By Will Dunham
Green cemeteries are quickly catching on in popularity among people who are planning their end-of-life process. To date, there are around 200 tracts of land that have been developed as green cemeteries in the United States alone. There are also such natural burial grounds being developed in other countries across Europe.
There are many reasons why natural burial is growing in popularity. Many people have now even begun to consider them as a better choice to traditional burials. Three of the most important reasons why green cemeteries are a better choice than burial in traditional cemeteries are listed below.
1. Burial in these cemeteries is more inexpensive than traditional plots. It usually takes thousands of dollars to fund a traditional burial. The family of the deceased will have to spend on pricey bronze caskets complete with trimmings, a plot of land in a cemetery, the concrete vault that will hold the casket, the headstone, and other things needed for a burial. The costs for these can add up to thousands of dollars.
Burial in green cemeteries, by comparison, often costs only a fraction of how much it takes to be buried in a traditional cemetery. Caskets and burial vaults are not needed. Also, instead of headstones, administrators of green cemeteries usually require planting a tree over the grave.
2. Burial in green cemeteries are environment-friendly. Bronze caskets and their metallic trimmings, the concrete vault, the headstone and other things needed for a traditional burial make use of non-renewable resources. These non-renewable resources are also non-biodegradable. In addition, the embalming process in traditional burials makes use of chemicals that can be toxic to the environment.
On the other hand, these cemeteries do not require the use of caskets or concrete vaults. If a casket is to be used in burying the body, it should be made of a material that is biodegradable. More often than not, a shroud is all that is needed for the burial. Also, the use of toxic embalming fluids is highly discouraged in natural burials so they would not seep into the ground.
3. Burial in green cemeteries promote the natural cycle of life. Even Christians, who first promoted the now traditional casket burials, believe that we will all return to the ashes from which we were made when we die. More than just a religious phrase, the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" refers to the natural cycle of life.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2898967
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For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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Green cemeteries are quickly catching on in popularity among people who are planning their end-of-life process. To date, there are around 200 tracts of land that have been developed as green cemeteries in the United States alone. There are also such natural burial grounds being developed in other countries across Europe.
There are many reasons why natural burial is growing in popularity. Many people have now even begun to consider them as a better choice to traditional burials. Three of the most important reasons why green cemeteries are a better choice than burial in traditional cemeteries are listed below.
1. Burial in these cemeteries is more inexpensive than traditional plots. It usually takes thousands of dollars to fund a traditional burial. The family of the deceased will have to spend on pricey bronze caskets complete with trimmings, a plot of land in a cemetery, the concrete vault that will hold the casket, the headstone, and other things needed for a burial. The costs for these can add up to thousands of dollars.
Burial in green cemeteries, by comparison, often costs only a fraction of how much it takes to be buried in a traditional cemetery. Caskets and burial vaults are not needed. Also, instead of headstones, administrators of green cemeteries usually require planting a tree over the grave.
2. Burial in green cemeteries are environment-friendly. Bronze caskets and their metallic trimmings, the concrete vault, the headstone and other things needed for a traditional burial make use of non-renewable resources. These non-renewable resources are also non-biodegradable. In addition, the embalming process in traditional burials makes use of chemicals that can be toxic to the environment.
On the other hand, these cemeteries do not require the use of caskets or concrete vaults. If a casket is to be used in burying the body, it should be made of a material that is biodegradable. More often than not, a shroud is all that is needed for the burial. Also, the use of toxic embalming fluids is highly discouraged in natural burials so they would not seep into the ground.
3. Burial in green cemeteries promote the natural cycle of life. Even Christians, who first promoted the now traditional casket burials, believe that we will all return to the ashes from which we were made when we die. More than just a religious phrase, the term "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" refers to the natural cycle of life.
We are meant to return to the earth when we die so that our bodies can help in supporting new life. Supporting new life is what we do when we choose to be buried in green cemeteries. Many people believe that this is a much more meaningful end to a life.
There are many green burial choices available. The most important decision is whether the person will have a burial or be cremated. If the person is buried will it be traditional or in a green cemetery. If cremated will their ashes be scattered or buried. Scattering ashes [http://www.scatteringashes.net] is a wonderful route for a memorial service. By choosing cremation, the person has already chosen a more green route than traditional burial. The burial urn is not so much the issue, as burial of a metal casket and toxins are a not good for the environment. I hope this had given you soon useful information. Thank you for reading.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Will_DunhamArticle Source: http://EzineArticles.com/2898967
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For more information, you might enjoy reading my book, More Than Meets the Eye True Stories about Death, Dying, and Afterlife. Purchase paperback on Amazon.com. It's also on Amazon as an e-book for those who have Kindle or Sony Readers. The audio book is now available!
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