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
That ain’t morbid, it’s natural. None of gets out of this alive and it is just the way life is, all energy returns to the universe. I’ve never understood why people get so freaked about death. Now pain, that’s a morbid subject. Anyway, I am thinking that the tree planting is the best idea I’ve heard. I was thinking about tossing my ashes into my native plantings flower place, but I hadn’t heard about compostable urns. But don’t forget organ donations! Reuse and then recycle.
the waste (money/resources) with funerals makes me cringe. why do people want the fancy trappings – I dont think it makes it easier for the relatives and friends. have you thought about no flowers, but donations to charity instead? and of course organ donation. I like the sound of the eco urn, but Im happy to have my ashes scattered in the garden. surely the eco urn would need more than ashes to grow a plant, some organic matter/soil?
You have to consider how much energy goes into cremation, Those ovens got to be pretty hot… IMO burial in a biodegradable box or plain pine is greener, as long as there you don’t get embalmed. Embalming is the worse…
And that recyclable head thing is not Euro, it’s just freaky!
Paula,
The eco urn she has linked says “…made out of compacted coconut shells mixed with a layer of organic fertilizer. Inside the mixture is a seed that will germinate upon burial of the urn and grow into a tree.”
When my mother died, we had various options presented to us at the funeral home- caskets, granite urns etc, but after we mentioned that our Mum was into organic gardening (and that we didn’t like all the other options!) they suggested a biodegradable urn w/ flower seeds embedded in the paper. It was perfect of course, and it was a lovely deep green Japanese paper box with a place for a photo on top. They do have them- you may want to leave instructions that whoever makes the arrangements to ask specifically, cause funeral homes don’t make money off cardboard boxes and probably won’t mention it till they’re pushed!
Your obsession is only natural…
I put an addictive chemical in my chicken that makes ya crave it fortnightly.
Let me try that link again. Damn.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108174/quotes
This is such a good idea! There’s nothing wrong with death, it is as big apart of life as birth. I would really like to look into doing the same thing. BTW, I really hope you keep all your website up after your challenge is done for those of us who like to go back and re-research old changes you’ve made and try and encorporate them into our own lifestyle.
so the body worlds idea seems really not friendly to the environment after reading through the process. ugh….not sure i would want to go that route at all….ever.
I wrote about this subject back in June of last year:
http://lorivillarreal.typepad.com/do_you_realize/2007/06/dying-to-be-gre.html
Have a great weekend!
In case you want to get there faster:
Is cabin air making us sick?
Charles Starmer-Smith
Last updated: 12:47 PM GMT 23/02/2008
More and more pilots are reporting that air polluted by engine fumes is making them ill and even incapable of handling their aircraft. So why are passengers not being told? Charles Starmer-Smith reports.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/759562/Is-cabin-air-making-us-sick.html?service=print
I wonder if cremating robs your body of nutrients, ie whether or not decomposing we would return good stuff to the soil, just like composting? I lean twds cremation but thought of that angle recently so I may just decompose after all. I recently read Remember Me: A Lively Tour of the New American Way of Death by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen which was pretty interesting. It was a library book so I don’t have it in front of me, but I think she interviewed the owners of an eco cemetary, where you could be buried just wrapped in a shroud.
Kudos! I love the stick figure with the Eco head! Everything Eco funeral service, excellent. Eco urns and coffins are available, more green burial cemeteries are coming soon! You are leading the path…. keep on talking about it!
If you need more ideas for your services check out http://www.funeralideas.com
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 actually work for the whole body donation program you linked in this article, Science Care (www.sciencecare.com). Being in this industry, I can tell you that donation is an absolutely amazing gift and we are so grateful for the people who donate so generously. It is so helpful to future generations of doctors and researchers.
One thing I will caution folks about is to make sure and do your research about whole body donation programs. We recommend only signing up with a program that holds to the highest quality and safety standards and, at the least, has been accredited by the American Association of Tissue Banks. You can see the full list of accredited non-transplant tissue banks on their website: http://www.aatb.org. This is really the only way to ensure that you are donating to a legitimate and ethical organization.