Green Burials - Environmentally Friendly Six Feet Under

News Type: Event — Seeded on Mon Jul 6, 2009 9:38 PM EDT

odd-news, green-burials, eco-friendly-burials, green-caskets, biodegradable-caskets, klinger-cope-funeral-home, horse-drawn-carriage

Seeded by rottlady

An open field in the Eastlawn Funeral Home is the first of its kind in Springfield. It's the greenest burial site in the city. No, it's not a special type of grass, the "green" there goes on under the surface.

"No vaults, no metal of any kind," says Lenny Cope of the Klinger-Cope Funeral Home.

"A green burial is a burial that leaves minimum impact on the environment," says Cope.

The most important part of sustainability six feet under is the casket.

"This casket is one-hundred percent biodegradable. It's made of bamboo, seagrass, and has a linen lining," says Cope.

It's complete with a bamboo headrest.

Published to:

rottlady's Column, All of Newsvine
Groups: Alternative Health & Wellness, Earth News, Fix the problems, Living with Less, The Ozarks
Regions: Springfield-MO, Joplin/Pittsburg

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9.9

{"commentId":8066065,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

rottlady

Klinger-Cope also offers "green" transportation from the funeral home to the cemetary with a horse-drawn carriage.

Sounds pretty interesting to me, I wonder how many folks would do this?

{"commentId":8066065,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

4 votes

#1 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 9:45 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066167,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

This sounds great.

But in order for it to be really environmentally-friendly they need to stop using formaldehyde.

{"commentId":8066167,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"nearing"}

3 votes

#1.1 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 9:51 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066310,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

rottlady

After you mentioned it I did some checking and from what I found it's non-toxic, biodegradable embalming fluid. They have taken the aldehyde out of the solution. Link, link

{"commentId":8066310,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

4 votes

#1.2 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 9:58 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066448,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

Good to know!!

I'll never forget the smell of formeldehyde from Anatomy lab. It woudl get in my nose and stay for hours!!

{"commentId":8066448,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"nearing"}

3 votes

#1.3 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:05 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066603,"authorDomain":"AdrianThorn"}

Adrian Thorn

Psh. Enviromentally friendly my ass. I'm having a Buddhist Sky Burial. It doesn't get more enviromentally friendly than that.

{"commentId":8066603,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"AdrianThorn"}

3 votes

#2 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:14 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066709,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

That's beautiful.

Something tells me that one couldn't have one of those in the US. And I KNOW my parents (if I die before they do) wouldn't do it.

They will pump my ass full of chemicals, slop a bunch of makeup on me and set me out for all to see for 3 or more days. Then it's into a metal, plastic and concrete box for me.

I'd rather be cremated or have that Sky Burial, though.

{"commentId":8066709,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"nearing"}

4 votes

#2.1 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:20 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066783,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

rottlady

I am not really familar with a Buddhist Sky Burial, but after looking it up I think you may be right about that. However not everyone would be willing to do that.

I guess this is an alternative.

{"commentId":8066783,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

4 votes

#2.2 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:24 PM EDT

{"commentId":8066814,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

rottlady

I'd rather be cremated or have that Sky Burial, though.

Me too Nearing, me too. Although I don't think my family would go along with it either.

{"commentId":8066814,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

4 votes

#2.3 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:25 PM EDT

{"commentId":8067087,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

rottlady:

Me too Nearing, me too. Although I don't think my family would go along with it either.

I guess the funerals aren't for us anyway - they're for them. They can do what they want with our empty shells.

Hey, but that means we can do what we want to with theirs...

{"commentId":8067087,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"nearing"}

3 votes

#2.4 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:41 PM EDT

{"commentId":8067094,"authorDomain":"AdrianThorn"}

Adrian Thorn

Actually, you can get a sky burial in the US.

I'm pretty set on having a sky burial. Religious implications aside, I like the idea of my body having a use when I die. Cremation just seems like a waste to me, and regular burial seems like its unnecessarily expensive and ornate. I'm a simple guy, I lived a simple life, I'd like to go in a simple fashion.

