cremation = air pollution and wastes fuel and energy. Modern burial with embalming and internment in expensive caskets is also wasteful. Cloth shrouds or simple wooden boxes would be a better use of resources. However encouraging changes in religous and burial traditions will be difficult.

I think we should all adopt a take back our goverment and vote on these issues. Help me help us all have a true democracy, This is an appeal for expertise NOT $$$$.

I would chose organ donation first and use all that is possible, then cremation of the rest without commercial coffin (maybe just a cardboard box or simple wood box) and instead of a pompous funeral a celebration-of-life-get-together...

Right after death body parts should be donated if of a pure blood & death cause. organs should be donated to those in need of them ,,,& umbilical cords or testes/ovaries should be donated for experimentation in research of new life & of that of better life than now.

After all if body is useles it should be left in peace deep down more than 10 ft under ground in a simple wooden box...that way the body will decompose & the land will fertile of all decomposition particles.

For all my vote will be burial.

~Vick~

Well burying is, currently much greener. After all there is a significant amount of carbon in our bodies and then ther is the material used to cremate. It does not matter what the source of the fire is (unless it's hydrogen) it will still produce CO2. There is a third option- burial at sea, also very green if you use a sail boat that is.
Oh and there is nothing wrong with coffins as long as they are made of natural material- wwood, cardboard, etc.
Sorry Mahendra burial beats cremation any day, no matter where you are from. Cultural aspects of burial are a different matter all together but our ancestors did not really take environment into consideration when designing our lifestyles.

Burial in a cloth shroud. Let the bugs and plants have me.

I intend to donate my body parts and have the remains cremated. I will not take up space in the cemetery and my ashes will be spread in the garden. But the best thing is it will save my family close to $8,000 (we spent $11,000 on my mother's funeral). They can then use this money to plant more trees, shrubs and flowers to filter the air, feed the insects and let the bees make honey! That would be good for the environment.

Dee

I like the idea of what is known in Tibet as sky burial. The ritual includes taking the body of a loved one to a special spot high in the mountains where they leave the body for the birds to consume.

I read about an interesting process in the book _Stiff_ for handling human remains. If I remember correctly, persons could choose to be flash frozen, then turned into an organic mulch of sorts, in which could be planted a memorial tree or other plant. The process is still in its infancy as most survivors don't fancy their loved ones being turned into human hamburger, but that's how I'd like to go... as food for a glorious dawn redwood tree.

I agree with Lara about donating your body! In addition to carrying an organ donation card, you should make sure you have informed your next-of-kin of your decision to donate any and all usable organs -- kidneys, heart, eyes, bone and tissues -- because your next of kin will need to sign the consent form! As my son said when he was a little boy, "Nobody is going to FIRE me when I die!" Don't let usable organs go to waste.

I agree with you, Andy, but the only problem is that many places have laws against burial with out a coffin. Their excuse is to avoid any contamination of ground water. Of course, there are ways around it, but since when have lawmakers been able to listen to reason. What with these laws in place, I'd say that cremation is the most green.

Unembalmed burial is green, cremation is very green if done correctly. leaving your body to science and organ donation is the ultimate green. But how long do they keep your body and how do they dispose of it when they are done? I would love to know those answers.

Burial would be greener if the body wasn't pumped full of whatever it is they use to keep it from rotting too fast.(Gruesome!!!!)and if the body was not buried in a casket which probably leaches chemicals into the earth. Donation is fine, but they end up creamating what's leftover.

Burial would certainly be the most green thing to do. I'll be honest, part of me would prefer cremation, so that I don't take up space when I'm dead. One implication with burial that I can see is with population growth, burial plots would come at a premium. We'd have to work out some of the logistics. Perhaps coffinless, vertical graves? If everybody, hypothetically, chose burial from now
on.

We are running out of room for the living - let alone for the dearly departed! Being an organ donor is of course a great idea & being allowed to decompose naturally is, too. But that still takes up precious space. Families may choose to keep your ashes on the mantel or bury them in your garden or in your church's columbarium or whatever.

I think burial. Not only should we use materials that will return to the natural cycle to be promoted, but also the actual cemetries can be re-used, after an agreed-upon time frame, as parklands or forest sites. Records for historical and family purposes can be retained in space conservation methods.

I believe the remains of a human should be burnt. The ashes are surely a better fertilizer than the rotting body, Andy! Anyhow it takes up less space, something we are getting shorter of as time progresses and populations expand.

