I envision a world where an anti-ecological burial would be a thing of a past. This would allow our bodies to return to nature in a sense through microbes. This would prevent our bodies from remaining in a limbo of chemicals and sealed away. Through traditional anti-ecological burials we are just preventing the inevitable. If we want a better way to remember our loved ones we would move our society in the direction of ecological burials where our bodies and the money associated with funeral costs would go towards conservation.
If we are to make ecological burials more of a norm it would allow for a more sustainable future. I am hoping that we push our governments to end the privatization of funerals and death to push for more ecological means. At the very least we need to begin the conversation of removing taboos around death.
Hi Mathew, do you there are ways to incorporate non-unsustainable aspects from traditional practices such casket burials into more sustainable practices? By incorporating the least ecologically harmful aspects from traditional practices, the shift towards sustainable alternatives would likely be easier to integrate into society as it would allow people to accept the new practices more easily. If the traditional aspects need to be abolished, then they can be gradually phased out to allow for a full and seamless transition to sustainable alternatives.
Hi Mathew! My question for you after reading is, what steps do you ensvision for governments to shift towards more sustainable death care practices?
I completely agree. I feel like funerals feel more like an "end" to one's contributions to the world compared to a natural body return to nature. It is almost as if the body is still "contributing" to the Earth even after death, which may decrease the stigma people have to discussing death.
I'd be interested in your thoughts around having Conservation Burial Reserves as an alternative that is nature and climate positive.
I agree with your post. There should be more efforts in changing the dealthcare situation and having eco-friendly practices.
I agree with lots of the points you made, we should take a step towards conservation when it comes to death care.
I completely agree! I would much rather be remembered by conservation efforts than chemically soaked remains struggling to decompose
Great post! I think you're right about how just talking about death could result in a whole slew of positive changes.
Hi Mathew, I think it is great that you brought up how decomposition is inevitable. It shows that there is no point in delaying it, especially since these chemicals are carcinogenic and harmful in a variety of other ways.