general Your take on what people call "Green Burial"?

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

It is a controversial topic... Its no secret we're all going to die one die. This topic is really about two things.

 

1.) Just throwing a body in the ground... No chemicals, burial vaults and expensive caskets which really damage the environment

 

2.) Western culture is incredibly fearful of death to the point where you can't talk about nature and dying. I know death is awful, but in the western modern world you can't even have a serious discussion about it. 

 

So what Green Burial is essentially.... How people have been buried for thousands and thousands of years. Christians get the most flack for starting traditional burial, and while the vikings were known for cremating their deceased, cremation isn't the same as it was centuries ago. People would think cremation is a better option, since there isn't a body to take space in the ground. But these crematories are still pumping excess soot up into the atmosphere and that will damage the plant life and air quality at the constant rate we are doing it. 

 

I find it disgusting that it is labeled as unscientific to just 'throw a body in the ground' without formaldehyde and other preserving chemicals we don't need. We inject ourselves with these at death, because humans merely cannot accept that we're going to decay like everything does.

 

I want to buried with dignity and have nature just consume my remains like every other animals goes out. I don't want to be buried and damage the planet with all of humanity's silly games of death denial. 

 

There are other cool options too. Sicilian scientists have a patent for 'tree pods'. You dump your carcass into a fertilized pod that will sprout into a tree. Hey, its better than looking at depressing rocks isn't it?

[Ethan Tran 950]

i'm all for a cremation. i'm personally think that cemetery's are useless, they take space and helps a few people who runs it make profit. but you can't change the system. this is how it works till masses realize it's no good. you can pay your respect for past ones with your heart and mind, you don't need corps in the graves to do it.

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

i'm all for a cremation. i'm personally think that cemetery's are useless, they take space and helps a few people who runs it make profit. but you can't change the system. this is how it works till masses realize it's no good. you can pay your respect for past ones with your heart and mind, you don't need corps in the graves to do it.

2 hours away from me in Maine, they have a 'natural burial' ground. Its not illegal in the US per say, it is just that the mortuary is just a big business and the government has no plans on stopping it anytime soon. So in the event I die... I will make sure my lazy family can make the 2 hour drive to have my resting place there. I have seen pictures, its incredibly peaceful and clean looking. They don't have headstones, but you get a stone plate and GPS device to mark your grave so people can find you and offer their respects. 

[Kyoshi Frost Wolf 41,446]

Honestly, I personally think that just a simple body burial is the way to go. Not only is this far more environmentally friendly, but I also think it just makes a lot more sense. Caskets can potentially put people in debt if life insurance is not available for them and while it might seem barbaric to some, I think a simple burial is just the way to go. Or cremation if one prefers, not sure how much of a process that is though.

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

Honestly, I personally think that just a simple body burial is the way to go. Not only is this far more environmentally friendly, but I also think it just makes a lot more sense. Caskets can potentially put people in debt if life insurance is not available for them and while it might seem barbaric to some, I think a simple burial is just the way to go. Or cremation if one prefers, not sure how much of a process that is though.

My aunt sadly passed away in early march. I never knew her too well, my family is not close at all. But she had a heart attack behind the wheel on the highway. My uncle(her father) has money, money is not even a question for him. But it is just expensive to buy the plot, headstone, vault and casket. I think my uncle spent $15,000 to bury his own daughter. I'm not offending anyone by saying 'waste of money' I view it as... I am no longer using my body... So why the hell are you pumping me with synthetic shit and "protecting" a body that doesn't need to be protected. We have our short time here... We go back into the elements and make way for the new humans. Whether your spiritual or an atheist... It should be the same viewpoint from anyone.

Edited October 10, 2016 by SunsetBaconDrive

[Stardust Balance 7,739]

I prefer cremation, in the end. Feels more honourable and accepting of death to me, if that makes sense. Plus, my ancestral side would've welcomed it.

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

I prefer cremation, in the end. Feels more honourable and accepting of death to me, if that makes sense. Plus, my ancestral side would've welcomed it.

I'm not a christian... I could die tomorrow and my family would do conventional burial without me even having a say in the matter. I don't want a church service or wake service. I just want to be buried as is and have people I know bury me.

[Stardust Balance 7,739]

I'm not a christian... I could die tomorrow and my family would do conventional burial without me even having a say in the matter. I don't want a church service or wake service. I just want to be buried as is and have people I know bury me.