{"commentId":8067094,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"AdrianThorn"}

3 votes

#2.5 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:41 PM EDT

{"commentId":8067407,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

Actually, you can get a sky burial in the US.

Seriously? You got me interested.

Which state(s)? Do you have a link to the law(s)?

{"commentId":8067407,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"nearing"}

3 votes

#2.6 - Mon Jul 6, 2009 10:59 PM EDT

{"commentId":8072382,"authorDomain":"desertjeeper49"}

Desertzonie

And then there is the Kapala -- recycling at it's best and handy at the next kegger!!

{"commentId":8072382,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"desertjeeper49"}

4 votes

#2.7 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 9:44 AM EDT

{"commentId":8080330,"authorDomain":"AdrianThorn"}

Adrian Thorn

I'm not sure. I investigated almost a decade ago, so naturally my memory is a bit fuzzy. You can get them in the US, the difficulty is more of a matter of finding an organization which performs them - which significantly reduces the number of states in a practical sense. In a related note, I recall there being a lot of laws about the inter-state transport of bodies. It was all very complex, and I didn't get too deep into it.

{"commentId":8080330,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"AdrianThorn"}

1 vote

#2.8 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 3:47 PM EDT

{"commentId":8081352,"authorDomain":"skylark246"}

Skye-768303

I like the idea of the green burial in a meadow. If I were not going to be cremated and become part of a meadow that way, I could go with the green burial. My family knows my preferences and I believe they will comply.

{"commentId":8081352,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"skylark246"}

3 votes

#3 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 4:22 PM EDT

{"commentId":8083042,"authorDomain":"desertjeeper49"}

Desertzonie

I saw a tv program about synthetic diamonds -- the maker stated that he could or has made diamonds from human cremains -- Glad I'm not married -- wife might just "pull the plug" a bit early!

{"commentId":8083042,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"desertjeeper49"}

5 votes

#3.1 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 5:29 PM EDT

{"commentId":8083072,"authorDomain":"nearing"}

nearing

that's kind of cool!

{"commentId":8083072,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"nearing"}

3 votes

#3.2 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 5:30 PM EDT

{"commentId":8082391,"authorDomain":"goluckydonald"}

Wolf Wolfman

I have heard of becoming "food for the bears"; in one piece, in Canada.

{"commentId":8082391,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"goluckydonald"}

5 votes

#4 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 5:01 PM EDT

{"commentId":8082668,"authorDomain":"skylark246"}

Skye-768303

Yes, I heard that, too. In fact, I even saw a movie about this years ago. Worst movie I have ever seen. Apparently, the Inuit's would put their willing elderly out on an ice floe to become food for the bears that would then become food for the family. I guess I can sort of see this logic but it would be difficult for me to do. Now a mother-in-law, maybe (Just kidding, just kidding.)

{"commentId":8082668,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"skylark246"}

5 votes

#4.1 - Tue Jul 7, 2009 5:12 PM EDT

{"commentId":8095164,"authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

ruthlessmoose

Now environmentalists can can finally rest in peace.

Cuz they were having such a terrible time being comfortably dead before in their toxic metal and plastic graves so far.

{"commentId":8095164,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

4 votes

#5 - Wed Jul 8, 2009 10:54 AM EDT

{"commentId":8174839,"authorDomain":"swmule"}

SW Missouri Mule

No matter how pure we try to keep our bodies, we are still full of un-natural things just from the damage already done to our environment. Decomposing naturally, to me, could be contaminating the Earth. I would prefer spontaneous combustion but would settle for some sort of cremation. Sorry, Eastlawn, but you'll get no green from me.

{"commentId":8174839,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"swmule"}

3 votes

#6 - Sun Jul 12, 2009 5:54 PM EDT

{"commentId":8184419,"authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

ruthlessmoose

I'm in favor of the firebomb idea

{"commentId":8184419,"threadId":"620822","contentId":"3003065","authorDomain":"ruthlessmoose"}

2 votes

#6.1 - Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:02 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"620822","isPrivate":false}

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Green Burials - Environmentally Friendly Six Feet Under

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