the earth laughs in flowers.: August 2010

Death. We don't want to talk about it, but it's a natural part of everyone's cycle on earth. In modern U.S. society (generally in the last 100 years), the dead are embalmbed with carcinogenic chemicals, placed in a casket made of rainforest wood, and then buried in the earth, left to slowly decompose and release toxic chemicals back into the soil and groundwater. This is all done for the sake of family or friends who seem to need that last "mental picture" of their loved one. A mental picture of a loved one stuffed with chemicals and painted with makeup to look "natural." A mental picture that costs upwards of $10,000. In the end, is it really worth it?

Green burials are the alternative choice. Before embalming chemicals were invented in the mid 19th century, green burials were the norm, except of course they were just called burials without the need for the green adjective. When one died, they were wrapped in a shroud or placed in a simple wooden box and buried in the ground, their bodies left to return to the earth, naturally. Green burials simply acknowledge that the end of life is decomposition and decay.

Contemporary embalming methods came to be practiced more often after the American Civial War. Dr. Thomas Holmes was commissioned by the army to embalm the corpses of officers to return home to their families. Then, in 1867, the German chemist August Wilhelm von Hoffman discovered formaldehyde, which became the foundation for modern methods of embalming. The following is an excerpt from a Wikipedia article about the emabalming of a corpse, which thorougly reveals how quite unnatural the process is:

The corpse is washed in disinfectant and germicidal solutions...The embalmber bends, flexes, and massages the arms and legs to relieve rigor mortis. The eyes are posed using an eye cap that keeps them shut and in the proper expression. The mouth may be closed via suturing with a needle and ligature, using an adhesive, or by setting a wire into the maxilla and mandible with a needle injector...Care is taken to make the expression look as relaxed and natural as possible ("Embalming").

Going green: Being aware of the environment, and as humans, being aware of ourselves within a larger ecosystem and our existence that tends to be harmful on the earth. Several chemicals are found in an embalmed corpse including formaldehyde (a class 1 carcinogen), glutaraldehyde, phenol, methanol, antibiotics, dyes, preservatives, additives, disinfectants, and sanitizing agents, which are all pumped into the corpse via the blood vessels. As the body decomposes, the chemicals leak into the soil. Coffins used to bury the deceased are generally made from more expensive wood that is transported from far away and covered in non-biodegradable laquers.

So, who wants to have a green burial? I do. In the U.S., there are no laws stating that a body has to embalmed. Generally, a green burial costs thousands less than a traditional funeral and it is also more intimate for the family. Imagine having your funeral service in a forest of your native state, surrounded by the sounds of nature. Each state has different regulations, but in general, a body cannot be embalmed to be buried in a natural burial ground or nature preserve. Usually, the land is kept in an untouched state where the bodies can be returned to nature. The coffins are made of local lumber or the deceased is wrapped in a shroud, and instead of a headstone, an indigenous rock or a tree planted by the family is preferred. In terms of floral arrangements, vases, containers, oasis, and wires are not accepted at a green burial as they do not decompose. However, loose flowers (tied with rafia as needed, a biodegradeable grass) are preferred. At Ben White Florist, we are happy to offer alternatives for green burials other than the traditional funeral flowers, including a wide variety of loose flowers that we can tie with rafia if needed. Looking toward the future, green burials are definitely an option to be considered for yourself, your family, and for the earth.