GPS Used To Find Graves In Eco-Burial Sites

Narrative Fallacy writes "Relatives and friends will use a satellite navigation device to find graves of loved ones in Australia's eco-burial site on bushland attached to Lismore Memorial Park Cemetery, in New South Wales. Reflecting a worldwide trend towards environmentally friendly burials, the deceased will be buried in biodegradable coffins between gum trees in a protected koala sanctuary. 'It's an ideal way of utilizing land and helping wildlife and vegetation,' said Kris Whitney, Lismore Council coordinator of cemeteries. 'A family can walk around the bushland and pick a site. The body can be oriented in any direction. We promise there will be no internments within five meters. We'll record accurate GPS co-ordinates.' Families visiting graves would be lent a satellite navigation device. This will be Australia's fourth 'natural burial site' with existing sites in Tasmania, Victoria, and Western Australia."

Comments

Fabulous Idea

[bluemetal]

I for one think this is fantastic. It gives one the opportunity to be buried in a way that is helpful to the environment, in a way, peacefully restore yourself to the earth, and at the same time give your family the satisfaction of knowing where you are buried. I for one like the idea that I could put my hand on a nearby tree and say that someone I loved is now a part of that tree. It may sound all fluffy-puffy, but the fact is, burials have always been charged with all sorts of religious and spiritual notions. I believe for a good number of people, this type of burial would satisfy those notions indeed.

Re:rotting carcass

[value_added]

As long as these people are peaceful, let them have their beliefs, as it does not hinder what happens.

My own preference is to be buried in an unfinished pine box somewhere in my backyard, preferrably under a big tree (for the shade, of course) or a garden of some sort, but California prohibited that kind of thing a hundred years ago. So much for allowing personal beliefs. ;-) Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if burying one's pets in a similar natural, eco-friendly manner is just as illegal.

Anyone familiar with different funeral traditions knows the subject is complex, and often inseperable from one's upbringing or culture. The Orthodox (the folks who cross themselves east to west), for example, don't believe in cremation, and the church canon expressly prohibits it. IIRC, it was only recently that Greece (a country with mostly rock as soil) allowed cremations to take place, but only for the minority that isn't Orthodox.

For most westerners, I suppose, the subject doesn't evoke strong opinions one way or the other, save for the excesses of those choosing to be buried a '57 Cadillac, or more typically, in silk-lined, stainless steel, hermetically-sealed coffins.

I want a SPECTACULAR EXTRAVAGANZA!

[spun]

Okay, bear with me here. This is a bit complicated, as it involves bungie cords and dirigibles.

First I'll need a medium sized hydrogen filled aerostat. It doesn't actually have to be a dirigible, any old hydrogen filled aerostat will do. If several thousand dollars worth of fireworks could be hung from the outside, that would be lovely.

Next, I'll need about a thousand feet of bungie cord, a suit made of cotton padding or wick like material, and several gallons of gasoline. Put my corpse in the suit. Attach one end of the bungie cord to the dirigible and the other to my corpse. Securely fasten my corpse to the ground with some sort of quick release mechanism.

Douse my corpse in gasoline. Let the dirigible go until the bungie cord is nice and taut. Light my corpse, and activate the quick release.

If all goes well, my flaming corpse will shoot into the sky and collide with the hydrogen filled, fireworks encased dirigible. Hopefully the resulting explosion will vaporize my body so that not too many steaming gibbets fall back on the amazed crowd.

And that, my friends, is what I would like for my funeral.