greenliving
look like a cemetery. Its native grasses and mature trees come alive with color each autumn. Wildflowers bloom in the spring and birds build their nests in treetop boughs.
Rest in Peace
Sustainable Burials Honor Life by Brita Belli
H
umans are conditioned to the conventional rituals of handling death—the embalmed body in a casket or ashes sealed in an urn, a procession of vehicles to the burial site, solemnly gathering and scatter- ing flowers as the remains are lowered into the earth. Many times, planning details are abdicated to the judgment of funeral directors. The notion of green burials envi- sions something different: a ceremony that engages family members’ eco- values and nature in a more intimate, sustainable process favoring biodegrad- able caskets and no toxic chemicals. The movement is gaining in popularity; in 2011, some 300 U.S. funeral homes offered green burial options, up from only 12 in 2008.
High Impact of Tradition Traditional American burial practices make a sizeable environmental foot- print and also pose health risks. The carcinogenic embalming fluid—form- aldehyde—is a well-known hazard. A 2009 study in the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute found that ex- posure to formaldehyde over a career of embalming put funeral home workers at significantly increased risk for mortal- ity from myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood cells. Alternatives include formaldehyde-free preservatives made from essential oils, and dry ice. Significant resources are consumed in manufacturing caskets and vaults and maintaining cemetery grass. “A few years back I calculated that we bury enough metal in caskets to rebuild the Golden Gate Bridge each year and put so much concrete in the ground via burial vaults we could build a two-lane highway half- way across the country,” says Joe Sehee, founder of the Green Burial Council. The council certifies and lists cemeteries, funeral homes and casket companies that forgo chemicals and offer natural landscapes. The goal is for burials to leave as little impact as pos- sible on the planet.
Greener Plots Greensprings Natural Cemetery Pre- serve, in Newfield, New York, does not
“Most contemporary cemeter- ies are biological deserts,” observes Greensprings spokesperson and sci- ence writer Mary Woodsen. In con- trast, Greensprings’ 100 acres are sur- rounded by 8,000 acres of protected forests. Loved ones may be buried in coffins from locally produced timber, or in shrouds—either professionally made or from a favorite blanket or quilt. Biodegradable caskets may be constructed of pine, cardboard, bamboo, formaldehyde-free plywood or hand-woven willow or wicker.
LastThings.net even offers free plans to make a simple coffin. Instead of a machine, family mem- bers and friends ceremonially take hold of straps and lower the casket into a concrete vault themselves. Natural, flat fieldstones honor loved ones. “People feel, ‘I was part of this,’”
says Woodsen.
Cremation Options Debate exists over the ecological impact of cremation—a practice ex- pected to be chosen as the end-of-life choice for as many as 46 percent of Americans by 2015. While it reduces the use of large, resource-intensive burial plots, each traditionally cre- mated body releases 110 pounds of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, including carbon dioxide and mon- oxide, nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, mercury and other metals. The Bio Cremation greener alter-
native—using 95 percent water and 5 percent of an alkali instead of flames and fossil fuels—requires eight times less energy as fire-based cremation, produces no dangerous byproducts and still yields ashes from the remaining bones. To find the states that have ap- proved the process, visit the legislative section at
BioCremationInfo.com. Biodegradable urns are also avail- able, including cornstarch bags ac- cented with leaves and petals, sculpted natural salt containers and baskets made of virgin palm. Sandcastle urns are suited for home display or ocean
natural awakenings February 2013 19
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