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More Americans choosing natural (environmental-friendly)burials
AP-Yahoo! ^ | 10/14/2010 | MANUEL VALDES

Posted on 10/14/2010 7:47:17 AM PDT by greatdefender

GOLDENDALE, Wash. – Steve Sall moved forward on uneven, rocky terrain in his motorized wheelchair and came to a stop at the edge of a sweeping vista of ponderosa pines and bright pockets of yellow wildflowers.

Sall wanted to see the canyon he used to hike before Lou Gehrig's disease left him near death. Three months later, the 61-year-old Sall was laid to rest in the forest.

He would be among the small but growing number of Americans choosing environmentally friendly burials. The so-called "green burials" are a departure from the norm in that they don't use concrete vaults, metal coffins or any chemicals.

The Green Burial Council, an industry group that sets standards, now counts more than 300 approved providers in 40 states, while only a dozen existed as recently as the beginning of 2008.

And a March 2010 survey commissioned by the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association found a quarter of those polled liked the concept of environmentally friendly burials.

"We think of this as a new idea, but this is really an ancient idea we're returning to," said Joe Sehee, executive director of the New Mexico-based council.

A burial in the wilderness was especially appealing to Sall after spending so much of his life hiking mountains and forests across the Pacific Northwest. He was also heavily involved in his son's Boy Scout experience, often accompanying the troop on nature excursions.

As Lou Gehrig's disease advanced earlier this year, Sall knew it was time to consider end-of-life logistics. He thought about cremation, but didn't like the idea of pumping gases into the atmosphere, said his son, David.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Health/Medicine; Society; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: burials; enviro
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How come they don't say anything about this kind of burial:

USS SIGSBEE DD-502 BURIALS AT SEA 0853 APRIL 15, 1945

1 posted on 10/14/2010 7:47:21 AM PDT by greatdefender
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To: greatdefender

Ah. Now for an upsurge in bell sales.


2 posted on 10/14/2010 7:49:26 AM PDT by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto.)
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To: greatdefender

Run me through a wood chipper and spray me on the lawn.

Soylent True Green.


3 posted on 10/14/2010 7:51:32 AM PDT by cripplecreek (Remember the River Raisin! (look it up))
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To: greatdefender
I have no problem with this, I actually don't like the idea of being buried in a community cemetery. Now if my family had it's own private cemetery... then I would like to be buried there, but who has that anymore? I don't like the idea of being cremated either.
4 posted on 10/14/2010 8:08:34 AM PDT by TexasFreeper2009 (Obama = Epic Fail)
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To: greatdefender

Hikers drink water from runoff and other nearby water sources. Disease anyone?


5 posted on 10/14/2010 8:11:10 AM PDT by SQUID
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To: greatdefender
$4,000 for a 3 foot deep hole in the woods? I gave my 3 cats and my dog rocket a green burial for free.
6 posted on 10/14/2010 8:11:52 AM PDT by ALinArleta (One shot! One kill!)
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To: greatdefender

“As Lou Gehrig’s disease advanced earlier this year, Sall knew it was time to consider end-of-life logistics. He thought about cremation, but didn’t like the idea of pumping gases into the atmosphere, said his son, David.”

Oh please.


7 posted on 10/14/2010 8:12:08 AM PDT by headstamp 2 ("My Boss is a Jewish Carpenter")
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To: SQUID

Cowboy Rule #1. ALWAYS drink upstream from the herd.


8 posted on 10/14/2010 8:15:30 AM PDT by rickb308 (Nothing good ever came from someone yelling "Allah Snackbar")
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To: ALinArleta

My grandmother’s funeral was $12,000, so $4000 doesn’t sound so bad. But yeah, I get what you are saying. I actually like this concept and am considering it myself (hopefully won’t need it for many more years!), but my consideration has nothing to do with Mother Earth.


9 posted on 10/14/2010 8:22:03 AM PDT by goodwithagun (My gun has killed fewer people than Ted Kennedy's car.)
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To: SQUID

Too funny, unfortunately I bet you mean it.

I guess animal feces, rotting orgainics and the plethora of bateria normal in the woods aren’t a risk?

I mean, nature ain’t exactly sterile.

Hikers who drink runoff or stream water w/o proper treatment are asking for disease.

Digging a hole in the mountain and tucking in in a corpse is a significant departure from critters dying and beeing scattered about, actually, probably safer than the latter.