That's fine. It's not about religion to me; just my warrior's pride on my Dad's side of the family.

[Guest]

A dead body is a dead body, it's useless. Unless if it had some advantages to other human beings while it was alive, then you could use it as a subject to learn something from I don't fucking know lmao.

 

It really depends on the person and how they prefer it, I personally don't care about my body after I'm dead, don't care if they burn it or bury it in a golden coffin, it'll all be the same. Though cremation seems a bit better cause it'd take a lot less space. 

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

A dead body is a dead body, it's useless. Unless if it had some advantages to other human beings while it was alive, then you could use it as a subject to learn something from I don't fucking know lmao.

 

It really depends on the person and how they prefer it, I personally don't care about my body after I'm dead, don't care if they burn it or bury it in a golden coffin, it'll all be the same. Though cremation seems a bit better cause it'd take a lot less space. 

Well the point of this topic was centered around being selfless, as in putting the planet and others needs over my own. 

[Nara 84]

I want to buried with dignity and have nature just consume my remains like every other animals goes out. I don't want to be buried and damage the planet with all of humanity's silly games of death denial.

 

I was thinking about that too but then I decided to donate my body to science. That way maybe someone will benefit from it? Or at least future doctors will learn anatomy!

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

I was thinking about that too but then I decided to donate my body to science. That way maybe someone will benefit from it? Or at least future doctors will learn anatomy!

I wouldn't trust someone with my body though. That is just me.

 

Just to give people an idea of what the typical natural burial is. Essentially you pay less than $3,000.00 and half of the money you pay goes towards expanding the land reservation

 

Edited October 10, 2016 by SunsetBaconDrive

[Widdershins 9,959]

Wurgh.  For one, can't think how much use a thousand doller casket would do you as its just gonna be buried anyhow along with the rest of ya. Last time I heard of anyone pumping preservatives into dead bodies was the Egyptians and only then because they believed the pharaohs would still need to come back for their corpses after getting judged in the afterlife and whatnot. Even then it was only the rich people too, seems to me that's just being deathphobic and treating the deadguy like a pharaoh.

Me? Well I do like nature, but I get the willies thinking about some tree root cracking my casket when I'm dead and feasting off my remains. Not to mention my intense hatred of flies/maggots. Cremation sounds decent, lot you can do with them ashes after, but I just get the superstitious hunch that might bode ill for where your going after....

If I could choose, I'd rather get eaten by some bigger predator. Now THAT'S nature's way a' going out for you! Pity we don't have any mega-predators like dinos & dragons.  And I think some people would have issues about my ashes being baked into a cake & served at the wake.

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

Wurgh.  For one, can't think how much use a thousand doller casket would do you as its just gonna be buried anyhow along with the rest of ya. Last time I heard of anyone pumping preservatives into dead bodies was the Egyptians and only then because they believed the pharaohs would still need to come back for their corpses after getting judged in the afterlife and whatnot. Even then it was only the rich people too, seems to me that's just being deathphobic and treating the deadguy like a pharaoh.

Me? Well I do like nature, but I get the willies thinking about some tree root cracking my casket when I'm dead and feasting off my remains. Not to mention my intense hatred of flies/maggots. Cremation sounds decent, lot you can do with them ashes after, but I just get the superstitious hunch that might bode ill for where your going after....

If I could choose, I'd rather get eaten by some bigger predator. Now THAT'S nature's way a' going out for you! Pity we don't have any mega-predators like dinos & dragons.  And I think some people would have issues about my ashes being baked into a cake & served at the wake.

Ashes or rotting away, the body is not gonna be around forever. Cremation was cleaner back then, it was done around families and they witnessed the corpse being burned. Now cremation is a factory where its an assembly line and done so fast that it isn't environmentally sound. 

 

I guess if you just throw a body in the dirt without chemical preserves... It takes 18-20 years until bones are left and nothing else. 

[Snow 7,025]

i never even understood why people get buried so far underground their nutrients becomes inaccessible for plant growth :/ its counter productive and seemingly pointless..
in events like the black death plague or something its fare enough to make the bodies far from the surface to contain the disease but otherwise why not recycle?
i wouldn't mind being broken down and absorbed by a plant :/ id be dead, whats all the fuss about? it'll give me a purpose ​beyond the grave XP my only concern for the matter is that i would like to become some delicious watermelons and a pineapples (they better taste good or the farmer responsible is going to get haunted big time!)

