[SustainableTompkins] Fwd: THE GREEN COST OF DYING

[Thomas Shelley]

Dear Friends--Forwarded from the "Fostering Sustainable Behavior 
Listserv".  This is certainly a non-trivial issue and we are fortunate to 
have Green Springs Natural Burial in Newfield so close at hand.  Tom

>From: "Paul Payten" <ask at geeni.net>
>To: "'Fostering Sustainable Behavior Listserv'" <fsb at cbsmlist.com>
>Date: Mon, 7 May 2007 14:44:14 +1000
>Subject: THE GREEN COST OF DYING

>This is one of those tricky questions that are worth asking and which 
>could make a notable difference to more sustainable actiivities, if we can 
>get past the cultural and ethical issues attached.
>
>Kind regards,
>
>Paul Payten
>GEENI
>
>THE GREEN COST OF DYING
>
>Tuesday 17 April 2007 (Updated Thus 19 April 07)
>NATIONAL MEDIA BRIEFING
>
>Way to go! © or how to plant a tree and feel better about dying.
>
>There is life after death, according to an Australian scientist who is 
>calling for an end to the practise of cremation around the world to help 
>prevent further global warming.
>
>Professor Roger Short from the University of Melbourne is the reproductive 
>biologist who came up with the concept of lemon juice as a contraceptive 
>and a means of preventing HIV in women. It is currently being trialled in 
>Nigeria. He will be discussing his idea of environmentally friendly death 
>at the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in Melbourne on 
>Wednesday.
>
>"Think earth to earth," he said, "but not ashes to ashes or dust to dust".
>
>Professor Short's proposal is that everyone should be buried upright in a 
>cardboard cylinder, next to their favourite species of tree. This would 
>allow the remains to enrich the growth.
>
>"Not for nothing are trees known as the lungs of the world", he said. "A 
>single tree over a hundred-year period absorbs over a metric ton of carbon 
>dioxide (CO2), so imagine the difference it could make if everyone was 
>buried and had a tree planted in their memory".
>
>"Photosynthesis in trees is the single most efficient way of sequestering 
>CO2. Not only that, but they do what no other method of carbon 
>minimisation can do, and that is to produce oxygen", he said.
>
>Professor Short's idea comes in the wake of China's policy of encouraging 
>cremation due to lack of space and the Hindu practise in India of burning 
>the body on a funeral pyre made of trees.
>
>He said that in Australia during cremation, the average male produces over 
>50 kilograms of CO2 as the body is heated to 850 degrees centigrade for an 
>hour and a half. "And that's not counting the carbon cost of the fuel, and 
>the cost of the emissions involved in producing and burning the wooden 
>coffin", he added.
>
>Professor Short acknowledges that there are cultural sensitivities, legal 
>issues and other obstacles that would have to be overcome for the idea to 
>take hold. However, he said that time was short and this was a practical 
>idea that allows each one of us to do our bit to combat climate change.
>
>"Forget pushing up daisies", he said. "We should be pushing up forests 
>instead. And what a wonderful way to go".

Tom Shelley
118 E. Court St.
Ithaca, NY 14850
607 342-0864
tjs1 at cornell.edu
http://www.myspace.com/99319958