Some people endeavor to live an eco-friendly life. But why should your environmental activism stop just because you die? California legislators are debating a bill that would give morticians permission to dispose of corpses in a relatively new way—one in harmony with nature—known as “water cremation.”
Here’s how San Francisco’s NPR station, KQED, describes the green alternative to cremation or burial:
The process, known technically as alkaline hydrolysis, leaves behind bones, which can be crushed and put into urns. Oh yes, and a big batch of flesh soup. The process is already legal in more than a dozen states.
Of course, as with most efforts to preen green, this one will cost you (or your heirs, if you haven’t made arrangements). Water cremation is some $150 to $500 more than traditional cremation.
Some religious groups are opposed to “biocremation,” saying that liquidating grandma in a hot chemical brew fails to treat the dead with dignity. But other religious folks—those who worship Mother Earth—may see it as a viable and virtuous alternative to cremation emissions and energy use.
The water cremation bill passed California’s assembly in June. If it passes the senate and is signed into law by the governor, according to KQED, “Californians could choose to dissolve loved ones by 2020.”
