It is thought that Romans were the first to practice natural cremation and that we also knew Greek people to encourage this method of disposal. The religious community in Greece believed that the body after death was nothing more than a vessel for the soul; they believed that the body was not programmed for life. They considered cremation to be “the most “chaste” way to dispose of a body, without the possibility of the body being used again by a new life. You can navigate to this web-site if you’d like to learn more about the process of natural cremation.
In many areas of the world, particularly in North America and Europe, most bodies are preserved using embalming chemicals. The body is often wrapped in a plastic sheet before or during embalming. This keeps it dry, limits the number of microorganisms that can reach it, and slows down the deterioration process. This method has proven not to be sustainable going forward.
Traditional Burial vs. Green Burial
Green burial has gained traction in recent years as a greener, more socially conscious alternative to traditional burial. The most important difference between the two is that with green burial, the body is composted after being interred, while traditional burial requires embalming.
Green burial occurs in a natural setting, while traditional burial entails placing the body in a casket. Another name for green burial is “natural burial,” which has come into usage as of late. However, green burials have been practiced for millennia and are actually the oldest form of burial. Green burials only gained notoriety when concerns about pollution and resource depletion became pertinent in the modern world.
Traditional burials are less environmentally friendly because embalming, caskets, and concrete vaults all require materials that require fossil fuels to produce. Natural burials are a greener option because they don’t require any of these things.
Natural-Cremation Laws
Most states in the United States provide for a form of cremation. Since 1972, 29 states have allowed for direct cremation by any other method or its own methods.
It may sound less appealing than traditional funerary practices where a coffin is used; however, there are many benefits to natural cremation. One of these benefits includes that there are no volatile gases created as with more common methods. No body parts remain when proper cremation has occurred.
Benefits of Natural Cremation
There are many benefits to natural cremation as an alternative method of disposal. Some of these benefits include the fact that there is no odor or emission of volatile gases created with more common methods. Another benefit is that no body parts remain when proper cremation occurs. The main benefit of natural cremation is that it keeps the earth’s resources from being used for a memorial. Natural cremation has been used for thousands of years, and this process will continue to be used for thousands more.
Many people believe that cremation is an environmental nightmare and that you can’t do it without irreparable damage to the climate. In reality, cremation can be performed in a way that is safe for the environment and will not be harmful to biological organisms when done properly. Even in its most excessive form, the process of cremation is actually extremely safe for both the environment and living organisms (animals).
Why Choose Cremation Over Burial
A lot of people would choose to be cremated over buried if they had the choice. Although it may seem like an easy way to avoid the awkwardness that is having a funeral or not wanting to spend extravagant sums of money on something you don’t have much attachment to, there are other reasons why people might want to go for cremation.
The simple answer to this question is it’s an option that suits their situation or beliefs. Consider the differences between burial and cremation:
Burial involves interment in the ground, while cremation involves a funeral pyre, which burns the body so you can return it to nature like charcoal. Cremation is also environmentally friendly (as opposed to burying the body) and helps save space.
Depending on where you live, the costs involved with each choice might be cheaper to have a burial than to have a cremation or the other way round. Some people also prefer the extra ceremony and attention associated with a funeral. Many people don’t want to be treated like a piece of meat – it is symbolic of our humanity.
