In Repose Blog

Are Humans REALLY Destroying Earth?

I am an outdoors kind of gal.

I like visiting the city. I like my modern conveniences. I like my warm dry house. But I am happiest when I am outside, on the back of a horse in a grassy field of wildflowers, wind in my hair and watching the sun go down behind the clouds. I have always cared about the land and the creatures that live upon it. I feel quite aligned with the dirt and even the rocks and the weather cycles like drought or storms. I truly feel connected to this planet.

I recycle. I conserve water. I don't use chemicals at all if I can help it. No pesticides, no herbicides. NO CHEM LAWN.

I have been reading about our "Global Warming Crisis" for years. I have been uneasy about much of what I have read. I was especially taken with the "hockey stick debate", and began to do a bit of research. Then I began to do a little more.

Some of the details I have read are astounding to say the least. Especially about temperature measuring stations, and the utter human disaster we have created by the use of bio-fuels.

I have just read perhaps the clearest, most concise article yet on this subject written by a renowned environmental consultant and climatology professor named Dr. Tim Ball. I urge you to take a few minutes and read his article Biofuel Madness: Environmentalism exploited for political purposes.

Green Burial Factoid

Joe Sehee, executive director of the Green Burial Council, provides today's Factoid.

"Each year we bury more metal in cemeteries than was used to make the Golden Gate Bridge."

Living and Dying Green

While reading the Green Burial Council's FAQ section and their recommendations regarding environmentally friendly burial options, I was a bit taken aback by this sentence:

"For the time being, we suggest that people with dental fillings who expect to be cremated in the near future consider having their fillings removed."

The concern being mercury pollution, obviously. But ouch, do I really want to go in for dental work during my last days on earth?  Would you? Reading this DID make me imagine making the call for an appointment to my dentist.

"Tammy? Hi. Its Candace. You know I have that cremation thing coming up. Yes, uh huh, yeah, you know how busy schedules can get this time of year. Hey, I was just looking over my last-minute list of things to do and I think I better get that filling removed from that lower molar before its too late. Do you have any openings next week with Dr. Cole? Thursday? OK. Can we make it in the afternoon? Yeah, I really feel like sleeping in."

There are more ways to dying green than you might think, and more options available every day for the environmentalist who wants their last mortal act to honor mother earth. Tomorrow I'll talk about a company that offers to turn your cremains into plant food. I am not kidding.

In the meantime, for more information on eco-friendly funerals you can visit our In Repose Resource Forum where Kat DeLong has a new article entitled appropriately enough, Dying Green