Green Burials: Planning an Environmentally Friendly Exit
Guest post by Regina:
The only sure things in life are death and taxes, or so they say. Well, some people fudge with the IRS, but they don’t cheat the reaper. So let’s talk about that guy, but from a green point of view, not a grim one.
Even in death we can make decisions that help the environment and don’t contribute to pollution. For a lot of us, that’s probably not something we’re going to worry about . . . when we’re dead, so maybe we should give it some thought beforehand. Here are some things to consider.
The bi-i-ig picture. According to May Woodsen (Greensprings Natural Cemetery FAQ, March 2007), each year in US cemeteries, our loved ones are buried along with 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid, 1.6 million tons of reinforced concrete, 14,000 tons of steel vault, 90,272 tons of steel caskets, 2,700 tons of copper and brass, and more than 30 million board feet of hardwoods. Environmentally friendly people are looking for a better way.
Nix on embalming fluids. Morticians often suggest that embalming fluids are necessary for health and safety. Fact is, the chemicals aren’t required by law and haven’t really been proven to kill human pathogens. On the contrary, the fluids seem to do more harm than good. The European Union has banned the formaldehyde that’s used in most embalming fluid because it’s linked to cancer in mortuary workers and others who use it in their jobs. Funeral homes are exploring safer possibilities—dry ice, refrigeration, and nontoxic embalming solutions.
Cheers for eco-friendly packaging. Using biodegradable materials will go easy on the Earth…as it should. Dust to dust, and so on. Using fiber shroud, sea grass, willow or untreated FSC-certified wood caskets, burials keep us in the natural cycle of this planet while avoiding the excessive energy and materials associated with conventional caskets, outer liners, and vaults.
Over the last 15 years, the UK has developed more than 250 green cemeteries where a tree marks the spot, in place of a dead stone. It’s catching on!
For those who don’t want to be buried…
- Cremation is a good option, but the fuel and emissions need to be well-managed, as do the ashes themselves. Before spreading the ashes in your garden or in a natural forest, for example, consider that the alkalinity of ash disrupts plant growth.
- Burial at sea is a good, green bet, as long as the body is in a weighted shroud and not a traditional casket. Or scatter your ashes at sea.
Mention your green intents for eternal rest to family and friends, so difficult decisions don’t have to be made at a time of grief.
For more information, go to the Center for Natural Burial and/or Green Burials.
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