In case you couldn’t tell from that subject heading, today’s post is taking a turn for the morbid (I figured it was appropriate seeing as my challenge is nearing its final resting place). So for all those who are easily depressed, have a major phobia of death or just don’t feel like tackling this issue right now, move right along. Maybe check out CuteOverload or something.
Anyway, the other reason I’m bringing up death is because my lawyer recently suggested that, because I own a house now, I might want to start thinking about my will.
And the older I get (I’m almost… *gulp*… 29), the more I realize that the last thing I want to happen when I kick the bucket is for my loved ones to deal with a whole bunch of financial and logistical crap. Furthermore, ever since turning a green leaf, I’ve also realized that I don’t want to burden the planet on my way out the door, either.
I recalled Crunchy’s post on the subject from way back when (what’s with my Crunchy obsession these days?). She concluded, in the end, that the most environmentally sound option is either burial in an eco-cemetery, where you don’t get any special accoutrements, or cremation in a pine, cardboard or biodegradable box, as long as your teeth don’t have fillings (the mercury gets fired up into the air).
Reading through the comments, which suggested various alternatives, from vulture-picking sky burials to Ecopods to reef balls, and of course there’s always the option of donating your corpse to science (or, um, Body Worlds), I was most moved by DC’s idea for what to do with the ashes — put them in a compostable urn with seeds so that a tree grows wherever you plant it (that’s the Bios Urn in the photo above. I’m not sure what the ‘recycled head’ symbol means… maybe it’s just a quirky Euro design?).
This means no formaldehyde or embalming fluid, no need to manufacture and/or ship a fancy coffin, no cemetery maintenance, etc. On top of this, I think I may also specify no flowers wrapped in cellophane and no hearse — unless it’s a hybrid. Ooh, maybe it could even be a bicycle funeral! A no-impact ceremony! (OK, sorry, getting carried away here)
Either way, I think I’ll definitely refer people to The Natural Burial Co-Op here in Canada if they’re not sure about anything, and in general ask that, when in doubt, always go for the simplest option available — that way, I can truly rest in peace.
Bios Urn image resurrected from this website
Posted by gettinggreen
