be in at- tendance, as will citizens from Cache Creek, the Raging Grannies and members of WHEN who will be demonstrating a typical house- hold recycling system in their trav- elling demo kitchen. A final note from the organizers: please bike, bus or carpoo) to the event. DEADLY DIAPERS i sometimes wonder if the diaper issue has teen done to death. Sure- ly we all know the facts by now. Don’t we? Unfortunately, I realize that is not the case when I take a look around me and see parents blithely diapering their kids in disposables. Obviously, the message has not sunk in. So here again are just a few of the more startling facts about disposable diapers, and a few con- tacts from whom you can seek more information. The facts: Book sale profits go for THE West Vancouver branch of the Canadian Feder- mature women students at Capilano College each ation of University Women has scheduled its 1990 year, and raises scholarship funds annually through its book sale for Tuesday, May 8 in the Park Royal sale of quality, pre-owned books. North Mall Community Flea Market, from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The organization presents scholarships for selected ein the U.S., 75,000 tons of plastic and over | million tons of paper pulp are used each year to produce disposable diapers. ©The bleached paper pulp in diapers contains dioxin, classified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a ‘‘probable human carginogen.’’ eEach ‘‘disposably-diapered”’ child goes through approximately 7,400 (half a tonne) of diapers in its early years. These take up to or check out some of the resources below for more information. The Born to Love mail order service run by Cathy McDiarmid in Downsview, Ontario (416-663- 7143) offers a kit that allows you to sew up your own diapers. The Back to Basics diaper package ($9.95) includes patterns for several types of diapers, diaper covers and liners, plus laundering tips and stainless steel clips that can be used to replace pins. E:icoInfo Peggy Trendell-Whittaker 500 years to decompose in a land- fill. ‘Biodegradable’ diapers are no solution at all. They use the same amount of resources in their manufacture, encourage a “throw-away”’ mentality, do nothing te stop the amount of dangerous fecal waste in our Jand- fills, and decompose into tiny par- ticles of plastic that may create a new environmental problem altogether. Fortunately, modern design has transformed once-square cloth diapers into form-fitted, snug marvels of cotton comfort. No more folding or pins needed. Ask at local stores for cotton diapers, scholarships A wide variety of books and special magazines will be offered by the CFUW members this year. For information call 922-1349. Montessori schools offer alternatives SOME MONTESSORI schools were inadvertently left out of an article detailing North Shore education options in last Sunday’s Just for Kids feature. My Little School operates one program for children 18 months to three years old and one for children three to five years old. It also offers a before and after- school care program. My Little School is located at 1890 Deep Cove Rd., telephone 929-4123. Other Montessori preschools are located at Canyon Heights School (4501 Highland Blvd., 986-5597), and at the Montessori Daycare (2132 Hamilton, 985-0116). For more information contact the Montessori Association of Canada, P.O. Box 58280, Station L, Vancouver, telephone: 685- 9380. NORTH VANCOUVER CONSTRUCTION NOTICE — MARINE DRIVE Construction work consisting of watermain replacement and road surface reconstruction on Marine Drive will be commencing on or about May 7, 1990 and continuing through to July 31, The area affected is from Capilane Road to Mackay Avenue. Every attempt will be made to keep traffic disruption to a minimum but delays, iane closures and detours will occur. The public is requested to observe all warning signs and traffic control directions during construction, and your cooperation and patience is appreciated. Please direct any enquiries to CDNV Engineering at 984-4381. Updates will be listed in the Road Block section of the North Shore News Sunday editions. you save even more money washing yo.s -hild’s cloth diapers at home. Information provided by the In- disposables diaper company shows that it costs about $2,382 to keep a child diapered in disposables, as compared with the $580 it costs to buy and wash [ndisposable cotton diapers and accessories for your child. I've heard good reports about the Indisposables brand from both my 18-month-old niece and my sister, who swears they are no less convenient than disposables. Indisposables are sold through representatives who deliver to your home. For the name of the sales representative in your area, call 685-8125 or 1-800-663-1730. COMING EVENTS Futurist Hazel Henderson will speak at the Robson Square Media Centre on Monday, May 7 at 7:30 p-m. Henderson, who is interna- ’ tionally recognized for her work in Also available from Born to Love is a package of brochures describing 20 different cloth diapers available locally. This packet sells for $3.95. If you decide to try a diaper ser- vice, you might want to contact Babyland Diaper Service at 2425 Beta Ave., Burnaby (298-2001). This company has been growing by leaps and bounds lately, and recently moved into new premises with the latest in washing machine technology, more phone lines and a larger staff. Using a diaper service is definitely cheaper than using disposables (by about $1,000), but alternative economics and global change patterns, will speak on “Toward a New Way to Measure Development.” Henderson will discuss the changes needed as we move from unsustainable to sustainable in- dustries. The second portion of the evening will be devoted to a round-table discussion on some of the issues as they pertain to condi- tions in British Columbia. Send your environment tips, queries, success stories and coming events to EcoInfo, North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale Ave., North Vancouver, V7M 2H4. Enjoy some fast and furious racing this weekend. ee the North Shore's hottest racer, Dave Sjoblom, riding the North Shore News FZR Superbike. Cheer him to victory this Sunday at Westwood in the incredibly exciting sport of motorcycle road racing. Turn left at the Coquitlam Centre Mall and follow the signs one mile North to Westwood. Practice and trial runs start at 9:00 A.M. — Racing starts at noon. Good luck, Dave! SUNDAY, MAY 6 WESTWOOD MOTORSPORT PARK SPONSORED BY ve shore SUNDAY + WEGNESDAY « FRIDAY checkpoint SW) Vo Shell Pirelli, Kerker, N.G.K., Dynojet Research, Yoshimura Northwest, Wheel Smith Racing, R.S. Racing, Sign Rite, AGV, XT Sports,