Back in the "Ma and Pa Kettle" days, most rural funerals were done on the family farm. There may or may not have been a casket. But, if there was it was made of wood. Since that time, the trend in funerals has been for the remains to either be cremated or embalmed and buried. Both choices potentially pollute the earth.
I grew up with the first Earth Day. My generation frequently wrote their own wedding vows, practiced sustainable agriculture, and composting. It is only fitting that my generation choose to return to the earth and a non-polluting after-life.
According to information I was able to find, and I admit some of the sources were rather slanted, in a typical cemetery there is enough wood to build 40 homes. Some sources also reported that there was enough concrete to also build a pool for each home.
In an article by Everett Sizemore a "Green burial will typically ban the use of embalming fluids (or at least require alternatives), vaults, conventional markers, and metal caskets. Green burial sites are often located in meadows and wooded areas that do not require constant maintenance, and the clear-cutting of trees. A "Tree Burial" is one type of green burial in which the body is laid to rest under a newly planted tree.
While Green funerals are frequently used in Europe, in the United States, the "green" concept is now in use at just a handful of cemeteries. EthicalBurial.org contains a list of States, frequently asked questions, standards, and contact information.
Even if you are not considering an eco-friendly funeral. The following cost saving options are available in many States.
I know this can be a rather controversial topic. Please feel free to express your beliefs below.
Others in this series: "No Impact Man" 100 MPG X-PRIZE One Billion Bulbs Energizing Michigan's Economy
One Small Step for Man...? Select Michigan Products How Green is Your Funeral?
Help!...Do You Give Eco-Friendly Closing Gifts? Earth Day Coupons, Games, Offers, and Family Activities
EEK! Michigan Schools Get an Alternative Energy Plan Kids!...Roofus Saves the Day???
"...Tell Me, Are We Alive, or Just a Dying Planet?..."
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Having 3 family members in the industry and having been a VP of sales for one of the larger funeral indutry companies myself I agree with the Green Burial. The issue is however a bit more complicated. Studies have shown that a traditional furneral with the viewing of the deceased helps the healing process. That is where the process of embalming arrives. For obvious reasons preservation and health reasons require the removal of the blood and the adding of chemicals to help preserve the human body. Yes there is enough wood to build several homes, enough steel to buid several cars and enough chemicals to truly make a cemetery a toxic waste site, but we are decades away from going green in this industry