Cremation why not

This setup takes less time and requires less wood than a traditional pyre. Right now, about 50 such units are spread around nine Indian states. According to Anshul Garg, the director of Mokshda Green Cremation System, one metal pyre can handle around 45 cremations a day.

The system also lowers the amount of wood needed from about to pounds for a conventional cremation to to pounds. Though there has been some resistance to this non-traditional method, Garg says, people are more open to the Mokshda system now than they were in the s. More than , cremations have taken place on Mokshda pyres in India, saving more than , trees, averting about 60, metric tons of ash from rivers, and releasing 60, fewer metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, according to program officer Chitra Kesarwani.

In addition, Garg says, the nonprofit has received inquiries from other countries in Africa and Asia about making their pyre cremations greener. In the U. The big environmental concerns with this type of cremation are the amount of energy it requires, and the amount of carbon dioxide emissions it produces.

Regional environmental regulations mean that most U. However, these filters do not neutralize the CO2 generated by cremating a body, including the gas generated as a by-product of heating that body up to 1, degrees Fahrenheit or more. Matthews estimates that one cremation produces an average of Given this figure, Seyler estimates that cremations in the U. Sometimes known as water cremation or aquamation , this way of dissolving a body in water is now legal in at least 18 states.

As with cremation, there are some remains left over after alkaline hydrolysis that families can keep in an urn or scatter in a special location.

And the process creates a lot of organic liquid that has some very practical uses. And a lot of sewer systems actually appreciate it, because it actually helps with the quality of the wastewater. This year, Washington State became the first in the U. And across the U. All rights reserved. Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct the consistency of the liquid left over after alkaline hydrolysis; it is not sludgy, as was previously stated.

Tell me who you might think would be a good friend of your dad's that might like to get up and say a few words," Nicodemus said. As more and more baby boomers have attended these memorials, said Nicodemus, their attitudes have changed. Just have me cremated and have a simple service somewhere. Considering the sheer number of baby boomers, Nicodemus said, those changes in attitude are another major reason for a cultural shift in funeral preferences he believes won't soon change.

What might not be so normal -- yet -- are the creative ways those ashes are being honored. They're going to do what they're going to do," Nicodemus said. Memorial art and keepsakes. Doing something memorable and lasting with the cremated ashes of a loved one is a top priority for many people, including baby boomers and their families.

A increasing number of companies are offering plenty of imaginative options from which to choose. Memorial tattoos are a growing trend in which tattoo artists mix some ashes with ink and create lasting memorials on a loved one's skin. If skin isn't your thing, you can also have your ashes mixed with paint and made into a portrait. Jewelry is easy: You can put bits of your ashes into small containers that are worn around the neck. You can also have your ashes encased in a glass art memorial.

Don't forget the little ones in the family: Some people are having their ashes put into stuffed, huggable animals. Love music? Most Religions Forbid Cremation Something we often hear from families when making funeral arrangements is that their religion forbids cremation. Depending on your religion, this may or may not be true. For instance, in religions like Judaism and Islam, cremation is not practiced. Over time, certain churches have changed their stance on the issue.

The Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church for example allow cremation but still prefer burial. One of the most misguided cremation myths is that the body is set on fire.

The cremation process uses flames to create extreme heat in a specially designed furnace.