green living

The Green Burial Revolution SUSTAINABLE END-OF-LIFE OPTIONS

by Sandra Yeyati

There’s an emerging movement in the funeral industry, fueled by environmentalism and a yearning to accept mortality and reclaim a connection to Earth and to each other. Although it seems revolutionary, a green burial is as old as humanity, while the conventional burial commonly practiced in the United States is only a bit over 150 years old.

Continuing a practice that began in the Civil War, the conventional funeral typically involves embalming with toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde to preserve the body for viewing. Elaborate metal and varnished hardwood caskets are lowered into cement or steel burial vaults and entombed in memorial parks, where lawns are maintained with heavy machinery and liberal applications of herbicides and pesticides.

These materials are not just polluting the Earth, but depleting resources only to bury them forever. “You can build a replication of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco annually with all the metal placed in the ground. Why would we bury these materials that people could actually be using?” says Elizabeth Fournier, a licensed mortician in Portland, Oregon, and author of The Green Burial Guidebook.

In a true green burial, the body is put in repose in its natural state; refrigeration or dry ice replaces embalming fluids. Families may choose to bathe and dress their loved one’s body, wrap the body with a natural cotton shroud or place it in a casket made of sustainably grown and biodegradable materials including pine, bamboo, wicker or even cardboard.

The burial site has a more natural feel, with indigenous plants, meadows and soil untouched by chemicals. The grave is dug and refilled by hand, while family and friends use ropes to lower their loved one directly into the earth. “You’re going back to nature. Your body will decompose and in turn it can nourish the environment. New life will come from your death,” says Ed Bixby, owner of Steelmantown Cemetery Companies and president of the Green Burial Council, which certifies eco-friendly cemeteries and funeral services.

Natural burial sites are public recreational havens where people can hike, birdwatch, cross-country ski or camp. These beautiful cemeteries are full of life and regeneration. “The neat part is that they’re using their income stream for openspace preservation—buying property, using it for burial purposes and dedicating that land so that it will always be open and green,” says Robert Prout, a third-generation funeral director in Verona, New Jersey. Every state has at least one natural burial site. There are hundreds nationwide, and 11 of them are legal preservation grounds, owned and managed by conservation or state agencies.

As people learn more about green burials and request them, traditional cemeteries are setting aside areas for these alternatives. Bixby is encouraged by the hybrid models. “It’s helping change the direction of the funeral industry. We’re empowering and educating families. That’s how we’re going to grow this movement,” he says.

A green burial will usually cost less than the conventional one. “The environment is suffering, and people’s wallets are suffering,” says Fournier. “People are realizing that you don’t have to spend a lot of money after someone has passed away to show your love.” In some towns, backyard burials are an option, too.

From an emotional and spiritual perspective, there’s a lot to be said for a green burial. “It’s been so clinical for so long, where you wear your black suit. You sit on the sideline. The gravedigger and undertaker do everything. You’re sort of a spectator,” says Fournier. “By being a part of the process, there’s a greater sense of acceptance.

You can see a lot of the pain and grief wash away,” says Bixby. “It allows us to not only care for our dead, but also not be so afraid of our common denominator. We’re all going to die. It shouldn’t be a scary, disconnected experience.”

A GREENER CREMATION

Although cremation is greener than a conventional funeral, it is still not as ecological as a natural burial. The photo by Brian Olson process requires a fair amount of natural gas or oil, and releases toxins into the air, especially if the person is embalmed, has mercury tooth fillings or was treated with chemotherapy. The carbon footprint of cremation can be offset when scattering cremains by mixing them into soil and planting a tree in memory of the person or encasing the ashes in a reef ball to give back to the ocean.

A controversial new type of cremation that is legal in only a handful of states—alkaline hydrolysis—offers an even more ecofriendly option. A low-heat water and lye bath slowly dissolves the flesh and neutralizes toxins, leaving only the bones, which are then processed to create ash-like remains. Time will tell if this method is widely adopted.

