When someone dies, one of the most difficult things to deal with is the funeral. It can be hard to cope with the emotions and say goodbye to a loved one. For many people, arranging a traditional funeral is too difficult. This is where virtual funeral services come in. Check here at Forevory.
As more people begin to recognize the impact of their actions on the environment, there has been a growing trend to find more environmentally friendly and sustainable practices for some common activities and milestones.
One of those emerging trends is green burial. There are several options currently, with new developments being made as more people become interested in the topic. The one that has generated the most interest is the concept of being buried as a tree.
What Is a Green Burial?
Traditional burials and cremations have been the standard way to bid farewell to a loved one, but they have a negative impact on the environment. Consumerism has become such a big part of the average person’s life, that it seems to follow them into death. Waste from hard-to-break-down materials used in caskets and memorials litter the earth as available space in cemeteries becomes harder to find.
An alternative for the eco-conscious is green burial. This refers to limiting waste and the carbon footprint of standard burial practices.
There are several ways that a green burial can be accomplished. A new concept has emerged that places the body in a cotton suit with mushroom spores. The idea is that as the body breaks down and decomposes, it will provide nutrients to the soil and encourage the growth of mushrooms. Another idea is to place either the body or cremated ashes into a biodegradable pod and plant a tree over the remains so the tree can benefit and thrive from the nutrients.
There is one problem with these two concepts. While they are overall more environmentally friendly than the alternatives, they still allow toxins to leach into the earth and reduce soil quality and potentially harm plant growth. Treated ashes have been proven to help young saplings thrive. Untreated ashes have a very high pH and salt content which can be damaging. There is, however, another way to turn human ashes into a tree.
How Can Someone Be Buried As a Tree?
The practice of treating cremated ashes before they are used can make them much healthier for the earth. The treated ashes contain living molecules and allow the person’s energy to nourish the tree and live on through generations of new seedlings and forest growth.
There are now designated memorial gardens and forests that are dedicated to providing a beautiful and natural monument to honor the deceased. You can even make the arrangements yourself before you pass on.
Choose a tree that embodies your personality and pick out the perfect spot in a peaceful forest. The land for these areas is normally under a conservation agreement, so you have the space you picked reserved forever, without worry that the land will change hands or be developed.
Once you select the spot for your tree, it will be marked with a plaque and you can visit it to watch it grow. Upon your death, your ashes will be placed to nourish the tree and incorporate your energy. Your loved ones can continue to visit your tree as often as they like.
What Are the Benefits?
The carbon footprint of the standard burial and cremation practices leaves a big impact. Just one cremation can produce 160 kilograms or more of carbon dioxide. Even more alarming, more than that will be produced during the long-term maintenance of a single burial site. Being buried as a tree is a fantastic solution. Planting just one tree has a huge impact; enough to offset the carbon footprint of a standard cremation.
Green burials such as using treated ashes to infuse a tree are sustainable practices that can help with reforestation efforts. Depending upon zoning restrictions, you may even be able to plant the tree on your own private property.
Deciding upon green burial requires some research to find companies that offer these services. However, making your final arrangements in advance not only gives you greater control to meet your wishes, but you can save your family the financial stress and emotional pain of making the arrangements on your behalf after you are gone.
The shift to green burial and leaving a living legacy behind once you are gone is a beautiful thought. Nature memorials not only help to heal the earth and counteract pollution and global warming, but they also provide a serene space for your family and friends to visit and honor your memory.
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