Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Green Burial

Green burial? Makes you think, doesnt it?
I came across this article in yahoo pages and the news set me thinking.

Yes, arent we, with our burials increasing our carbon footprint on this earth?
The most modern way of disposing of bodies now in advanced countries is through cremation ( though it has long been practised in places like India for millenias). However, cremation in the west is burning of the deceased alongwith the casket which eats up a lot of fossil fuel and spews out enough gases and smoke to increase the carbon content of the atmosphere.

For those preferring a green burial,instead of a traditional one, the new alternative, that they can make a choice about is the eco-friendly burials where the dead will be buried in an area of land inside a bio-degradable coffin, made from pine wood or even cardboard, and having no metal attachments like handles and plaques and no polish,veneer and plastic. One can also opt for a tree to be planted overground after being laid to rest in the soil.This can preserve our environment and wildlife and be an inspiring wooded area in contrast to precious real estate being eaten up by rows and rows of characterless headstones, many of them crumbling and broken, many others unkempt and all of them squashed into a faceless cemetery or an overcrowded graveyard.

A green burial is also less expensive considering that you dont have to use all that crafted or detailed casket with its cloth linings and the expense involved in the making of a gravestone and gravelining and the use of formaldehyde to delay decomposition. With a green burial, both casket and body will decompose within 6 to 10 months.

You could be also opt for being cremated and buried at sea. Companies offering Sea Burial will help you organize a beautiful, peaceful service in idyllic surroundings.For the not-so sqeamish ones, there is also the choice of excarnation (literally means removal of flesh)which is practised by Zoroastrians (a persian religious sect) who are known as parsis in India who leave their dead on towers where vultures come and feast on the body!

3 comments:

Ozymandias said...

ummh..the vulture part...i don't know if I like that..lol

Anonymous said...

I am so glad that alternatives to traditional burials are getting recognition, as they offer highly creative and personalized options for one to be memorialized.
Many of the possible alternatives are better for the environment than traditional routes, they are cheaper, and allow the individual to create a unique final send off.
I recently saw a documentary that introduces several unique alternatives, from the green burial and sea services you mentioned to memorial fireworks and reefs.
Here is the link if you are interested:

http://bside.com/films/lastingimages/

Thanks for the topic discussion!
And I'm not so sure about the vultures either.

Eternalsoul said...

@ozymandias
yep! I know its morbid to think of vultures pecking at your carcass!

@anonymous
Thanks for the link. Will check it out. Keep visiting. I love my readers and their comments. Keep them coming.

Eternalsoul