The Centre for Natural Burial

By Lisa J. Lehr, ezinearticles.com

Want to start a business that fills a universal need? One that appeals to the traditionalist and the progressive thinker alike? One with unlimited growth potential?Green burial products could be the opportunity for you. “Green” burial offers a third alternative to traditional burial and cremation, solving most of the difficulties of both. And because of the nature of the product, growth potential is virtually unlimited.

In Judeo-Christian and American tradition, the deceased is buried in a wooden casket and left to decompose over time. One of the benefits of traditional cemetery burial is to maintain a connection between those still living and those who’ve gone before. Children, in particular, often have no real sense of belonging to a long line of real people, and cemeteries provide a visual, tangible reminder.

In modern U.S. cemeteries, however, the whole idea of returning to Earth has been lost. Most caskets are now made of steel or fiberglass and enclosed in concrete, and could last virtually forever. (Not to mention the people inside them, who are embalmed in formaldehyde.)Archaeologists believe cremation was invented about 3000 B.C. It became the most common method of disposing of bodies in ancient Greece and Rome, first used as a way of providing burial for soldiers slain in foreign lands who were incinerated on the battlefield, their ashes then gathered and sent home for funerals attended by family and fellow citizens.

Cremation was introduced to the Western world by the Greeks as early as 1000 B.C. An Italian professor, Brunetti, developed the first modern cremation chamber in the 1870s. This invention started a movement toward cremation in Europe and North America; interest increased in 1874 when Queen Victoria’s surgeon, Sir Henry Thompson, published his influential book on the subject and helped organize the Cremation Society of England.

The first crematorium in the U.S. was built in 1876. In the late 19th century, worry about the unsanitary conditions caused by overflowing cemeteries brought about a revival of cremation. It didn’t really take root in the U.S. until the late 20th century; now nearly half of Americans choose cremation over traditional burial.

The practice has become common in Europe and Asia faster, and is now almost universal in Japan.The main reasons Americans cite for choosing cremation are saving money, saving land, and simplicity, all of which appeal to progressive-minded people. Remains can be scattered in a place of significance, or they can be buried in an urn in the family plot (which significantly reduces the monetary savings). Finally, in family disputes over where the ashes should be placed (such as with the first or second spouse), they can actually be divided and the deceased can spend eternity in more than one place.

What are the pitfalls of cremation? First, it makes exhumation impossible. Once a body is cremated, it is destroyed. It is not unusual for a person to die under cloudy circumstances, and then a family member to insist that the deceased had expressed his or her deep desire to be cremated, stirring the suspicions of other loved ones.

Sometimes the cremation is over and done with before a crime investigation can be started–and sometimes murderers go unpunished.Second, industry abuses–mingling of remains, ashes of one deceased being switched for those of another, bodies disposed of in some ghoulish manner while non-human ashes are returned to the family–are not uncommon.

Surely abuses in the traditional burial industry occur, but they’re harder to get away with.Third, in Judeo-Christian tradition, burning is something done only to idols, criminals, enemies, the disobedient, and evil material such as pagan scrolls. To be denied a proper burial was considered a great tragedy and dishonor.

Cremation still found favor in emergencies–during an outbreak of Black Death in 1656, 60,000 bodies were burned in Naples in a single week! Christianity is becoming more open to the idea, but the Orthodox Jewish religion continues to forbid it.Finally, as far as the ecological argument goes, cremation uses fossil fuels and produces carcinogenic dioxins, trace metals, hydrochloric and hydrofluoric acids, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide. There’s nothing “green” about that!

The British have come up with a third and better idea: Nature Reserve Burial Grounds. Here, people are buried in a biodegradable container of fair-trade wood, flax, cork, cardboard, or recycled materials. Many of these “green” cemeteries double as habitats for endangered creatures. The trend is starting to catch on in the U.S.; at this time, though, most “green” burial products come from overseas.

These “natural” burials require no formaldehyde embalming, chemical lawn treatments, or burial containers that last forever. Advocates say such burials are far more environmentally friendly.

People need traditions. Places are important, not the least of which is a place to grieve. Cremation followed by the scattering of ashes deprives us of such a place. Cemeteries–traditional or “green”–provide us with those important places where people can gather to remember, to show respect, to connect with our past, to contemplate our place in history.Green burials seem to solve all the problems.

And the market is potentially huge! U.S. funeral homes generate an estimated $11 billion annually, a figure that can only grow as Baby Boomers age. Green burial containers cost as little as $100, although the cost can be considerably more for handmade, customized models–in any case, far less than the range for traditional caskets.

The Green Burial Council is working on certification programs for those wanting to get involved in the business. If you’re interested in the green burial business, this is the time to get started!

Lisa J. Lehr is a freelance copywriter specializing in direct response and marketing collateral, with a special interest in the health, pets, specialty foods, and inspirational/motivational/self-help niches. She has a degree in biology, has worked in a variety of fields including pharmaceuticals and teaching, and has volunteered for many causes including special-needs kids and literacy. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, art, music, outdoor exercise, and all things Celtic and Renaissance.Have you signed up for her free e-mail series on marketing strategies?

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