HW 53 - Independent Research A

Article on Resomation
Cremation rates have been in increasing in the United States because of its economic appeal. However, cremations release many harmful gasses and leave a really big carbon footprint. Since crematoriums are used on a daily basis in every state across the country, the carbon footprint gets more and more daunting as cremation rates go up. Enter resomation,”an alternative to cremation for the eco-conscious cadaver.” Resomation is very similar to cremation and the only difference is that resomation liquefies the body instead of burning it. Resomation uses one sixth of the energy cremations use and have a much smaller carbon footprint.


Article on Hindus in Queens
As more and more immigrants from India flock to New York City, there is an alarming increase of precious possessions being dropped into the Jamaica Bay as sacred offerings to the Hindu Gods. Despite efforts from the Park Rangers to prohibit such practices in the name of “the environment”, new immigrants who are unaware of the rules and/or others who refuse to change their practice, there are still many who drop things in the river as an offering to their Gods. Cremains are of the things being dropped and it is especially difficult for park rangers to prohibit that practice since it is one of the most sacred rituals in Hinduism. Scattering of the ashes in a river is essential to move on to the next life in the Hindu culture and if the park rangers try and stop them, the first amendment will most likely be brought up.


Article on Recycling Cremation Exhausts
The thought of the heat generated from the ashes of your loved one being used to power up a stranger’s house or a stranger’s computer is considered immoral by many. But what if the heat that was recycled from the crematorium was used for heating up the chapel where you will have the wake or post-funeral gathering? What if the last action of your loved one was to keep you and your family warm? That argument makes the recycling cremation exhausts sound not just like a great idea, but also a noble idea.


All of the articles I looked at are from an environmentalist’s point of view. The first article argues that Resomation should replace cremation in the future since it is a lot greener. The second article looks at environmental risks that might be resulted from dropping cremains and other sacred objects in rivers that are populated with a diverse marine life. The third article argues whether exhaust from crematoriums should be recycled and used as an alternative source of energy. Cremations were not that popular when it first came out, mostly because of the Catholic Church condemning it as a crime against nature, but it soon gained popularity and it is now the number one form of taking care of the dead in many developed countries. I believe Resomation will also gain that kind of support and popularity, probably faster than cremation since nowadays, people are very keen on doing anything green. I support all of the authors of these articles. I think we must do anything and everything we can to make sure we do not pollute this planet and if we do not check ourselves now, it will be too late.

Dr. John Troyer's Interview

1. What defines a natural burial?
A Natural Burial generally means nothing is done to the body (embalming for example) and the corpse is placed in a simple casket or burial shroud and then buried in a shallower-than-normal grave. The natural burial cemeteries often look like forests or woodlands. Generally speaking, a large or even medium sized grave marker is not used.
2. Is natural burial the same as a green burial?
Not all the time. The natural burial usually means in the ground. A green burial can involve all kinds of technology: cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, promession, etc. Sometimes green burials don't even look that 'natural' even if they're more eco-friendly.
3. When people are introduced to this idea of natural/green burial what are there reactions?
A lot of the reaction has to do with personal choice. Some people prefer the more natural setting. Others prefer a green technology that seems entirely unnatural. It really depends on how comfortable a person is with debates about nature vs. technology. Cost can also be a factor. People who don't like some of the green technologies tend to have fewer complaints if the total price is less expensive.
4. Being green has become more popular lately, does a green burial really help the environment in any way are do you think it has become so popular simply because it is called a "green Burial" and people want to seem more environmentally friendly?
Green burials do both. The entire concept and the practice are most certainly fashionable. The power of fashionability should never be underestimated. On the other hand, I do think that greener type burials and greener type handling of the dead body is better for the environment. So, on the whole, it's a combination of the two.
5. Can cremation be greener?
It can be. I think that the key with cremation is making sure that you've got the correct equipment installed. Good filtration and heat recycling equipment will only make cremation a greener process.

6. Why is it do you think that we tend to have things in place that seem to put more pressure on people when they are in a stressful situation? (ex: burial arrangements when going through this process of grievance) That's a good question. Some of the stress and pressure you're describing comes from people not planning ahead for when someone dies. Indeed, individuals are not really encourage to think about these kinds of decisions until they suddenly have and then the situation is really stressful.
7. Which countries are the most environmentally friendly and does that correlate at all with the number of natural/green burials done in that country?
The countries with the best practices, I think, are the Western European countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway etc. Those countries have been looking at these issues since the 1990s and really doing a lot with new kinds of technology. I don't know if there's a direct correlations with natural/green burials as much as it's evidence of a different way of thinking. The heat capture technologies haven't run into problems in Western Europe (or not too many) and it's largely because the general population supports the idea. The United Kingdom is on its way but it will take time.

The main difference between a Green burial and a natural burial is that a natural burial is basically digging up a grave and placing a body in it and then covering up the grave. Green burials have a greater influence from technology. I liked his response to why people are forced to make stressful decisions of taking care of the dead when they are still grieving the loss of their loved one. He said, they brought that on themselves. Everyone will die eventually, you should decide what must be done with your body early on in life so you don't have to, or your family members won't have to, make rash decisions. Like in almost every public service facility, Europe is serving its people more efficiently than America. Many European countries have had filtrated crematoriums since the 90s so they have been helping the planet a lot more than America is helping the planet. In conclusion, green methods of taking care of the dead are already here. They just need to become more popular among the common people and we'll be one step closer to delay global warming.