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

i never even understood why people get buried so far underground their nutrients becomes inaccessible for plant growth :/ its counter productive and seemingly pointless..

in events like the black death plague or something its fare enough to make the bodies far from the surface to contain the disease but otherwise why not recycle?

i wouldn't mind being broken down and absorbed by a plant :/ id be dead, whats all the fuss about? it'll give me a purpose ​beyond the grave XP my only concern for the matter is that i would like to become some delicious watermelons and a pineapples (they better taste good or the farmer responsible is going to get haunted big time!)

They do give you that option for burial... They will plant you alongside a crop tree. And these natural burials are not 6 feet under... They're all three feet below instead.

[Twiggy 2,966]

Hell, why waste money or time digging a hole? Just take me and throw me in the woods somewhere when I'm dead. Makes no difference to me.

 

I'm dead.

[Gestum 2,493]

I would prefer a traditional burial. It seems more dignified then simply having my body thrown into a hole.

[SunsetBaconDrive 169]

I would prefer a traditional burial. It seems more dignified then simply having my body thrown into a hole.

I didn't mean "throw" literally. 

[Sunny Fox 5,950]

Well, considering the universe is probably going to end in a heat death where entropy increases to the maximum, I'd prefer to be "recycled", (although not in a Soylent Green kind of way - ever notice how The Matrix writers stole that concept?) To my mind, cremation is shortening the overall lifespan of the universe, whereas a natural burial allows the unused energy my body contains (as opposed to the atoms, which are not affected by the process) at the time of death to be reused a little more effectively by other organisms, thus postponing universal heat death, thus slightly more ethical. The "Green Burial" idea is probably even more in line with this sort of thinking, so I guess I do support it.

[Anneal 2,197]

It is a controversial topic... Its no secret we're all going to die one die. This topic is really about two things.

 

1.) Just throwing a body in the ground... No chemicals, burial vaults and expensive caskets which really damage the environment

 

2.) Western culture is incredibly fearful of death to the point where you can't talk about nature and dying. I know death is awful, but in the western modern world you can't even have a serious discussion about it. 

 

So what Green Burial is essentially.... How people have been buried for thousands and thousands of years. Christians get the most flack for starting traditional burial, and while the vikings were known for cremating their deceased, cremation isn't the same as it was centuries ago. People would think cremation is a better option, since there isn't a body to take space in the ground. But these crematories are still pumping excess soot up into the atmosphere and that will damage the plant life and air quality at the constant rate we are doing it. 

 

What are you talking about? People have been buried very differently from "green burial" for thousands of years as well; the Tibetians saw birds of preys as a path to heaven and left corpses for them to scavenge, while Indians and Bengalis have been cremating for several centuries now because their culture believes burial was "impure" (the Indian subcontinent was heavily agricultural and this came from the common belief that it made the land infertile and took up space). Also, cremation's effect on air pollution is insignificant; it only pumps .3% of yearly gaseous emissions and mercury. You'll have better luck dealing with cars rather than crematoriums.

 

Also, plenty of Western cultures openly discuss or even accept death. Mini-cemeteries are popular in Northern Europe, Christians and Muslims see death as a transition to an afterlife state (atheists don't care about all that), and in Central America people have days that celebrate the dead. Many deathcare practices have creeped into the US and Canada as well. If anything, Asian cultures treat death more quietly than Westerners and often get a bit uneasy on standard deathcare there. (White is the funeral color, not black, qnd in some cultures it can take weeks or even months to actually do ceremonies.)

 

Honestly most types of deathcare are fine by me. Their effect on the environment is very insiginificant compared to other than pollutants. Do a green burial if that's your thing. Personally I would like to be religiously cremated and have golden Chinese paper thrown onto my body.

[GrimGrimoire 4,973]

i'm all for a cremation. i'm personally think that cemetery's are useless, they take space and helps a few people who runs it make profit. but you can't change the system. this is how it works till masses realize it's no good. you can pay your respect for past ones with your heart and mind, you don't need corps in the graves to do it.

 

Everyone deals with death in their own individual way, and it is pretty pompous to try to tell someone they are wrong for it.

