PRINT5 Things: Resting in biodegradable peace
Because one can go green, even in death
Courtesy of Stock Exchange
September 13, 2012 | 12:00 a.m. CST
Greener Pastures
Established in 2008 by Bill Goddard and Chuck Worstell, Green Acres Cemetery calls itself the only exclusively eco-friendly cemetery in mid-Missouri. The land has been used for burials dating back to pre-Civil War times before modern embalming was mainstream.
Spend Less Green to be Green
Burial plots at Goddard’s cemetery cost between $885 and $1,185, with additional spaces going for $585. The Federal Trade Commission reports that the average burial costs $6,000 and can run as high as $10,000.
Don’t Bury Your Bridges
National Geographic reported that enough steel to build the Golden Gate Bridge — 90,000 tons — is buried in the form of coffins every year. Burying a body sans embalming in a shroud or wood-only casket can cut down on the amount of nonbiodegradable material so that the body and accessories can all become, quite literally, worm food.
A Family Affair
Goddard says the reluctance of family members can be a downside to planning a green burial. Personally washing and dressing a body can be an undesirable task to those going through mourning. Goddard believes this is actually a more personal way of sending off a loved one: “It gives more self-warmth and feeling by showing your love for someone when you take it upon yourself and do it. As a final act, it’s a truly humbling experience.”
In Jolly Green England
Sustainable burials are popular in the U.K.The British government’s website has a full page on environmentally friendly internment and methods of disposing of cremated remains in a way that doesn’t negatively impact the Earth.
