Green Burial Research Paper
November 26, 2013!
GREEN BURIAL !
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The lost of a family member or a friend have an impact in our lives, some people think that death is the end of life and some others think that dead is the end of a mission in earth.
The funeral arrangement represents an stressful situation between the love ones, it would be determine by the family member, close friend or legal guardian. The ways of buried a deceased person are been a dilemma between the family. Burring the body in a casket, embalming or cremating are the most common questions between them when is an inspected lost, this is not a simple process, this implicate a burial preparation, financial impacts and stress; love ones need to be informed and express their options if unpredicted lost …show more content…
occurred. Have an open mind when the time comes it will help the deceased person and the family.
Green Burial today is the opportunity of give something back to the land and show the benefits of the impact in the future.!
In early America, people died more frequently from deceases, traditionally the family arrange the funeral, clean the body and place it in a wooden coffin, family visit the love one in family house or a parlor room for certain amount of days and the body was buried in the cemetery or family farm. These custom still common in some countries. As a family tradition we need to respect the ideas of different cultures. United State of America is making a steady reappearance in green funerals. Green burials first started in Great Britain in 1993 and began in the United States a few years later. The first natural burial ground in USA, Ramsey Creek in !
South Caroline, opened a little over ten years ago (History of Natural Funeral and Natural Burial
Rites). !
!
Ramsey Creek was founded to provide a more economical and meaningful burial options while promoting land protection and restoration. The cost of the funeral are expensive and the option of the Green Cemeteries reflexes a considerable amount in price and
affordable for the family. At Ramsey Creek funeral can cost as little as $2,300, compared to the nearly
$7,000 cost of the conventional funeral (Basler, 2004). GPS in Green Burial Cemeteries is used to locate a love one in a later date. The Green Burial Council works to unite the location of grave sites and need the legal approval of the state and the health department requirements (Hector).
Natural Burial is unknown and many people are not familiar, information should reach the public and let them know that the end is a more natural one. “The key elements of a natural burial are:
A clean and natural body-management process. A fully biodegradable container. A place to go air water, or sky. People to put you there in the manner you determine. Laws to support your right to be there. A community to help you stay there” (Beal). It is time to be part of this ecosystem in a natural way. !
It is important to mention that the natural burial, traditional alternative is creating an wake up call to preserve our green space. “Our understanding of the importance of the forest and the usefulness of trees and the necessity of habitat, along with the power of the soil to transform natural elements and return to utility for the web of life itself, grow every year. The demand to leave no trace is increasing” (Beal). According to the Center for Natural Burial, “the used of amount of wood to make coffin in ten acres swatch cemetery is enough to make 10 houses” (The Truth About). Consequently the method of embalming creates a contamination of the soil because of the use of formaldehyde base chemical that slow the decomposition of the body, this product “kill some microbes that begin the first stage of body breakdown, resulting in hardening of the tissue” (Beal). This method using formaldehyde has recently proved to “cause cancer”. (Sloane). According with the guides, “fluid along with the organs and internal part are suctioned out of the corp during the process, goes down the drain into the water supply, creating a contamination of the water” (Beal), not a good way to preserve the environment. Foremost the the tradition of burning the body, brings another problems of preservation, “the emission that result from burning synthetic materials and body implants, and mercury filling, since air travels and we have a shared atmosphere” (Beal). Air pollution causing discomfort, disease or death to the humans.!
!
The decomposition of the body starts when the body is lock of oxygen, cells in the brain died in few minutes, skin turned to an ashen color and waxing looking. “Soon after death rigor mortis occurs, which cause by complex chemical reaction involving acetic and myosin, which creates the body’s stiffness. Rigor mortis last approximately 24 hours, depending upon ambient temperature” (memorialpages). Millions of microorganism live in the intestines, they are the first in action after the body is lock of oxygen and decomposition start from inside to outside the guts. “As bacteria start eating through the guts the first sign is usually a greenish patch on the lower right belly which also blister. Then “special bacteria called clostridia and coliform star to invade other parts of the body and putrefaction spreads across the stomach before traveling the things across the chest” (memorialpages). The body gets swollen and accumulate gasses producing a foul odor. The last cells to be broken are the tendons and ligaments which are more resistants to the decomposition.!
The bacterias Clostridia and Coliform leave in the intestine of the humans. “Clostridia is a Gram positive anaerobes, many clostridia are transit or permanent members of the normal flora of the human skin and the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. in addition to being normal flora most clostridia can also be found in the soil many parts of the word”(Public Health). The reason for foul odor in mud and plant is because the production of Clostridia. This bacteria can cause the human deceases as “food poisoning, botulism, tetanus, gas gangrene and pseudomembranous colitis” (Public Health). Fecal coliforms, on the other hand, are more specific because they refer to the “coliforms that live in the intestinal track of humans and many other animals. Each person discharges from 100 to 400 billion fecal coliform organisms per day.
Some animals discharge much more”(APEC water).
