Selfsufficientish.com

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4293992.stm

"Invented by ecologists keen to connect funerals with the organic environment, the process sees bodies frozen in liquid nitrogen, then broken into dust.

The frozen remains can be buried in a shallow grave, where they decompose and nourish the earth within weeks."

Wouldn't the same (i.e. quick return to the soil and nourishing of plants) be achieved after cremation? I'd always thought of that as a nice way to return to the cycle, have my ashes spread out under a few trees...

If I remember rightly, freeze-dried stuff keeps it's shape and colour. (I suppose that's why they have to brake them up into dust afterwards.) I've just got this slightly grisly image of the grieving friends and relations standing around the bed with the freeze-dried former beloved, still looking almost as good as new, but slowly disintegrating into dust....

Ina

I wonder how they produce the liguid nitrogen... doesn't seem like an efficient way to do things. It seems to me, that in areas that aren't too overcrowded, burying in a cardboard box seems the best solution, the least energy-wasting way. And at least the worms get a proper feed!

ina wrote:Wouldn't the same (i.e. quick return to the soil and nourishing of plants) be achieved after cremation?

Cremation actually leaves only a small pile of sterile ashes, much of which will consist of coffin (most of which are made of chipboard), and is actually quite an energy wasteful process, requiring a big gas furnace that sends lots of heat and pollutants up the chimney. Not sure how much actual nutrient value would be left in the ashes.

Having said that, I would imagine there must be some sort of energy debt in the freezing and 'dustifying' process, too

On the other hand, dacay in a normal coffin can take years, and I guess that normal buriels are too deep to be of much use in terms of fertaliser. How deep can worms go?

Well, why are we burying "six feet under"? Is it just to keep dogs etc from digging up the corpse? They don't go that deep, surely... Otherwise I'd agree with Magpie, burying not so deep in a cardboard coffin (labelled "this side up" ) might be the most environment friendly solution.

I'd forgotten about the coffin in the cremation; we incinerate our bodies (sheep etc) without... But I'm sure there's some daft law about not burning humans without appropriate cover. Might infringe on some human right of decency.

Ina

ina wrote:Well, why are we burying "six feet under"?

I could be wrong but I thought it was to prevent any communicable diseases and such like.

When I read this I suddenly had this rather bizarre image of the grieving relatives beating the body into dust like some frozen pinata. Maybe as a New Orleans style band played the happy exit music...

Sorry...

Alcina

I see you have my kind of humour!

And you might well be right about the diseases.

Ina

[Well, why are we burying "six feet under"? Is it just to keep dogs etc from digging up the corpse? They don't go that deep, surely... Otherwise I'd agree with Magpie, burying not so deep in a cardboard coffin (labelled "this side up" ) might be the most environment friendly solution.

What a great image I have in my mind's eye with the this side up note on top of the coffin!

I am all for being cremated and spread about a bit to the sound of a happy tune.