Welcome once again to Fandango’s Provocative Question. Each week I will pose what I think is a provocative question for your consideration.
By provocative, I don’t mean a question that will cause annoyance or anger. Nor do I mean a question intended to arouse sexual desire or interest.
What I do mean is a question that is likely to get you to think, to be creative, and to provoke a response. Hopefully a positive response.
A few weeks ago I wrote a post about green burials. These are also referred to as human composting or natural organic reduction. The green burial process involves placing the deceased in an 8ft-long steel box with biodegradable materials such as wood chips and flowers. After 30 to 60 days, the body breaks down into soil that can be returned to relatives.
Green burials are a more environmentally friendly alternative to conventional underground burials and cremations. California recently joined Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington to legalize the practice.
Given this, my question this week is…
How do you intend to dispose of your physical body after you die? Would you consider a green burial if it were legal where you live?
If you choose to participate, write a post with your response to the question. Once you are done, tag your post with #FPQ and create a pingback to this post if you are on WordPress. Or you can simply include a link to your post in the comments. But remember to check to confirm that your pingback or your link shows up in the comments.
This, That, and the Other 
Hubby was quite intrigued by this, he wanted to know if the bones are ground up so they can be dug into the soil. Any ideas?
LikeLiked by 1 person
According to one site, “The human composting process breaks down bones and teeth through a combination of microbial and mechanical means.”
LikeLike
They crush them
LikeLiked by 1 person
🔑
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! I have already told my girls I want a green burial. I will soon do the pesky paperwork regarding end of life stuffs. But even if I have an accident before that, they will respect my wishes…
LikeLiked by 1 person
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here’s mine
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a question especially on a day like today for myself which is been a perfectly horrible one I have to think about my burial? Actually I don’t— when my husband died in 2013 I took care of my own burial plans then. It is all set up. I am to be cremated, my placque is already set in the ground next to my husband’s in Colorado, done with everything except the end date 🙂 I didn’t want my family to have to go through any of that stuff I went through when my parents died etc. so it’s all taken care of already.
>
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry if my question came at a bad time for you, but it sounds like you’ve got it all sorted out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No worries. I am now under a blanket watching a mind numbing show. Calm😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
We’ll be cremated. It’s easier to move a box of cremains from Atlanta to Chicago, where our gravesites are, than to move a 500 lb casket.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have no current actual “intention” but have considered donation to science (while they have to do something with the remaining remains after use too). Yes, I would consider natural organic reduction and burial — if the law allows the product to be put on or in the earth without any container.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Absolutely would go for a green burial. There is also something called green cremation, which involves chemicals instead of fire, and I do not know exactly how environmentally friendly it is, but it must be ok, since the end products are returned to the ground, as well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Although it’s not yet available where I live, I want a water cremation (aquamation):
The aquamation process uses heated alkaline water under pressure to decompose a body into a skeletal form in under 12 hours.
What happens to the bones after aquamation?
The heat, pressure and solution work together to break down the body, leaving only the bones. The body slowly dissolves, and the bones, once removed from the chamber, crushed into ash and returned to the family just like in a traditional cremation.
If I die before it’s available, and I will choose it only after some research into what they use for the alkaline solution, then cremation. Whatever happens, the ashes disposed of in the garden waste centre to reintegrate into the soil.
To earth I shall resume.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That aquamation process sounds interesting. I’ll have to read more about it. Do you know where it is permitted?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It isn’t that it’s not permitted, only whether it’s available in the area, or undertaken by, the funeral provider.
A search for aquamation, resomation, bio-cremation or eco-friendly cremation should bring up some local providers.
https://www.myfarewelling.com/article/aquamation-an-eco-friendly-alternative-to-cremation
https://resomation.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Honestly I had never heard of green burials until reading this post. Now that I have it’s given me something to think about. My current arrangement is to be cremated. I have two non-biodegradable titanium joint replacements in my body; what happens to them in a green burial? Would they be removed from my body before burial or dug out of my composted remains afterwards?
It all sounds rather gruesome to me
Maybe I’ll opt for burial at sea
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know for sure, but I imagine that your non-biodegradable parts would be handled the same way in natural organic reduction as they would be in cremation.
LikeLike
In truth it doesn’t worry me if l am dumped into a compost pile or fed to the worms, but given the choice l want to come back as a tree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m told that apple trees growing on a grave grow especially beautiful apples. Sounds good to me!
LikeLiked by 2 people
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think I’ve mentioned this before, but let me say this again; Muslims are buried wrapped in a piece of unstitched cloth. No other stuff is allowed. It’s the most environmentally friendly burial I think. We cannot opt for other forms like cremation or coffins if we are being buried in a Muslim country. And it just costs the money to buy 6 feet X 3 feet piece of land in the graveyard. Easy peasy. The body gradually decomposes, though the bones take a long time.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I would personally say that that is a green burial.
LikeLiked by 2 people
The greenest and cheapest.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s one thought I’ve had. The other was donating my body to science, lol
LikeLiked by 1 person