Learning about the facts that harms the environment by the conventional funeral, the idea of Green Burial will impact the future environment in a positive way. The arrangement of a funeral for a love one is not the best choice to do, but if the circumstances permit to do it, the
Green Burial would be my best option. If someone mention to me about this method before my investigation and writing this paper, it would not be part of my choice, I would not never accepted, I will continue with the idea of a funeral in a traditional way of a cremation or place the body in a coffin. People need to be open, be inform and give the option of natural burial.
Learning about the Ramsey Creek Preserve bring the ideas of my love ones who passed away in a different prospective. Thinking that I could use this method when they were separated from us and been part of the natural word made me sad. The idea of having them close to me again and be part of the forest would be a precious moments. I think if I planned how my funeral will be I will chose the Green Burial process, I feel comfortable to talk about my own funeral and I think that it would be less stress for my family, this will help them cope with each other and not ! be worried if I would like to have something else in my funeral, in other words “I get what I want”. We need the moment to meditate and have a reflection from our ideas. The environment in what we leave deteriorates with our actions and negligences, we need to learn how to take care our ecosystem, we need to spread the words and help the effort of Memorial Ecosystems and Green Burial Council are doing. It is a job well done with a successful impact in the future. ! !
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Work Cited
Basler, B (2004, July 15). Green Graveyards: A Natural Way to Go. The Centre for
Natural Burial. Retrieved from
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Beal, C.A.. ""Be a Tree; the Natural Burial Guide for Turning Yourself into a Forest"" www.beatree.com. 11 2013. Natural Burial Company. 11 2013
!
"FACTS: WHAT HAPPENS TO A BODY AFTER DEATH." www.memorialpages.co.uk/ decomposition.php. N.p., n.d. Web.
!
"Green Funerals Vermont." History of Natural Funeral and Natural Burial Rites. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
!
Hector, M (n.d.).(n.a.). Green Burial Rules and Regulations.
!
Mainil. "Soft Tissue Infections in Animals." N.p., 2002. Web.
!
Memorial Ecosystems. (n.d.). (n.a.). Retrieved from Memorial Ecosystems website:
!
!
Neri 7
Sloane, M. (2011, June 13). Formaldehyde Among Substances Added To Cancer List
[Web Long Post] CNN Medical Producer. Retrieved from
!
The Centre for Natural Burial. (n.d.). The Truth About Conventional Burial. Retrieved from !
"Why Natural Burial." Naturalburial.org/why-natural-burial/. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov.
2013.
GREEN BURIAL !
!
The lost of a family member or a friend have an impact in our lives, some people think that death is the end of life and some others think that dead is the end of a mission in earth.
The funeral arrangement represents an stressful situation between the love ones, it would be determine by the family member, close friend or legal guardian. The ways of buried a deceased person are been a dilemma between the family. Burring the body in a casket, embalming or cremating are the most common questions between them when is an inspected lost, this is not a simple process, this implicate a burial preparation, financial impacts and stress; love ones need to be informed and express their options if unpredicted lost …show more content…
occurred. Have an open mind when the time comes it will help the deceased person and the family.
Green Burial today is the opportunity of give something back to the land and show the benefits of the impact in the future.!
In early America, people died more frequently from deceases, traditionally the family arrange the funeral, clean the body and place it in a wooden coffin, family visit the love one in family house or a parlor room for certain amount of days and the body was buried in the cemetery or family farm. These custom still common in some countries. As a family tradition we need to respect the ideas of different cultures. United State of America is making a steady reappearance in green funerals. Green burials first started in Great Britain in 1993 and began in the United States a few years later. The first natural burial ground in USA, Ramsey Creek in !
South Caroline, opened a little over ten years ago (History of Natural Funeral and Natural Burial
Rites). !
!
Ramsey Creek was founded to provide a more economical and meaningful burial options while promoting land protection and restoration. The cost of the funeral are expensive and the option of the Green Cemeteries reflexes a considerable amount in price and
affordable for the family. At Ramsey Creek funeral can cost as little as $2,300, compared to the nearly
$7,000 cost of the conventional funeral (Basler, 2004). GPS in Green Burial Cemeteries is used to locate a love one in a later date. The Green Burial Council works to unite the location of grave sites and need the legal approval of the state and the health department requirements (Hector).
Natural Burial is unknown and many people are not familiar, information should reach the public and let them know that the end is a more natural one. “The key elements of a natural burial are:
A clean and natural body-management process. A fully biodegradable container. A place to go air water, or sky. People to put you there in the manner you determine. Laws to support your right to be there. A community to help you stay there” (Beal). It is time to be part of this ecosystem in a natural way. !