Burial directly into the Earth w/nothing in the grave except the body would be one way. I also really appreciate the way some "tribal cultures" do it. They leave the body deep in the forest for the buzzards or what ever other creature is interested in eating it. The poisons & garbage that most Americans put into their bodies makes this option way too toxic & unhealthy for the animals though...so sad really, what a waste. All of the above suggestions are better than what we are currently doing. This greed/fear-based culture MUST change soon or we will destroy ourselves entirely! WAKE UP SHEEPLE!!!! EVOLVE ALREAY!!!! DUH...

There exists different ways to do an ecological burial. There is a product called Eco-Pod for this purpose and other options are possible as well. The difficulty is to find an eco-friendly cemetery that will provide a service that creates the least impact. They are rare but as demand grows hopefully we'll see more. The important thing is to talk to your family about the way you would like your body to be handled after your death, for example, I don't wish to have any preservetives put in my body and I would prefer that my loved ones plant a tree in my memory instead of having a headstone. Hopefully the funeral industry will catch up to my green dream before it's my time to go...

We all are but dust...........
to recycle, cast your loved ones
back to the earth,or water,
or save them for another time........

If you bury a corpse without a concrete liner, you run the risk of contaminated the ground water with the embalming fluids, bacteria, heavy metals and bodily substances.

Cremation returns most of the same things to the air and to the ashes, sans embalming fluids, but if air scrubbers are used, cremation is greener. You can use the ashes to fertilize a tree and the tree will sort it out for you.

Donating your body to science is great, but if you die and they do not need your body or cannot get it to where they need it, your family is stuck trying to find a mortuary, burial plot, etc.

Make your decision and leave your wishes in your will. Make sure your family knows.

Burial. It is becoming one of the only *safe* ways to preserve greenspace where I live. Many cemeteries offer wonderful wildlife habitat.

Cremation, with ashes scattered or buried on your own property is a first choice; another green possibility is to have your ashes scattered at a favorite place anywhere in the earth. Second, burial in a pine box, again, on your own property. In some states there are some laws I am told, public health I believe, that prohibits burial outside an oficially designated cemetary. Is that true?

I like the idea of being allowed to decompose naturally out in the open as some native Americans did.I believe it was called sky burial. Two things are certain I won't care and someone will do something pretty quick. Especially if the weather is hot.
R

Burial. It is becoming the only safe way to conserve greenspace around where I live. Many cemeteries provide very good wildlife habitat.

I plan to be up-cycled by donating my organs - what's left will be cremated.

Organ donation and then cremation is greener by far! It is a triple play: REDUCE the use of the land (burial ties up that plot of land for a very long time (eternity)), REUSE organs, and RECYCLE the ash from the cremation.

Green/natural Burial is apparently greener than cremation. This is burial in a location where the intent is not preservation of the body with the usual procedures, but essentially allowing normal decay and so forth. However this should probably be done by a company who knows what they're doing, as various disease issues exist with human remains, obviously you don't want to do it near a drinking water source etc. It also has to be done pretty quickly, again for safety/hygenic reasons. I wish I could remember the article source, but I bet a google on green burial would do it.

Cremation relases carbon and uses more energy. A lot of energy, if we're not using the indian model (which is probably better than the western/modern method of a huge furnace). Nonetheless, the carbon issue remains (no pun intended).

Of course depending on the local conditions, natural burial may not be viable, but for those where it is, I'd make it the number one choice, cremation the second.

Modern day burial in hermetically sealed, stainless steel coffins and giant cement vaults is the height of selfishness. Cremation or coffinless burial are the greenest methods of body disposal. Send me off like Sam McGee.

What about dehydration????

i agree with being buried in the ground like andy orsini says . ..and also cremation like the native american people do is good. it all gives back to the earth. if people die in mass proportions . . .of course they have to be buried in mass graves quickly especially if they are contagious.. .or burned. why o why do people spend all that money being prettied up for a open faced casket and spend all that money to look presentable when they are dead anyway . . .uggg i hate funerals. please remember that one of the most important things that needs to be understood for the future of the planet is this . . .the planet is overpopulated with humans. please limit your breeding to one child and adopt children and pets when you can. this will cause less suffering for the future and for the planet . . .less consumerism. please use birth control and teach your children early about the facts of life and that what the churches and most religions and people think about using birth control and having abortions is wrong. no one will to go hell for using birth control or having an abortion . . .and choosing to limit breeding and adopt children instead and animals. we want less suffering. stop letting churches and preachers and religions make you feel guilty. stop allowing parents and grandpartnets to make you feel guilty and feel like a sinner. think about the future and what you can do to help bring about balance and harmony between nature and animals and humans . . .clear skies and clean waters. think about the possibility of creating heaven on earth . . .instead of losing our planet and having hell on earth until it's gone. heaven on earth can happen is balance is restored. adopt if you can. you don't ahve to have a kid that has your "genetics" or that looks like you. and stop having kids becaue the government on the welfare system will pay you if you have another one and stop spending that money they give you on drugs having kids should not be to support your drug habits. that's evil and the children suffer for it and are not raised right . your kids will put YOU in your grave for what you do bad to them. that's YOUR karma. rock on.

