Do you ever think about how you are going to be buried after you die? I know, you are probably thinking “That’s cwazy! I’m never going to die! I wanna live forever, Fame!”. Yes Irene Cara, it’s true, we all do pass on from this planet and our bodies have to go somewhere. Think about this for a moment. 57,000,000 people die every year. That’s 57 million! Most of those folks go through the regular process of either embalming and burial or cremation; both of which release large amounts of pollution into the atmosphere or into the ground. Green burials are an increasingly popular and economical choice for those who want a greener option for passing into the next world. Check out this short clip from KQED in SF about green burials. It gives a good overview of what it is all about.
In a typical modern burial:
The body is laid naked on a stainless steel embalmer’s table, bled out, and pumped full of noxious chemicals to keep the body fresh. Following the viewing, the body is sealed inside a metal casket or lacquered wooden coffin lined with plush satin and adorned with beautiful brass accessories… which is then lowered into a concrete vault and buried.
The reinforced concrete tomb is covered with a ton of dirt, and planted with a monoculture of grass which is kept artificially green with pest and weed killer. Above ground, the local cemetery may look pastoral and natural, however, below the surface; it serves to all intents and purposes, as a landfill of hazardous wastes and non-biodegradable materials.
Outfitting each of them demands the extraction and consumption of vast amounts of resources and leaves a trail of environmental damage in its wake. A ten-acre swatch of cemetery ground will contain enough coffin wood to construct more than 40 homes, nearly a thousand tons of casket steel and another twenty thousand tons of concrete for vaults. Across North America enough metal is diverted into coffin and vault production each year to build the Golden Gate Bridge, and enough concrete is used to build a two-lane highway from Toronto to Montreal… and back again.
More research needs to be done on the environmental effects of all that formaldehyde leeching into the soil (The European Union is considering banning it’s use altogether) and consideration needs to be taken to lessen the amount of resources used to lay the body to rest. Dust to dust. Remember that old saying? Well the reason it was originally stated was to signify the understanding that we are born from nature and that we return to it. It’s a whole lot easier to do so if we aren’t encased in concrete, metal coffins and formaldehyde.
There are an increasing amount of green cemeteries, funeral directors that offer more sustainable burial options and green burial specialists out there than there used to be. While it’s more common in Europe, more and more cemeteries in the US are offering natural burial as an option. If you are interested in a green burial, you should consider specifying those details in your will. You have a will, riiight? Ok, so maybe you think you’re too young to think you need a last will with all the details of who gets what and what you want done with your remains, but it’s always good to be prepared!
You should also check with your state and your funeral planner about any laws that deal with planning a natural burial as some states have different rules and regulations about funerals and burial plans.
I also recommend the book Grave Matters which gives a more detailed look into the funeral industry and some more details on the natural burial movement.
PBS did a special a few years ago on the home funeral movement. The site has an excellent history timeline on the evolution of the American way of dying..
While discussions about death and funerals are no fun and shouldn’t be discussed during a hot date or other inappropriate times like watching NRA commercials (from my cold dead hands!) it’s important to remember that life is a circle. We start out helpless as babies, needing care and love. We go through life, we grow older and hopefully wiser. We end up in need of loving care in our later years and it’s as though we end up as babies again. With all the death and despair that has visited our queer families and our ancestors due to HIV and AIDS, lung cancer and alcoholism, it’s good to be reminded of a few good things. That while life is meant to be lived, death is nothing to fear and that it should be prepared for in an manner that is in tune with nature and without wasting precious natural resources.
This is a great post. I had no idea it was even an option. I had always thought of cremation for this reason, but green burial seems so much better. I hope this movement grows. Thanks for sharing this.