Environmental consciousness is a lifelong effort, but Dr. Jennifer Flinn, a professor of psychology at Frostburg State University, made it clear that people can continue to be "green," even in death. She admitted that the topic of her lecture was unusual, that most people fail to think of their own funerals. The sun shining through the many windows of room 244 in the Lane University Center made the concept even more difficult to imagine. The coziness of the warm, sunny room created a friendly atmosphere, one in which it was almost exciting to think of the various possibilities Dr. Flinn discussed concerning death.
She made her audience aware that they could be kind to the earth with some green burial options at her presentation "Forever Green-Sustainable Burials" the afternoon of Friday, April 20, during the Focus Frostburg events. Dr. Flinn became interested in alternative burial options when she conducted research in developmental psychology. She became aware of the significant amount of resources that is required for traditional burials. To preserve bodies, approximately 800,000 gallons of embalming fluid are used every year in the United States. To build coffins, millions of trees are cut down annually. "It's a lot of energy and resources going toward what is essentially a hole in the ground," Dr. Flinn exclaimed.
One method that helps to conserve valuable energy and resources is a natural burial. This involves eliminating all harmful chemicals used in the preservation of the body. The casket is constructed form biodegradable materials. Dr. Flinn directed her audience's attention to her PowerPoint presentation, which included pictures of caskets appropriate for such a burial. Some of them resembled sleeping bags, and one was made of wicker. Dr. Flinn claimed she found the wicker one "particularly elaborate," and proceeded to explain that any biodegradable casket could be made as elaborate as a person would like.
Opting out of purchasing a traditional casket for a deceased loved one may strike some people as disrespectful to the dead, but the practice of expensive funeral procedures is actually a new concept that began in the 1800s. Prior to the existence of funeral directors and expensive coffins, the dead were buried by their families, without the use of any chemicals. The resurgence of natural burials has only recently begun; it started in the United Kingdom, particularly in the Carlisle Cemetery, in 1993. Natural burials have started to gain popularity in the United States. They are popular enough to have warranted specific plots of land: hybrid burial grounds, natural burial grounds, and conservation burial grounds. To be buried in each type of burial ground, the materials used must meet specific guidelines according to the Green Burial Council.
There are other Earth-friendly options to consider besides burial. One is offered through Eternal Reefs. Cremated remains are used to create an artificial coral reef that will be home to various life underwater. Some such reefs have even been submerged in the Chesapeake Bay. Dr. Flinn favors this option. Her family vacations at a lake, and she would like that body of water to be the location of her reef. She is unsure whether her family would actually want to dive to visit her reef, however, since "it's a lake, and it's got all sorts of fun stuff in it," she said grimacing.
Yet another way to give back to the earth in death is offered through a Swedish burial company, Promessa. Their method involves freezing the deceased body, submerging it in liquid nitrogen, and shattering it. Dr. Flinn brought it to the audience's attention that this is similar to a death that occurs in Terminator 2 to provide a better visualization. Water and metals are removed from the remains, which are now a powder. The powder is placed in a cornstarch coffin. Dr. Flinn thought that this method might seem too strange to some people. "Now that sounds a little odd; okay, why would we want to be in a cornstarch coffin?" The point of this method, however, is to be buried in soil that will be enriched by the remains, making it a prime location to plant a tree or other plant.
At the conclusion of the lecture, Dr. Flinn directed her audience's attention to the three students who created the handout "Living Green, Dying Green" distributed at the beginning of the presentation: Marcus Carter, Erin Eve, and Rachel K. Skipper. Eve asked those present whether, after sitting through the presentation, they would consider any of the environmentally friendly burial alternatives. The majority of hands shot instantly into the air. "Well, mission accomplished!" laughed Eve.
Of the three, Rachel K. Skipper seemed to have the strongest opinion formed concerning what should happen to her body after she dies. "So I want to be killed like the Terminator."
"No, not like the Terminator, the Terminator's nemesis," said Eve, smiling.
"Er, I mean his nemesis," stammered Skipper, though her opinion was unwavering.
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