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“When the blood in
your veins returns
to the sea,
and the earth in your
bones returns to
the ground,
perhaps then you will
remember that this
land does not
belong to you,
it is you who belong
to this land.”
Since the quote above touched on death and nature, the topic of green burial is more or less appropriate. Unbeknownst to the majority, the modern traditional burial method is not as green as we think.
The casket industry is on top of the 50 hazardous material waste producers, according to EPA. The toxic finishes they apply to their metal caskets and their heavy consumption of hardwood lumber explain why. Other than the carbon-intensive and resource-intensive casket, a coffin burial prevents a corpse from decomposing quickly and efficiently. The slow process feeds sulphur-loving bacteria which may spread disease through water contamination. If you think cremation is the environmentally-friendly alternative, think about the carbon footprint from burning fossil fuels.
In the old times, burial used to be green as funerals involved putting an unembalmed body in a simple pine box. Nowadays, people would find it cringe-worthy. A Swedish company called “Promessa Organic AB” suggests a solution: freezing the body to -18 degree Celsius before submerging it in liquid nitrogen. Once the corpse becomes brittle, bombarding it with sound waves will break it down into fine white powder. The powder will then be sent through a vacuum cleaner that dries it out.
If it’s not green enough, you can also place the powder in a biodegradable box and bury it in a shallow grave. The mixture will serve as a fertilizer to a commemorative tree or shrub. Thanks to ingenious environmentalists, the dead can now rest in peace without the shame of a leaving a carbon footprint or potentially harming the living.