 

They are not useless. Just because some people like to visit the graves of those who have passed on and pay some form of reverence or tribute and you don't is hardly a reason to "change the system". And what "system" in fact? There is no demanded standard for it in most places and it is a partnership between the family of the deceased and the people doing the digging/burning in most cases. There are tons of options to fit pretty much any comfort level or way of thinking. You can do anything from being buried green or shot into space. The price for some of it is ridiculous but really so is everything in the medical and health related fields.

 

Many also are converted into parks or places people will want to visit. That way you can have a serene place to put your remains, and a place that will allow the living to both enjoy spending time and still pay reverence to the dead.

 

2 hours away from me in Maine, they have a 'natural burial' ground. Its not illegal in the US per say, it is just that the mortuary is just a big business and the government has no plans on stopping it anytime soon. So in the event I die... I will make sure my lazy family can make the 2 hour drive to have my resting place there. I have seen pictures, its incredibly peaceful and clean looking. They don't have headstones, but you get a stone plate and GPS device to mark your grave so people can find you and offer their respects. 

 

The government has no right to step in and do anything about it. People have a right to be buried however they like. It is called "last wishes or last will and testament" and many take it very seriously. The last thing I would want to see is someone un-invested in the situation taking control over someone else's final wishes on something so minor and putting ridiculous laws and mandates in place that just makes everyone more miserable than they already are.

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

 

 

2.) Western culture is incredibly fearful of death to the point where you can't talk about nature and dying. I know death is awful, but in the western modern world you can't even have a serious discussion about it. 

What western country do you live in?

[KatonRyu 1,033]

I'm get that people want to dispose of their dead with some dignity, but for myself I'd be fine resting in some shallow grave somewhere. I really don't mind, considering I won't be around for it. Spending thousands of bucks on me after I'm dead seems a bit idiotic, as does saving up exorbitant amounts of money for the day that I die. Honestly, chuck me in a ditch and be done with it. Say a eulogy as the first scavengers start eating my eyeballs. I bet that would be a very scenic funeral.

[Justin_Case001 4,885]

I've seem a few articles and tidbits floating around recently about green/eco-friendly burials.  I'm so glad that people are finally thinking about this.  The way that death has traditionally been handled, (In western culture at least.  Idk what they do elsewhere) is asinine.  It's so ridiculous I scarcely know where to begin.  The death of a loved one immediately means ludicrous expenses.  People launch themselves into massive debt with insane funeral costs, burial plots, extravagant caskets and preservation procedures, etc, when this is the last thing they need at the time.  This is weapons-grade stupidity.  The effect on the environment is obviously horrible.  The space taken up by cemeteries is more weapons-grade stupidity.  Imagine if instead of spending this amount of money, time, space, and resources on the dead, we spent it on the living.  The money could to go the needy, the space could be used for homeless shelters, or schools, or hospitals, or parks, or literally anything useful.  Apologies for not sugar coating this, but I believe that the traditional, expensive, and elaborate means of handling death in the west demands harsh criticism.  It may be a difficult conversation, but it's one that needs to be had more often.

 

The good news is that none of that excessive stuff is necessary to achieve monumental dignity and respect, and for those left behind to be able to say goodbye properly, and feel that their loved ones were treated as they should be.  I believe that there's much more dignity in a natural burial where the deceased's body returns to the Earth.  I personally can't understand why anyone would want to be preserved in a casket/coffin.

 

Cremation seems like an okay option, but there is the pollution, so a natural, eco-friendly burial seems like the best way to go.  But really, anything that's getting away from preservation, caskets, and tombstones in a step in the right direction.

 

Now, me personally, I want to be thrown in the ocean and fed to sharks.  Or lions.  Just do a flyover in the Kenyan savanna and when you see a pride of lions, just shove my corpse out.  I mean, why not recycle me while being hilarious at the same time?  This would have to be recorded, obviously.  Just fyi, I am half kidding here, of course.  Half...

 

So, I'd either go with that, or if I had enough money I'd go with the exact antithesis of everything I just preached and have a giant, over-the-top, medieval tomb built for myself.  I'd want it to be a perfect replica of Raithwall's Tomb from Final Fantasy XII.  It would actually generate revenue, though, as tours would be given.  (On this one, I am completely kidding, although you have to admit, that would be f*ckin' awesome.)