The Ultimate in "Going"
Green
We
spend our life trying to get back to our Earthly roots, living simpler
and off the land, recycling when we can, and doing as little damage to
the world around us as possible. We came into this life naked and with
no material trappings weighing us down. Now a movement is promoting
leaving the same way… consider it the ultimate in “going” green.
It's
called “green burial” and while it might just be the next fad in
checking out of this life, it has some benefits for anyone looking to
live (and die) frugal, or for someone looking to go out with as little
impact on our beloved land as possible.
The
aspects are simple … no embalming, no casket if possible or an
earth-friendly biodegradable box if required by the state, a simple
marker, a tremendous cost-savings versus a traditional funeral and
burial.
According to the Arizona-based Green Burial Council, the organization
taking the lead on regulating green burials in the United States, the
traditional funeral industry is a $15 billion a year business. As more
and more people face hard economic times, or simply make the
transition toward less-costly living, the thought of saving “in the
end” makes sense. It's estimated a traditional funeral in the U.S.
costs in the neighborhood of $6,500, that according to the National
Funeral Directors Association. A green burial can be as inexpensive as
$1,500 to $4,500 depending on location, services and regional cost
trends.
Some
states require a vault but not a casket. Others require a casket but
not a vault. Nearly every state allows for burial on private property
with the only stipulation being a minimum of acres owned and
completion of the necessary paperwork to document location and burial
specifics.
Whether
for environmental, financial, peace of mind or any other reason, it
pays to look at end-of-life alternatives.
Without
getting too morbid about it, here's a list of things to consider:
Embalming
Is it
necessary? No. Embalming is a process done to help slow decomposition
and make a body more presentable for public viewing. According to Jon
Cozean, a third-generation funeral director in Farmington, Mo., and
past-president of the Missouri Funeral Directors Association, industry
standards require that a body buried without the process of embalming
be put in the ground within about 24 hours.
Oftentimes friends or relatives must make plans and travel long
distances to attend a funeral. Keeping the body in an acceptable
condition for viewing once they arrive has driven the trend toward
embalming in America. The process could be considered an unneeded
cost, taboo, or even spiritually unethical. Cozean says a body can be
cooled (refrigerated) or processed with new bio-friendly embalming
fluids and be held for longer periods of time prior to burial. Doing
so would allow family members travel time to arrive for a funeral
service.
For the
family which chooses to go green with the burial of a loved one but
money is not a major concern, many funeral homes are now offering
web-based real-time video streaming of funeral services. For a
relatively lost cost, sometimes a free service provided by the funeral
home, family members can log onto a secure password-protected website
and watch the funeral proceedings from anywhere. This would save on
the cost and complication of travel expenses and arrangement, and
allow for a quicker burial of the body ... eliminating the need for
costly embalming.
While
embalming is obviously not going to cause a health risk for the
deceased, studies have shown that it can create a health concern for
those who deal with it on a daily basis. The National Cancer Institute
released a study in late 2009 which showed funeral directors have a
"much higher incidence" of myeloid leukemia. The risk is linked to the
carcinogen chemical formaldehyde used in the embalming process.
