A burial practice that nourishes the planet | Caitlin Doughty

Summary

The speaker humorously discusses unconventional end-of-life options, such as exposure burial, and criticizes the environmental impact of traditional funeral practices. They advocate for eco-friendly alternatives like 'Recomposition,' which turns bodies into soil, and 'conservation burial,' which integrates the deceased into nature, protecting land and promoting a more sustainable approach to death.

Takeaways

• 🐾 The speaker prefers a natural end-of-life process where their body is left to be consumed by animals, a practice known as exposure burial.
• 🌏 Exposure burial has historical and cultural precedents, such as 'sky burials' in Tibet and 'Towers of Silence' among the Parsi in India.
• 🚫 The speaker's proposed method for their body after death is not currently legal but is being considered as an alternative to traditional burial and cremation.
• 🌱 The speaker, a vegetarian and funeral industry professional, suggests that as an animal, they should contribute to the natural cycle by being eaten after death.
• 💀 The funeral industry promotes the idea of human exceptionalism, focusing on the protection, sanitation, and beautification of the corpse, often at the expense of the environment.
• 🔬 The industry uses resources like concrete, metal, and hardwoods for burial vaults and caskets, which are detrimental to the environment.
• 💉 Embalming, a common practice in the funeral industry, involves the use of toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, which can be harmful to both people and the environment.
• 🎭 The funeral industry often 'beautifies' the dead, using makeup and dyes to create an illusion of life, which can be seen as dishonest about the natural process of decay.
• 🌿 There is a growing movement towards more eco-friendly death practices, including composting the dead and conservation burials that contribute positively to the environment.
• 🌳 'Recomposition' is a proposed system where bodies are transformed into soil, allowing for a natural return to the earth and the potential to nourish new life, such as trees.
• 🏞️ Conservation burials involve burying bodies in a way that protects and preserves land, preventing development and promoting the growth of native plants and animals.

Q & A

What is the speaker's personal preference for their body after death?

The speaker prefers their body to be laid out to be eaten by animals, a practice not strictly legal at the moment but with historical precedents.

What cultural practices are mentioned in the script that involve leaving the dead to be consumed by animals?

The script mentions 'sky burial' in Tibet and the practice of 'Towers of Silence' by the Parsi religion in Mumbai, India.

What are the common death traditions in America as described in the script?

The common death traditions in America are chemical embalming followed by burial at a local cemetery or, more recently, cremation.

Why does the speaker, a vegetarian, believe in giving animals 'their turn' after their death?

The speaker, being a vegetarian, sees a reciprocal relationship with animals, having consumed them in the past, and now believes in returning the favor by allowing their body to be consumed after death.

What is the speaker's profession and how has it influenced their views on death practices?

The speaker has worked in the funeral industry for nine years in various roles, including as a crematory operator, mortician, and funeral home owner, which has given them insight into the industry's practices and environmental impact.

How does the speaker describe the economic model of the funeral industry?

The speaker describes the funeral industry's economic model as being based on the principle of protection, sanitation, and beautification of the corpse, which is a multi-billion-dollar industry.

What are the environmental issues associated with traditional burial practices as mentioned in the script?

Traditional burial practices waste resources such as concrete, metal, and hardwoods, and involve the use of toxic chemicals like formaldehyde in embalming, which is harmful to the environment.

What is 'Recomposition' and how does it differ from cremation?

Recomposition is a system being developed by Katrina Spade that involves composting the dead. Unlike cremation, which uses a significant amount of natural gas, recomposition reduces the body to soil within four to six weeks, using a nutrient-rich mixture.

How does the script suggest that recomposed bodies can benefit the environment?

The script suggests that recomposed bodies can nourish trees and other plants, allowing the deceased to become a post-mortem contributor to the environment, unlike traditional cremation ashes which can harm trees if not distributed correctly.

What is 'conservation burial' and how does it differ from traditional cemeteries?

Conservation burial involves planting bodies in land purchased by a land trust, preventing development and preserving the land. It avoids embalming, uses biodegradable caskets or shrouds, and does not require large vaults, allowing the dead to blend seamlessly into the landscape.

What are the benefits of conservation cemeteries as described in the script?

Conservation cemeteries offer dedicated green space, reintroduce native plants and animals, provide public trails and spaces for spiritual practice and events, and allow for the natural decomposition of bodies in a way that benefits the soil.