Everything Is Biodegradable. Especially You

in #culture5 years ago

Meet your new burial plot:

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Yeah, I was tooling around on one of my favorite sites the other day.. us-funerals.com.. and learned that "Green Burials" are becoming all the rage.

It makes sense doesn't it? I mean people don't want to leave a large carbon footprint while they're living so why would they want to leave one when they die?

Those big caskets last for ages. Especially the metal ones. They have steel, stainless steel, copper, bronze...even gold plated!

The cost is insane

And the cost, good grief. 5 to $25, 000? Gold plated caskets are $40,000! And that's just the casket. In most places they place the casket in a concrete burial vault.

Then the grave marker or headstone, have you priced a nice one lately? lol. Don't die unless you're rich enough to pay for your funeral.

We're poisoning alot of ground

So you have the caskets and vault which last forever and on top of that you have the toxic chemicals. Formaldehyde is one of the main ingredients in embalming fluids.

That's some bad stuff. It's on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's list of the top 10 most hazardous chemicals for damaging the environment. Yikes.

Yeah it eventually leaks out, gets into the soil and can get down into water supplies. So Green burials use no embalming fluids.

You can see why Green burials are appealing

Thus, you have a growing movement for Green Burials and all for sound ecological reasons. I think every state in the country is doing this and I doubt if the United States is a leader in the Green movement is it?

So that means the whole world is doing it. Everything involved in the burial is biodegradable. Instead of a big, expensive, massive thing like this:

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You can have this basket casket(at a fraction of the cost):

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Or this cozy wool casket:

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Or even this cardboard box. This is the least expensive of course, with a price of $500!:

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And your burial plot can look like this:

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There ARE drawbacks

The bad thing is, there ain't no headstone to mark your final resting place. In fact, your final spot isn't known exactly but the funeral home gives your GPS coordinates. lol.

At each lot or field, there's a boulder and your name is engraved on there.

But family and relatives can't come and place flowers on your headstone and "talk to you" like they do in the movies.

So is it worth the environmental impact reduction to forego a place where you can be visited and memorialized?

Get 'em in the ground

Another thing to consider: with no preservatives or embalming fluids the bodies start to decompose pretty fast so the funeral has to be done in a couple of days.

That could make things difficult for family and friends in other parts of the country.

I'm SO interested in what you guys think! Let me know if you think this is the best, most natural way to go. From dust we came and to dust we return....or do we deserve more than that?

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Thanks for reading folks, God bless you all!
-jonboy
Texas
the gentleman redneck

PS- I was reading this really fun article the other day where they picked one photo for each state in the Union that would best represent that state. You know, the state's general culture or what is thought to be stereotypical of that state.

It was so funny that I'm going to post a photo for a different state each day along with their state motto.

First up is Alabama. This one is so funny because I used this exact photo in one of my redneck posts about redneck innovations. lol.

Alabama's state motto is: “We Dare Defend Our Rights"

I guess this ol redneck defends his right to build a fishing boat from insulation and a lawn chair:

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I think it sounds like a great idea as long as the family gets to view the burial! And of course the idea that the ground above would be covered with flowers and nature is also very appealing to me. The whole talking to someone’s grave is not something I’ve ever done. My Dad passed away in 1975 and I’ve only been back 1 time. I have 5 family members buried in that same cemetery and don’t even live in the same city, so I never go to their graves. My MIL who I loved dearly, like my own mama, passed in 2015 and I’ve been to her grave 2-3 times. I don’t feel closer to her when I’m there. We don’t live in the city where she is buried either.

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Howdy violetmed! I agree. I've been to my parent's grave site one time. I've never really gotten the whole scenario of going and talking to a grave! It's interesting to go around and look at old cemeteries that are over 100 years old and they wouldn't be able to do that anymore a hundred years from now but times are changing for sure!

Yes, it is interesting to walk around those old cemeteries!

I agree, it's fascinating! If that makes us bizarre then so be it. lol.

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Howdy minnowpowerup and thank you so much!

A very interesting article @janton I think the biodegradable option is great and I've always felt that the cost of coffins was exorbitant. I'm not one to visit grave stones myself and prefer to remember my loved ones who have passed away by viewing photo albums and meditating on the good times and special moments that I treasure in my heart.

