Plotting Your Exit Strategy
Death may be eternal, but how we take our leave has changed considerably over the years. Embalming became the norm only after the Civil War. Thirty years ago, cremation came into vogue. Alas, cremation isn't exactly planet-friendly when you consider that you're basically getting converted directly into greenhouse gases (not to mention the considerable energy required to do the deed).
I guess I first heard of "green" burials on the TV show Six Feet Under, where the fictional morticians were already resentful of cremation. But with the average funeral costing $6,500 (and that's without a headstone or plot), a lot of people find themselves wondering if there isn't a better way to spend that money -- like helping to preserve a forest instead of trying (always futilely) to preserve one's own body.
The Chicago Tribune ran a good overview of the emerging green funeral industry with pros and cons from both sides. My favorite quote, from a man who paid $4,000 for woodland plots at Ramsey Creek Preserve for himself and his wife:
I guess I first heard of "green" burials on the TV show Six Feet Under, where the fictional morticians were already resentful of cremation. But with the average funeral costing $6,500 (and that's without a headstone or plot), a lot of people find themselves wondering if there isn't a better way to spend that money -- like helping to preserve a forest instead of trying (always futilely) to preserve one's own body.
The Chicago Tribune ran a good overview of the emerging green funeral industry with pros and cons from both sides. My favorite quote, from a man who paid $4,000 for woodland plots at Ramsey Creek Preserve for himself and his wife:
"Listen, I love the woods. It's you ... environmentalists that I can't stand."
1 Comments:
The green funeral movement has more history in the UK, but Americans are starting to apply green living principles to the end of life. Because funerals are highly charged personal and social traditions, it will take some time before people fully embrace the change. We have seen increasing demand for biodegradable urns, so that may be a sign that consumers already considering cremation (considered by some an improvement over traditional burial) are ready to make eco-friendly choices. Overall, most people seem to prefer burial, but see cremation as less expensive and potentially less harmful to the environment. Green cemeteries may finally offer a way for people to maintain cherished practices while avoiding the harmful by-products of traditional burial.
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