Once you accept the idea that babies are aware of this need, how can a parent who wishes to fulfil their child's basic and primal needs continue to ignore the concept of elimination communication?  By training your child to eliminate in diapers, you are telling them that this need not to soil themselves will not be met.

Mother #1:  Folds down changing table.  Puts blanket or pad down on changing table.  Straps baby into table.  Undresses baby, takes off diaper.  Takes out washcloth or wipes and cleans off baby.  Takes out new diaper, puts it on.  Re-dresses baby.  Unbuckles baby, puts pad or blanket back into diaper bag.  Throws diaper away (if "disposable") or puts dirty diaper into diaper bag. 

Mother #2:  Takes baby into stall, pulls down pants. Pees baby.  Wipes baby if necessary.  Pulls pants back up.

Which is more work?  You decide.....

All I can say is that in my experience, my son is able to release his bladder on cue, when I give him the opportunity to do so.  If he has to pee, he will pee.  If he doesn't, he'll squirm and fuss and I'll take him off the potty.  A friend of mine once referred to EC as a form of "conditioning".  It's amazing how resistant people are to the idea that babies could actually control these muscles, as they can control the other muscles in their body.

A fellow EC'er once had a woman emphatically "inform" her that of course babies could NOT do this.  It didn't bug her too much, because as she was reading this woman's email, her baby squirmed in her lap, she heard the word "pee" in her head, and took her son to the bathroom where he promptly peed.

EC is a dual relationship of communication and response.  I invite any person who believes that EC is only about the parent running to the toilet every five seconds without the baby's input to come and visit us for one day.  Seeing is believing.  Or, as my wise friend Jen says, "Being aware of your baby's elimination needs is no more or less "parent training" than being aware of when your baby is hungry."

First, URINE IS STERILE!  That means that urine is free of bacteria and bugs that could possibly make you ill.  It's unappetizing to think about, but you could drink my baby's urine and would not be made sick from it.  But don't just believe me, believe Healthlink: "Normal urine is sterile. It contains fluids, salts, and waste products, but is free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi." 

Second, we of course clean and wipe the sink down after each pee.  I would be more worried about germs from someone's mouth that spray all over the sink when spitting after brushing your teeth... the mouth actually harbors bacteria, urine does not.

Third, I hate to pop your germ bubble... but unless you put the toliet LID down each time you flush, a fine mist of urine, feces and whatever else was in there gets sprayed all around your bathroom.  You put the lid down, you say? But does every person visiting your bathroom?  I don't mean to freak you out, but people who are completely calm about handling money, touching public doorknobs, letting their kids hang on to grocery-cart handles etc will have a royal fit about how gross and unsanitary EC is.... can you see me rolling my eyes?  ;-)

Fourth, for the people who find the idea of my breast-fed healthy infant peeing in the great outdoors distasteful and unsanitary, I wonder if they have any idea how many animals (and probably people!) have done their business on their own lawn.....

In my experience, this is usually an excuse not to think about EC any further, and to label people who do EC as "primitive" and "unclean".