Italian designers Anna Citelli and Raoul Bretzel recently introduced a new burial technique with the potential to change the world. They call it the Capsula Mundi project, and it's a shockingly simple concept.
Rather than burying dead bodies in wooden boxes in the ground, bodies are placed in a biodegradable sack like the ones below.
The sack is then buried in the ground, with a tree planted above.
The premise is that as the tree grows, it will use the nutrients produced by the human body as it decomposes.
The designers wish for cemeteries to eventually look more like forests.
Man do I like this idea!
I have never been a fan of funerals, but having a ceremony to plant a tree, now THAT sounds like a celebratory event.
My daughter and I recently discussed this idea and she is all for it. She says she would be much more likely to come and water me if I was a tree, rather than sit and grieve for me if all she could see was a headstone.
And the idea of providing oxygen to the earth after my passing makes me pretty happy as well.
This also falls in line with what Neil deGrasse Tyson has said he would like for his remains to be used for after he breaths his last.
This is not new... http://www.us-funerals.com/funeral-articles/directory-of-green-burial-sites-in-the-united-states.html#.VQ_17fnF_h4
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that idea! I like it better than being burned and scattered.
ReplyDeleteActually, come to think of it, you do not need to use a biodegradable sack - you can just use a very thin-wanded wooden coffin, and put some enzymes onto the wood, so it disintegrates faster...
ReplyDeleteThere is also something that actually is available now. It's called a Bios Urn. It's a small container of some of your ashes after cremation and it has a tree seed already planted, ready for the entire container to be buried.
ReplyDeleteFor years now my motto has been "Plant a tree instead of me." The hubs wants to be wrapped in newspaper and put in a hole in the ground in our woods. While I do appreciate the history that cemeteries, especially old ones, provide I do think this is an idea whose time has come.
ReplyDeleteRAinNC
FINALLY, an alternative to getting filled with poison or putting more smoke in the atmosphere.
ReplyDeleteNo, not new, the body-buried-in-linen idea first proposed by TV series: Six Feet Under ten years ago.
Something was bound to give -- too many Boomers, too little land. Do the right thing: give your self to a make a park.
I read someplace about a cemetery that buries people in cotton shrouds--same idea as sacks. Even better, the bodies can't be pumped full of formaldehyde and other chemicals if they're going to be green, which not only is better for the Earth, but also cuts down on the cost of burials--how much does a few yards of cotton cost? Less than $100, I would guess. How much would a few feet of ground cost to plant a tree over? Another couple-hundred? Plus the cost of the tree (less than a hundred, I would imagine).
ReplyDeleteThe formaldehyde problem is real. I hate to think what our descendants will have to do to alleviate the groundwater issues and cemeteries in the future.
DeleteGreat idea. We turned to cremation long ago, even our pets are cremated.
ReplyDeleteMy directive says cremate and dump the ashes in a mud puddle.
ReplyDeletePlease do consider Jesus, G. You can still contribute to the soil and tree after death, but, you could also enjoy the gift of eternal life in heaven. It's a two-fer.
ReplyDeleteRather than impose the Jesus myth on my children I awaited their questions about life. My 4-year-old asked me what happens to us when we die. I told her we once again become part of the earth and objects around us. We are truly stardust. At the time we were driving by a power pole. She looked up and said, “I think I want to be a tree, not a power pole.” She was absolutely happy with that explanation and to this day has no problem becoming a tree, power pole or star in the sky after she dies. The idea of eternal life is simply that, we become a part of everything. No gurus needed. Be present, be kind, plant a garden, volunteer in your community and watch birds.
DeletePod? Why not just a burlap sack?
ReplyDeleteYou can do the same thing with cremation, too. My Dad will be fertilizing all of his fruit trees, at his directive.
Damn, another one of my ideas stolen........not really, but I have always told my kids to bury me under the willow tree. Love This
ReplyDeleteThis idea has already been embraced by the Funeral Industrial Complex.
ReplyDeleteIn fact, in some areas of the country, you can already get a simple burlap sack burial for only $5500 but that doesn't - obviously - include a preacher to say nice words at the gravesite.
Of course, if you care even a little bit about what your friends and family will think of you after you're gone, you'll want to upgrade to the Deluxe Burlap Sack which is treated with extremely toxic chemicals to prevent insect infestation of your remains plus - at no extra charge - it can be spray painted in your favorite color for $9,000. Or $11,000 if you want two colors.
For $17,000 you can pick the species of tree that will be planted with your sack. Otherwise, they fill the sack with dandelion seeds and poison ivy seedlings if you'd prefer to go the.. shall we say.... frugal, budget path. (Hint: it's not recommended if you have any standing or reputation in your community that you'd like to preserve)
It's good to see that new options are being available that are more environmentally sensitive and economical.
b
I'm in!
ReplyDeleteAs long as I can pick what kind of tree I will be. I want to be a ginkgo tree. A female ginkgo biloba tree.
Thanks, Gryphen!
I love this sort of idea.
ReplyDeleteM
I'm on board!
ReplyDelete