It is important to mention that the natural burial, traditional alternative is creating an wake up call to preserve our green space. “Our understanding of the importance of the forest and the usefulness of trees and the necessity of habitat, along with the power of the soil to transform natural elements and return to utility for the web of life itself, grow every year. The demand to leave no trace is increasing” (Beal). According to the Center for Natural Burial, “the used of amount of wood to make coffin in ten acres swatch cemetery is enough to make 10 houses” (The Truth About). Consequently the method of embalming creates a contamination of the soil because of the use of formaldehyde base chemical that slow the decomposition of the body, this product “kill some microbes that begin the first stage of body breakdown, resulting in hardening of the tissue” (Beal). This method using formaldehyde has recently proved to “cause cancer”. (Sloane). According with the guides, “fluid along with the organs and internal part are suctioned out of the corp during the process, goes down the drain into the water supply, creating a contamination of the water” (Beal), not a good way to preserve the environment. Foremost the the tradition of burning the body, brings another problems of preservation, “the emission that result from burning synthetic materials and body implants, and mercury filling, since air travels and we have a shared atmosphere” (Beal). Air pollution causing discomfort, disease or death to the humans.!
!
The decomposition of the body starts when the body is lock of oxygen, cells in the brain died in few minutes, skin turned to an ashen color and waxing looking. “Soon after death rigor mortis occurs, which cause by complex chemical reaction involving acetic and myosin, which creates the body’s stiffness. Rigor mortis last approximately 24 hours, depending upon ambient temperature” (memorialpages). Millions of microorganism live in the intestines, they are the first in action after the body is lock of oxygen and decomposition start from inside to outside the guts. “As bacteria start eating through the guts the first sign is usually a greenish patch on the lower right belly which also blister. Then “special bacteria called clostridia and coliform star to invade other parts of the body and putrefaction spreads across the stomach before traveling the things across the chest” (memorialpages). The body gets swollen and accumulate gasses producing a foul odor. The last cells to be broken are the tendons and ligaments which are more resistants to the decomposition.!
The bacterias Clostridia and Coliform leave in the intestine of the humans. “Clostridia is a Gram positive anaerobes, many clostridia are transit or permanent members of the normal flora of the human skin and the gastrointestinal tract of humans and animals. in addition to being normal flora most clostridia can also be found in the soil many parts of the word”(Public Health). The reason for foul odor in mud and plant is because the production of Clostridia. This bacteria can cause the human deceases as “food poisoning, botulism, tetanus, gas gangrene and pseudomembranous colitis” (Public Health). Fecal coliforms, on the other hand, are more specific because they refer to the “coliforms that live in the intestinal track of humans and many other animals. Each person discharges from 100 to 400 billion fecal coliform organisms per day.
Some animals discharge much more”(APEC water).
Learning about the facts that harms the environment by the conventional funeral, the idea of Green Burial will impact the future environment in a positive way. The arrangement of a funeral for a love one is not the best choice to do, but if the circumstances permit to do it, the
Green Burial would be my best option. If someone mention to me about this method before my investigation and writing this paper, it would not be part of my choice, I would not never accepted, I will continue with the idea of a funeral in a traditional way of a cremation or place the body in a coffin. People need to be open, be inform and give the option of natural burial.
Learning about the Ramsey Creek Preserve bring the ideas of my love ones who passed away in a different prospective. Thinking that I could use this method when they were separated from us and been part of the natural word made me sad. The idea of having them close to me again and be part of the forest would be a precious moments. I think if I planned how my funeral will be I will chose the Green Burial process, I feel comfortable to talk about my own funeral and I think that it would be less stress for my family, this will help them cope with each other and not ! be worried if I would like to have something else in my funeral, in other words “I get what I want”. We need the moment to meditate and have a reflection from our ideas. The environment in what we leave deteriorates with our actions and negligences, we need to learn how to take care our ecosystem, we need to spread the words and help the effort of Memorial Ecosystems and Green Burial Council are doing. It is a job well done with a successful impact in the future. ! !
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Work Cited
Basler, B (2004, July 15). Green Graveyards: A Natural Way to Go. The Centre for
Natural Burial. Retrieved from
!
Beal, C.A.. ""Be a Tree; the Natural Burial Guide for Turning Yourself into a Forest"" www.beatree.com. 11 2013. Natural Burial Company. 11 2013
!
"FACTS: WHAT HAPPENS TO A BODY AFTER DEATH." www.memorialpages.co.uk/ decomposition.php. N.p., n.d. Web.
!
"Green Funerals Vermont." History of Natural Funeral and Natural Burial Rites. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.
!
Hector, M (n.d.).(n.a.). Green Burial Rules and Regulations.
!
Mainil. "Soft Tissue Infections in Animals." N.p., 2002. Web.
!
Memorial Ecosystems. (n.d.). (n.a.). Retrieved from Memorial Ecosystems website:
!
!
Neri 7
Sloane, M. (2011, June 13). Formaldehyde Among Substances Added To Cancer List
[Web Long Post] CNN Medical Producer. Retrieved from
!
The Centre for Natural Burial. (n.d.). The Truth About Conventional Burial. Retrieved from !
"Why Natural Burial." Naturalburial.org/why-natural-burial/. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov.
2013.