My only concern would be proper siting to minimize erosion.


10 posted on 10/14/2010 8:23:14 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War" (my spelling is generally korrect!))
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To: greatdefender
We decided years ago not to go the mortuary route. Where we live, we can bury loved ones on our own property within 24 hours of death, provided no autopsy is needed and no communicable disease was involved.

No embalming fluid, $10,000.00 casket, or creepy funeral home for us. It will be a celebration of life, not a gloom and doom crying fest.

The current funeral ritual in the U.S. is one of the most gruesome (and one of the biggest rackets), in the world, IMO.

11 posted on 10/14/2010 8:23:17 AM PDT by teenyelliott (www.thewaterrock.com)
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To: teenyelliott

I am interested in this concept. What can you tell me about it in greater detail? What State? Etc.


12 posted on 10/14/2010 8:25:19 AM PDT by Manly Warrior (US ARMY (Ret), "No Free Lunches for the Dogs of War" (my spelling is generally korrect!))
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To: SQUID

“Hikers drink water from runoff and other nearby water sources. Disease anyone?”

Honestly? Anyone drinking surface water without treating it first, is looking for disease regardless.

http://www.dhpe.org/infect/giardiasis.html
The Giardia parasite is found in every region of the United States and throughout the world. Giardiasis occurs often in mountainous areas where water supplies from lakes, ponds, or streams have become contaminated with animal droppings or human waste.

Yahoo Search:
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG7m0WHbdMdUYAQIpXNyoA;_ylc=X1MDMjc2NjY3OQRfcgMyBGFvAzAEZnIDbXktbXl5BGhvc3RwdmlkA2Zxam5NRW9HN3Y0aHlhWjJUSWFVS0E1cXhfaWxBMHkzSFJZQUF3d1EEbl9ncHMDMARuX3ZwcwMwBG9yaWdpbgNzcnAEcXVlcnkDR2lhcmRpYSBhbmQgQ3J5cHRvc3BvcmlkaXVtBHNhbwMxBHZ0ZXN0aWQD?p=Giardia+and+Cryptosporidium&fr2=sb-top&fr=my-myy&rd=pref


13 posted on 10/14/2010 8:28:56 AM PDT by rickb308 (Nothing good ever came from someone yelling "Allah Snackbar")
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To: greatdefender

“Our bodies don’t belong to us. They belong to nature.”

Then nature needs to issue a recall on your thinking parts.


14 posted on 10/14/2010 8:31:37 AM PDT by IronJack (=)
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To: teenyelliott
Amen, it makes me sick to think my family would spend $$$ on such foolishness. I like cremation, it's quick, sterile, and takes up no space once reduced to ashes. Why people want to doll up their dead, putrefying bodies is weird to me.
15 posted on 10/14/2010 8:34:15 AM PDT by pepperdog (Why are Democrats Afraid of the Military Vote?)
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To: cripplecreek

I keep telling my sons to drag me out back and throw me in a ditch.


16 posted on 10/14/2010 8:34:36 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: SQUID

Are you series?


17 posted on 10/14/2010 8:45:18 AM PDT by proud2beconservativeinNJ ("In God We Trust")
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To: rickb308
Listen tough guy, I've been in more back country than you can imagine. Don't turn my mountains into a damn cemetery. I don't want to see your family putting up your sorry memorabilia in my mountains or fields.

If you people really want to not be a burden to nature then maybe you would reconsider living because every day you spend on this earth eating, drinking, clothing yourself, housing yourself, warming yourself, cooling yourself, entertaining yourself and defecating you are a burden.

18 posted on 10/14/2010 8:48:57 AM PDT by SQUID
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To: teenyelliott
The current funeral ritual in the U.S. is one of the most gruesome (and one of the biggest rackets), in the world, IMO.

Yes, it's really obscene how otherwise financially sensible people are made to feel obligated to participate in these colossal wastes of money. I definitely plan to look into alternatives.
19 posted on 10/14/2010 8:55:38 AM PDT by Welsh Rabbit
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To: ALinArleta; Revolting cat!

Double-cross the mob and your body will be disposed of without a trace for FREE!


20 posted on 10/14/2010 9:00:05 AM PDT by a fool in paradise (Ask yourself,where does Saudi Arabia fit on a scale of "passive" to "moderate" to "extremist" Islam?)
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