Howdy tonight Trudee! I agree, I never visit graves because they ain't there. Your way is my way too!

Yes......we're on the same page here John. 😊

Heard of this new rage, now seeing it

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Howdy there clitadias! Are you saying that you are seeing that in your country also?

Hey@janton, I dont know for sure but the trend seems that way in India too

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Howdy today clitadias! That's interesting, with a country with such a dense population as India I can only imagine the amount of people who die each day. Where are you located?

Of Indian origin, but living in Dubai for many years now, more like home away from home.

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Oh I see..you moved there because of your career? By the way, you have one of the best profile images on steemit. lol.

@janton, lol. Was a homemaker for many years before I decided to follow some of my own interests, photography and teaching children with special needs.

Howdy today clitadias! Oh, that is so admirable of a career! You must have a great deal of patience, good for you, we need more people like you!

@janton, thanks for your kind comments on my profile pic.😊

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Oh gosh this is what happens when you go away for a few weeks and return. 😱 From cowboys to this? ...slowly backing away....😬

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lol! Sorry about the sharp turn into alternative material coquiunlimited! I'm looking for a good story. Well, actually I found one but I haven't ordered the biography on him yet but you can read about him a few posts back about the slave turned marshall.

https://steemit.com/history/@janton/wild-west-hero-from-slave-to-the-toughest-marshall-in-texas-185bb5e5bf3b1est

Hey how have you been? I think it was last week that jerrytsuseer was asking if anyone had heard from you.

It's definitely cremation for me!

Howdy deirdyweirdy! Well, that would solve everything wouldn't it? Not many people like the idea of cremation but it's very practical.

The green burials are interesting enough. It would be hard for your friends and loved ones to visit your grave, I suppose, but they could visit the general vicinity.

I've been thinking about this for awhile. I want to have my body submerged in plaster, then have a drill bored into it pass it through a furnace. Then have my ashes removed and cast it in bronze. Then put the ashes back in and cap it off. That way, I could be a perfect likeness statue, ash vessel, and tombstone all in one!

As for location, in the yard or garden would be a great spot. Even after I'm long forgotten, I could serve as garden art and a place for the birds to poop.

lol! Oh my gosh that is so creative and so funny! I wish I would have known that for my post, I would have given that as an alternative! lol. So you really sit around thinking of such things??

Nah. They usually come to me when I'm out for a walk or photographing things. :-)

Well going for a walk is a great time to get creative ideas for some reason, not sure why that is but it seems to work and I think that's when Steve Jobs did his best thinking.

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Howdy theluvbug! Thanks so much for the upvote and for all you do for others!

Oh yes, absolutely! I love the beauty of cemeteries, no doubt, but I would love to become fertilizer for an apple tree and truly engage in the cycle of life.

Howdy sir wwwiebe! Well said, and you would save your family a ton of money too.

Hello Sir Janton...
Please don't invite me to a tour on your favorite sites hahahaha..
They are so not my favorite 😆
us-funerals.com 😆😆😆

lol! You don't like my taste in sites? lol..no that was the first time I'd ever been on one but you are the only person to catch that, or at least comment about it so good for you! How is it going there?

I think this is the best idea ever. The problem is there are not very many green burial sites in my area. The only one I am aware of is in the next county. They do allow monuments.

I bet it's a lot more difficult for the cold climates because the winter ground is frozen very hard and the beautiful green site would only be beautiful for a short time but it's still a good idea. People just wouldn't be coming to put flowers on your grave. It makes more sense for big cities burying so many people each day.

You are right about the ground being froze hard here for a lot of the year. If you need to know how deep the frost is at any given time, just ask the cemetery sexton. He will know!

I bet they have to have some powerful equipment to dig the graves in the dead of winter! I don't even know what they would use, do you? Guess I could google it. I never thought about it before.

George is the sexton of the cemetery in my hometown where my family members are buried. He is a marshal arts expert and takes great pride in the fact that he digs every grave by hand. In the winter he uses a pick to break through the frost. As he has gotten older his two daughters have stepped up and work beside their dad. Many people around the county call George to have him come out to the farm if a horse dies and the ground is frozen.

wow! that is amazing! I didn't know anyone dug them by hand anymore. And his daughters are working with him! That's amazing too! Ya'll have some amazing people up there. lol. How are you doing today?