I agree about eliminating the cement liner. The worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. Ahses to ashes, dust to dust. We need to be returned to the earth so that we may replenish it to a minimal degree of what we took out. Cremation I would think is more green. I agree with the organ donation idea as well.

I think cremation is greener and it takes up a lot less space. Both of my parents were cremated and the ashes were placed in biodegradable boxes and buried at our church columbarium. This is in keeping with the return of human composition to the natural elements of the world...

Burial......iz greener......better for the soul......last experience is not painful..........

I would expect burial to be more environmentally friendly, except for the chemicals they pump the bodies full of. Why is that anyway? We're not going to be on display, so why not let nature take its course?

Due to space restrictions, I'm probably going to be cremated. I hate the idea of using all the energy to do it, but it's that or toxic chemicals and hopefully not both!

I would have thought cremation, on the face of it, in part because of the small space that the ashes take: none. So, no real huge place that needs to be taken care of, mowed and irrigated, electric lights for the office, and so on. I threw my Mom's ashes into the ocean, per her request. With burial, there has to be a place, someone has to dig the hole (requiring an engine, probably) place has to be maintained, and so on. Interesting question.

Well, I personally have all ways thought that Creamation was much cleaner. I am not so sure about Greener.

I always thought I'd donate any still useable "parts" for research and organ donation, then what was left could be cremated. BUT: recently the town where I live opened Forever Fernwood, a green cemetary overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge. No embalming, no lined caskets, just simple boxes thatsimply decay into the earth, like the totem poles of the ancients. I'm interested!

There are now green coffins for humans and bamboo ones for pets . I believe they are sold through Realgoods.com or Gaiam.com. I haven't looked into them yet and hopefully I won't need one for a while.

probably burial, sans coffin/ with biogradable outer burial cloths.

I have believed for many years that parks are for the living. Since it is considered taboo in our society for children to play in cemetaries, I think cremation is the answer. Have more green park areas for children and play.
PS--you can be cremated and be an organ donor as well. I plan for both when I go.

Cremation requires a huge amount of heat which produces a lot of carbon and many other toxins, burial plots like todays cemeteries take up space. I think burial but in a biodegradable material and plant a tree on top and let the roots and worms continue the cycle of life.

I agree with the previous comment. Burial in a cloth shroud seems to be best for our home, the Earth, and also probably the most economical.

From the perspective of CO2 emissions, I'd have to say burial.
However, the thing I like about the Hindu system of cremation is that the dead don't take up space on this finite planet of ours, as in a cemetary.
So ideally, buried in cloth or simple pine box to help the decay, with intent to use the land after a few years.

I've always planned on cremation. . I hate the space that cemetary's take up and the horrible boxes and laws around burial. The older cremation rituals are hard to follow in an urban setting. I feel that the best way these days is to set up for personal transport of the body to the crematorium and choose one that deals with the air pollution as best as possible. The hotter the quicker and making sure that all mercury is at least out of the mouth and as many toxins eliminated out of the body before burning. How about fasting before death and staying as healthy as possible so the trace is just a puff of smoke . . not alot of fat or pharmaceuticals or un-natural materials. . maybe a few flowers over the heart. . .great scorpio time of the year contemplation. . thanks.

Well I used to think Burial at first cuz I wanted to stand out and have a place for my family to come visit me.
But Cremation I feel is the greener solution and I can still be w/ my family. Plus I have decided to donate some stuff but I'm not gonna be totally disected.
Just my thoughts...Take care.

I never really thought about it before. I'm guessing it would be cremation. Then again, burial, if it is all natural.

IF crematories are required to keep filters on their ovens, I think that cremation is better because even though burial in JUST a wooden coffin allows the body to return to the earth, if there had been disease, it could spread.
Also, burial grounds would still require SPACE.

With the below site ref. it appears environmentally it is better for burial if certain items are changed. The cremation is a waste of energy and resources. My vote is burial. In my case at sea.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/relationships/coping_with_grief/practicalissues_cre...

Burial w/o a coffin would be ideal. But can decomposition keep up with our need for burial space?