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http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/2/AmericanFlag.jpg More people are having green funerals (http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/B0E76CEB755E4B4E862575A000446719?OpenDocument)

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/green_casket.jpgKim Mcguire - www.stltoday.com (http://www.stltoday.com) - April 22, 2009

We don't need a Dust to Dust study on this. --Ed.

Claire Garden has lived a modest life.

She once resided on a Kansas homestead that was off the grid. There, she lived in a house built of recycled materials and raised organic vegetables.

Now, at 71, Garden is thinking about the end of her life and her desire to leave a minuscule footprint on this planet continues to dictate her choices.

She wants to be buried on her property in Columbia, Mo., not in a casket, but a canvas shroud, like the one used to bury the character Nate in the television show "Six Feet Under."

"I would happily give my body back to the trees," said Garden, a retired educator. "I wouldn't necessarily want to be dug up by the dogs or raccoons or anything gruesome like that, but I'd definitely like to give myself back to the Earth."... http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/sciencemedicine/story/B0E76CEB755E4B4E862575A000446719?OpenDocument

I've told my family to do the bare minimum when I pass. Why spend 10K on a funeral for an overpriced casket and vault. Just put me in a pine box 6 feet deep facing north.

Just take me out and bury me or toss me into a good sized lake, sea, ocean, or big river.

I want to be cremated.

Taking up space on Earth after I'm gone doesn't make sense to me, and it seems to be a kind of arrogance, to wish to do so, and a form of denial that life is at best a temporary deal. Earth is for living creatures, not dead ones.

Harry

I want to be cremated.

Taking up space on Earth after I'm gone doesn't make sense to me, and it seems to be a kind of arrogance, to wish to do so, and a form of denial that life is at best a temporary deal. Earth is for living creatures, not dead ones.

Harry

I don't need any markers or anything. I'll live on in my loved one's memories. That just leaves me as food for the fishes or whatever.

I wouldn't consider cremation to be totally green. Unless you are seriously overweight and have a lot of fat to burn, cremation requires a lot of energy to boil off that 60% of the body's weight that consists of water. Most crematoria in this country use natural gas to do the job. In some third world countries that practice cremation, they are having problems procuring enough wood to burn the body up completely. I would prefer to end up as plant food or vulture food and have the nutrients temporarily stored in my body recycled back into the cycle of life.

How about turning the dead into Soylent Green?

It's people... it's maaaade from peeeeeeople!!!!

Heh heh. ;)

How about turning the dead into Soylent Green?

It's people... it's maaaade from peeeeeeople!!!!

Heh heh. ;) :D

by the people, for the people :)

Just spent over $10K laying my mother to rest. Could have done it the way she wanted but I had to think of her friends. All she wanted was for me put her in a box, fly her home to Pittsburgh and slide her into the crypt beside my father.

No announcement in either paper and definitely no ceremony or open casket.

OK, she got obituaries in both papers an open casket for the pre-service for immediate family and dearest friends so they could say good bye.

I closed it when the first guests came in the door. So she got that part of her wishes.

Flew her to Pittsburgh where we had a twenty minute grave site ceremony for family, and two relatives. Put her in the crypt and done.

I made sure I kept my head down and that there was lots of metal around me because I didn't want to get hit with lighting bolt before I got her in crypt.

It was $426 on USAir for the flight back to Pittsburgh. The Funeral home that had to receive her (Federal Law) and take her to the cemetery was $1,000. What a racket. Sixty miles on the hearse and 1:45 minutes of their time.

The funeral director in Naples said I could have driven her home and saved close to $1,400. He said it happens more than you think. ;)

As cheap as I am had I had my wagon with me instead of the sedan I might have considered it. :D

Feed me to the cattle, a little back for all they gave me. ;)

Feed me to the cattle, a little back for all they gave me. ;)

That means whoever eats that cow would also be eating you! Yum!