Tip of the Day - Go Out In Green Style
Posted on April 29, 2008 by
Noelle mentioned green burials in a post the yesterday, so I thought I’d piggy back on that idea and talk about green burial arrangements. From GreenBurials.org:
A green burial is a cremation alternative, and a viable alternative to “traditional” burial practices in the United States. It is an earth friendly option when considering burial vs cremation. Many families choose cremation because it’s seen as more environmentally friendly than traditional burial. Embalming, expensive sealed caskets and burial vaults are not required by law. Though traditional memorial parks may require them, a green cemetery or memorial nature preserve does not. The simplicity of a green burial is in tune with nature and need not be expensive.
Instead of a traditional casket, GreenBurials.org advocates the use of a biodegradable one, or even a blanket.
It’s funny, because I’m usually good about being matter of fact about these things, but something about the idea of being buried in a blanket freaks me out. Still, I don’t want to leave behind a legacy of waste, unnecessary chemicals, and environmentally damaging practices.
From SouthCoastToday.com:
Traditional burial practices take quite a toll on the environment in the United States each year, said Joe Sehee of the Natural Burial Council. Almost 2.5 million Americans die annually. According to the Council, to bury them traditionally requires:
- 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete, required by most cemeteries to line graves — the equivalent of a two-lane highway from New York to Detroit;
- 90,272 tons of metal for coffin handles — enough to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge;
- over 30 million board feet of hardwoods for coffins, including tropical lumbers, which are polished and then sealed with hazardous preservatives;
- and 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid (including formaldehyde, which is carcinogenic).
For more information on green burials, check out these articles and sites:
Thanks, Dash
I love the idea of a green burial but I just can’t bring myself to do it so it’s cremation for me.
Besides, I like the idea of leaving parts of me in little places all over the world.
Isn’t it funny how you get used to one idea about this and it’s hard to get your head around something else? I kind of like the idea of being scattered too.
i find it interesting people’s fear or hesitations about what happens to their bodies after death…as though they will be cognizant of what goes on. And this is not to poke fun at either of you or your concerns, it just interests me people’s ideas about what should happen after they are…gone.
I know — I totally realize that it’s an odd thing to be concerned with, and I’m kind of fascinated by the fact that it concerns me at all.
I think this is great! I’m conflicted about my remains: practically speaking, I want as many of my organs as possible to be donated, and then everything else cremated. But the frightened mortal part of me wants some kind of tangible place for my loved ones to visit and remember me. If I don’t have so much as a marker, what proof is there I even existed…? Scary.
The strange thing is that when it comes to funerals, they are for the living, not the dead. But in our lives, we have very specific thoughts about how we want our deaths to be, when the important question is how our loved ones will take it. That’s why it’s so important to discuss your wishes with your family so that they really know what you want, and are made as comfortable as possible.
I always liked Edward Abbey’s description of, when the time came (if you had the luxury of knowing), just going out into the canyonlands and watching the sun set from some sandstone ledge. In the morning, the buzzards and the coyotes would find you and complete the cycle. He makes it sound more romantic, but I like the simplicity.
Natural Burial Around the World
The modern concept of natural burial began in the UK in 1993 and has since spread across the globe. According the Centre for Natural Burial, http://naturalburial.coop there are now several hundred natural burial grounds in the United Kingdom and half a dozen sites across the USA, with others planned in Canada, New Zealand, South Africa and even China.
A natural burial allows you to use your funeral as a conservation tool to create, restore and protect urban green spaces.
The Centre for Natural Burial provides comprehensive resources supporting the development of natural burial and detailed information about natural burial sites around the world. With the Natural Burial Co-operative newsletter you can stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the rapidly growing trend of natural burial including, announcements of new and proposed natural burial sites, book reviews, interviews, stories and feature articles.
The Centre for Natural Burial
I was just reading today about how some countries are using the heat produced by cremation to heat homes as a heating source alternative. I can’t remember where I saw the article but maybe someone here knows more….