One day, you're going to die. You can be certain that the end of your life will happen, even if you don't know how, when, or why. Your death can be the beginning of life for many other organisms. Your death can help the world continue. You can help the planet by donating your body to science or not having a burial, but there are more sustainable options that you can use.
Composting or alkaline hydrolysis can turn your body into soil or a completely organic liquid. What you need to know is here.
Even after you're gone, the planet will keep spinning, and your friends, family members, and loved ones will continue to live on it. You will be dead and all, so what happens to your body won't matter to you.
Traditional options, like cremation and burial, are fine. Don't feel bad about using limited options. cremation takes about 30 gallons of fuel to burn a body for 90 minutes at 1600, then blow out greenhouse gas and leave behind charred carbon. Your casket will be placed in a hole that is reinforced with valuable resources if Embalming relies on chemicals. These are not excellent options for the environment.
Elizabeth Fournier is the author of The Green Burial Guidebook. These resources are great, but they are kind of slowing down the works there. We put whatever is in our body out into the ozone layer.
If you are cremated, the release of gases and use of fuel will be the last thing you do on this planet, according to the CEO of Return Home Human Composting. Wouldn't it be great if the last thing you ever did was give back to the environment, so it could continue to nurture the ones you leave behind?
If you lived in a landlocked area, Fournier said that burials at sea are legal in all 50 states. Let's talk about natural organic reduction.
One of the options for people looking to commit to sustainable living is Truman's company. Green burial processes are legal in Washington, where Return Home is located. They are legal in Oregon and Colorado, but won't go into effect until later this summer. Fournier is on the board of people helping set up the guidelines. Maine, Illinois, Massachusetts, and New York are some of the states that are in different stages of debate.
The composting process was broken down by Fournier and Truman. The body is placed into a vessel with organic materials. Fournier said that the vessel needs to heat to a temperature of 160- 165 degrees Fahrenheit to accelerate the breakdown.
The process of Terramation takes 60 days. The body is placed in a vessel surrounded by organic material in the first month. The process of turning that body to soil uses oxygen in addition to the body's microbes.
Truman said that the things that digest the food are meant to transform us.
The body is transformed into soil after 30 days. The bones are reduced, the material is moved to a smaller container, and it sits for another 30 days. This requires less energy than cremation. Return Home's TikTok, which has amassed millions of views in its goal of being transparent about the process, is an example of how this works.
400 pounds of soil was created. The companies that provide these services have places where the rest of the soil can be put. Truman said that the soil should be used lightly because it can be used to grow new plants. He said that testing of the soil has shown no toxic indicators of concern, which is a fancy way of saying it is safe.
He said that this is the stuff of life.
Legal guidelines allow a body to be sent to the companies that provide NOR services, then have the sustainable remains returned to your family, wherever they are. If you are considering a green burial, you should take into account how much fuel will be required to get the body across state lines, whether in a plane or a vehicle.
The body is put in a sealed, pressurized vessel and pressure cooked until it becomes a completely organic liquid that can be poured away.
Right now, you can help with the movement towards sustainable burials.
Fournier said that anyone with interest in these things should learn about them. If you don't feel like you're getting anywhere after talking with your local funeral parlor, make another call.
You can be involved in the legal fight. There can be opposition from heavy hitters like the Catholic church, but likeminded people can get together and make progress.
Fournier said that death is hard to lose. It is pretty darn good of you to give back to the Earth if you can do all these things.
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