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Overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a burial at sea is yet another green option in which the body decomposes naturally on the ocean floor. To find a state-by-state list of Nature’s beauty is a gift that cultivates natural burial sites, visit GreenBurialCouncil.com. appreciation and gratitude. Sandra Yeyati, J.D., is a professional writer. Reach her at Catch Spirit’s Vision ~Louie Schwartzberg SandraYeyati@gmail.com. in 2020!

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Rites of Passage great understanding of and sensitivity to end-of-life issues. Having conducted mental status evaluations and neuropsychology often a funeral director is also employed in assessments in nursing homes and assisted The Revival of the End of Life Doula living centers over many years, she is familiar with the stories of dying people. These include sensing the comforting presence of by Wendy Fachon loved ones in spirit visiting in the room and As members interacting often with palliative and hospice care teams, portant thing for someone at the end of their death doulas are available to assist dying people in fulfilling their end- life,” says Porto, “is to have peace of mind of-life wishes as well as a home vigil and even a green (natural) burial. when they die. It is an honor and a privilege A death doula is a person that assists in the dying process, much like a for me to guide and support that process.” birthing midwife or doula. Working with many cultures, the death doula is necessarily flexible in her role. Through most of history, women have handled the affairs of the deceased, particularly in tasks related to cleansing the deceased and caring for details of the home vigil. The Civil War ushered in the rise of the funeral industry and embalming practices to preserve soldiers’ bodies when transported long distances home, and women were pushed out of this practice. Today, in the U.S., there is a resurgence of home vigils, and the green burial movement is resurrecting the practitioner role of the death doula. More recently, there are various certification courses preparing more women once again, to step into this role. Death doulas seek to reduce the fear including death planning and budgeting. As a psychologist, non-denominational lay minister, death doula assistant, hospice volunteer and volunteer board member with the Funeral Consumers Alliance of Rhode Island, Ann Porto, PsyD, connects people with artisans and craftsmen that make natural shrouds and green burial caskets. She also provides the special service of anointing the body with sacred oils, preparing the environment with sage and prayer as part of a home vigil ritual to cleanse and honor the dying or deceased, if that is what was wished by the individual prior to their death. She explains, “I have used essential oils such as frankincense, myrrh and spikenard, as these oils have been used and documented Dr. Ann Porto She may assist as part of a team in hospice with non-medical care or in funeral home settings, monitoring that all final wishes are respected. She often fills in gaps not covered by these services, or she provides information about alternative options that may not currently be offered by traditional services providers and cemetery planners. Death doulas are available to perform many services, including practical, psychological and spiritual support before and after death. They may help prepare the body for the home vigil and/or attend to family and friends during the vigil. They may help plan funeral services, memorial services and life celebrations, as well as guide mourners in their rights and responsibilities. For individuals and families unaffiliated with any specific religion, death doulas seek to understand the needs and provide guidance to suit the situation. and distress of death by guiding families in various rituals in many cultures and in the Learn more by reaching out to Dr. Ann Porto in recognizing death as a natural and imbible as part of a last rite practice. These at Sacred Soul Journs located in the East portant sacred transformational process. oils have a nice woodsy fragrance and have Greenwich area. Call 401-529-2020 for Death midwives promote family-led, many other sacred properties. After praying a free half-hour consult or visit home-based care and empower families to take back the responsibility and personal privilege of bathing, dressing and mourning loved ones in the privacy of their own homes. They also advise about alternatives to standard cremation or embalming, such over the oils, I apply them to the soles of the feet, to the top of the head, and over the third eye, throat and heart after cleansing and prior to dressing or shrouding.” A student of and teacher of conSacredSoulJourns.com. Wendy Fachon is a writer for Dreamvision 7 Radio Network’s Sustainable Living News and host of Story Walking Radio Hour at StoryWalking.com. Visit her website as green or natural burial. Because there sciousness training and meditation over programs page to access her archives and are many steps involved in following state many years, Porto is keenly aware of the download the podcast Leaving a Greener and health regulations and guidelines, preciousness of each breath. Having taught Legacy, co-produced with Dr. Porto. See ad such as transportation permits for one, programs in death and dying, she has a on page 25. many other precious stories. “The most ima partial role to assist with some aspects. “The most important thing for someone at the end of their life is Practitioners perform many services, to have peace of mind when they die.”