Which is More Environmentally Friendly: Toilet Paper or the Bidet?

For the longest time, Americans have gotten more used to using toilet paper after answering the call of nature rather than the bidet, which remains exclusively a French invention. This normally doesn't seem important except for one thing: the earth's environment and tree resource would be better off without the use of toilet paper, of which 36 1/2 billion rolls are used per year in this nation. That's a lot of toilet paper. Approximately 15 million trees are used to make the toilet paper, not to mention the amount of energy consumed, which is 17.3 terawatts, or one trillion watts, of electricity. That is a lot of electricity. Then there is the amount of water involved in making toilet paper: more than 473 billion gallons. There is no mention of it in the Newsweek article, but chances are that is fresh water, not sea water. Less than 3% of the planet's water is drinkable. Well, that's something to think about from an environmental perspective, but most people don't consider that when answering nature's call. Even though a few green companies manufacture green toilet paper, that still doesn't solve the problem of consumption use.

The bidet, on the other hand, would be much cleaner for the human body, although for many people at the first time, would be a bit messy, with water squirting in the wrong direction, getting everything else wet except the proper part of the body. Speaking of fresh water, would there be enough on the planet to supply the bidet's plumbing? Sea water would probably not be a good idea and would probably irritate the delicate nerves on the inside of the waste disposal. Even though as an invention the bidet is a few centuries old, the concept would still work, so long as bidet owners would know how to properly use it and not mistake it for a water fountain, as some people might. Bidets have proven to be practical in densely populated areas, as the Japanese have shown us. One of the most popular bidet manufacturers happens to be located in Japan. Cities like Tokyo and Yokohama are more likely to have bidets in private homes due to the fact Japan is a small island with over 127 million people living on it, with 12 million of them in Tokyo. Yes, that qualifies for overpopulation in a city. No doubt the bidets come in handy and make for happier people without the environment being cluttered up. So if the Japanese can do it, would Americans be able to do it?

My guess is, we could. Regardless if one lives in Los Angeles or Florence, Arizona, the bidet would come into use. It might be a problem explaining to Fluffy or Fido why the water in the bidet should never be drunk anymore than it would from the toilet, but that is a chance we as Americans would have to take.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/212145