Green Funerals

[johnhcrf]

With the interest in recycling/composting replacing burning or landfill, naturally thoughts could drift to deaths as part of this process. Burial land may become less available with time due to land pressures. Cremation may fall out of favour as it is less environmentally sound. There are alternatives (eg natural burial near trees). One future possibilty is to use a faster decomposition process, with no environmental impact. As a recent Bokashi adherent I cannot help but notice the similarity between its waste sources and that of living tissue.

[johnhcrf]

I would advise anyone of a sensitive disposition to avoid the topic. There is no intention to sensationalise the issue but to discuss it broadly and to investigate possibilities.

[Milims]

Well I've already told my lot that then I finally shuffle off this mortal coil I want to be put in a cardboard box and have a cherry tree planted on me! That way I can fertilise something useful to the world and I can feed animals and people with something sweet and tasty!

[Martin]

I'm somewhat at a loss to understand the obsession with waste.......the need to take everything to the "nth" degree.........from where I'm sitting, we have a planet to save, and to do so, we have to do a myriad of things - fly less, travel less, use less packaging, compost, insulate until it comes out of our ears, use renewables instead of fossil fuels etc, etc, etc, and to get "hung up" on any one of them is probably going to detract from tackling things on a broad front.........
As for being recycled myself, that's simple, I'm not going! (well someone has to be first!)

[johnhcrf]

Landfill is an important issue. The countryside is being despoiled, that is a fact. I think we must end it before it destroys the land. Other issues are important too, but I am sceptical of scientists, today, who start scare stories to show their knowledge. This is an abuse of learning. Attack all problems, but this is a big one for the UK. Green funerals are worth discussing as they will be more and more relevant.

[hedgewitch]

Well I've already told my lot that then I finally shuffle off this mortal coil I want to be put in a cardboard box and have a cherry tree planted on me!

Me too...and not to be embalmed as the embalming fluid is full of TERRIBLE earth harming chemicals.
I never understood the point of embalming anyway.

[the.fee.fairy]

To be graphic, its so that you don't explode...

The decaying flesh and bacteria in a body cause a build up of gases.

By swapping the bodily fluid for embalming fluids, you rpevent the gas build-up. If this was not preveted, you would explode in the coffin/ground/incinerator.

There was a king (can't remember which one now...probably called George...) who died before we had embalmers. He didn't quite fit in the coffin, so the attendants decided to jump on his body and 'make him fit'. They jumped on his stomach, breakign the spine, which pierced the stomach wall and caused an almighty explosion.

That's why we have embalming fluid...

In other countries, the body is disposed of as soon as possible and that's why they don't need the fluid, but here we traditionally have around a week after death before the body is disposed of (i know that's a horrible way of putting it, but i can't think of any nicer way...), and therefore the body has to be preserved in some way.

Hope that wasn't too graphic...

[Annpan]

euch

(but I secretly giggled at a fat king exploding)


I fancy this bury under a tree thing, that is what JohnM wants too... I did fancy cremation, but I am not to fussed... don't really want a sad cold piece of granite marking my final resting place, I don't really agree with death being the end and I think we should celebrate the life more

[red]

cremation for me (after I'm dead!!)

I dont want some future time team people digging up my bones and saying 'aha .. looks like ritual sacrifice'

mind you - I'll be dead so what will I care.

best bet - cremation then scatter the ashes around the tomatoes...

[the.fee.fairy]

I like the idea of being buried under a tree...an oak tree would be great, then in 100s of years time, someone can stand there (on my feet) and say 'what a nice tree...i wonder what made it grow so strong' and i'll secretly giggle...

really? i don't know. I really don't.

I do fancy being turned into a diamond though...quite fancy that a lot...

[ina]

Yeah - but cremation needs a lot of energy.... I Think I'd go for the "bury in the field with an apple tree planted on top". Oh, and either a recycled card board coffin, or one of those wonderful felted shrouds.

[red]

cremation was brought in due to the lack of land available for burials..

even if each burial got a tree on top, and future cemetaries were woodlands (much nicer idea), wouldn't we run out of available land quite quickly... we can't turn it ALL to woodland..

[chadspad]

Cant you be buried in your own garden? I would much rather that. I have a special place in my garden, I'd like to go there and then have a tree planted on me.

[ina]

even if each burial got a tree on top, and future cemetaries were woodlands (much nicer idea), wouldn't we run out of available land quite quickly... we can't turn it ALL to woodland..

I'm not so sure! If all the cemeteries were turned into productive orchards - how about that! Would be interesting to work out: how many people die every year in the UK; how much space would an average fruit tree need; how long is it productive - and would the ex-person underneath it be, ergh, properly rotted away by the end of the tree's lifespan...

I'm sure there's some Health and Safety regulations against it, though.

[hamster]

Cant you be buried in your own garden? I would much rather that. I have a special place in my garden, I'd like to go there and then have a tree planted on me.

I think you can. Though it has to be a certain distance away from the house and all future owners have to be notified. Tbh, I'm not sure I'd like to buy a house knowing somebody was buried in the garden.