GOING GREEN TO THE GRAVE

One's desire to heal the planet need'nt be stopped by death. In Australia a funeral company is offering the green crowd an eco-friendly coffin in which to exit. The boxes are made of wood fiber, 90% of which is derived from recycled materials; natural glue holds them together.

In the U.S., woodland cemeteries are another way the funeral industry has gone green. Here are a few more paths to an environmentally correct afterlife.

FREEZE-DRIED FUNERAL
In Sweden, you body can be dipped in liquid nitrogen, become brittle, then turn to dust. Remains are placed in a shallow grave, where they would nourish the earth faster than they would with other burials.

SLEEP WITH THE FISHES
A U.S. company, Eternal Reefs, puts remains in a module that mimics a coral reef. The reef balls, which last 500 years, are then dropped into the ocean to create new marine habitats.

BAD TEETH, BAD TOXINS
By 2012, half the creamtoriums in Birtain will have filters that reduce the emission of mercury, which is used for dental fillings.The toxic metal can cause severe pollution when vaporized.

A DIAMOND IS FOREVER
Cremation conserves land, so companies have developed ways to reuse remains. LifeGem captures carbon from ashes to create shiny synthetic diamonds that can cost up to $20,000.


(Source: Abstracted from TIMEMAG by:Elisabeth Salemme)