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Recycling Graves

post #1 of 21
4/13/05 at 10:19am
Thread Starter 
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050413/w041308.html

The policy limits the burial period for all deceased to 15 years and exhumes the dead to make room for more dead bodies. The remains of 18,000 dead people exhumed in the first, year-long stage of the program and the bones are cremated in most cases, and placed in niches in a vault. Unidentified remains are kept for three years, and then scattered at sea.

Thought this might be interesting bit of news.
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post #2 of 21
4/13/05 at 10:35am
This was bound to happen sooner or later, really how long can we go burying people and not run out of room in cemetaries? There is only so much room available. This is one of the reasons that I will be cemated when I die not the biggest but one of them.
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post #3 of 21
4/13/05 at 10:37am
I know that we will run out of room, which is why I prefer to be cremated - I dont want my remains to be dug up 15 years later and be traumatic to my loved ones. Its easier to cremate and scatter in a favourite spot.
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post #4 of 21
4/13/05 at 10:48am
not to mention that cremation is less expensive than having the body made up and dressed super nice, only to be put in the soil. Also, let's assume that one was to be buried, they charge so much for the coffins, and then they dig them back out and reuse them anyway. I'd rather just be draped over with a sheet and set aflame. Chances are I'm not gonna know if I'm in a silk lined crate made out of cedar, anyhow-so what do I care? And, I'm claustrophobic, so really if I was cogniscent in death, I'd not want to spend it staring up at 2 feet of silk lined darkness for all eternity.. I'd rather get thrown all over the place.

Save money on the funeral, burn me and dump me into the bayou from whence I came or somethin.
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post #5 of 21
4/13/05 at 10:51am
Germany has been recycling graves for decades, a practice I first found strange, until I realized that there simply isn't enough space for eternal graves. Our town has found that the soil isn't conducive to fast decomposition, and is now building a system of "grave chambers" that speed up the process, and encouraging cremation. Many German cities have introduced mass, anonymous grave sites to deal with the problem.
The idea takes some getting used to for people from countries without very high population densities, but makes perfect sense to those who know that "space is at a premium".
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post #6 of 21
4/13/05 at 1:01pm
That is the dumbest thing I have every heard!!!!!
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post #7 of 21
4/13/05 at 1:22pm
Makes sense to me... and was bound to happen sooner or later. And in places like New York, you are not really buried in the ground anyway -- yes, it's underground, but it's in what they call a vault (so the body does not decompose into the ground and then the water table). Vault are mandatory and you have to pay for it, and then you have to pay for it to be opened and placed in the ground (and the coffin goes inside it). Cemetaries fill up and we're running out of room, so "recycling" graves is going to become a necessity unless everyone decides on cremation.

Personally, I'm all for cremation and was raised by two parents who believed in it as well.
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post #8 of 21
4/13/05 at 1:48pm
They did that at the top half of the cemetry where my parents lived and these were really old graves dating back to the 1800's, but like it's been said it's bound to happen sooner or later.

I'm wanting to be cremated anyway.
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post #9 of 21
4/13/05 at 2:24pm
Its not that much different from the tombs in New Orleans. After a year or so, the dust and bones are pushed back into a pit, to make room for the next entombment. How do you think that they've gotten 300 years worth of one family into ONE tomb?

Paris' catacombs are giant ossuaries, filled with the bones of the long-dead, stacked and arranged quite artistically.

Cremation for me, though. Makes a lot more sense, than burial - cheaper too.
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post #10 of 21
4/13/05 at 3:07pm
What's sad for me is the history that is lost. I'm one of those people who love visiting old cemetaries for the artistic headstones and statues, and for the history. But cemetaries are really there for the living and not the dead. Personally, I think it would be better for all involved if we didn't insist that the buried be so pumped full of chemicals that they won't decompose for decades and let nature take it's course. Decomposing bodies, of people or animals or plant matter, has always and still does go into the water tables.
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post #11 of 21
4/13/05 at 4:56pm
Frankly, I find that very disturbing. As for cremation, I do not support it at all.

Despite the fact that Protestant is stated on my birth record (whatever that means), and although I am not religious, many of my personal beliefs reflect those established in Jewish law, which I've learned through studying a number of religions.

Following are a few issues with respect to cremation in Judaism which make complete sense to me. Attached is an interesting article and below, a quick Q&A.

http://www.aish.com/societywork/scie.../Cremation.asp

__________

Question

Is cremation of the dead acceptable under Jewish law? If not, why not, as per "dust to dust and ashes to ashes?

Answer

Cremation is prohibited by Jewish law.

Main Reason
Jews show "kavod" (honor) for the body that housed the spirit and the breath of God.

Another Reason
Too many Jews were burned to death over the centuries - during the Inquistion, in the wooden synagogues and ghettoes of Europe, in Nazi ovens during the Holocaust. It is in appropriate for us to willingly add to the cremation of our people.

Minor Reason
I was told by a funeral director that very often there are "cremains" from a previous cremation added to those given to the mourner, and some of the mourner's "cremains" given to the next mourner. It's not intentional; it is due to the nature of the process and the person hired to work the ovens.
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post #12 of 21
4/13/05 at 7:47pm
I decided about a year ago that I was leaving my body to science after I read the wonderful book by Mary Roach "Stiff". It is a hysterically funny but respectful book. Leaving one's body to science is the ultimate recycling. For example did you know that crash test dummies aren't always, well dummies, but corpses?

Here's a link to the book, it's available in paperback as well.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...958344-0340600
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post #13 of 21
4/13/05 at 7:52pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mom of Franz
I decided about a year ago that I was leaving my body to science after I read the wonderful book by Mary Roach "Stiff". It is a hysterically funny but respectful book. Leaving one's body to science is the ultimate recycling. For example did you know that crash test dummies aren't always, well dummies, but corpses?
That was a good book.
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post #14 of 21
4/14/05 at 8:13am
Yep, I decided to donate my body to a medical school or other science institution as well. I feel that land is so important to the living (human and non-human living) that I don't want to take up a portion with my corpse. And I know that donating my body will also help the living. I mean, I'll be done with it by then , so why not?
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post #15 of 21
4/14/05 at 7:53pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Obi
Yep, I decided to donate my body to a medical school or other science institution as well. I feel that land is so important to the living (human and non-human living) that I don't want to take up a portion with my corpse. And I know that donating my body will also help the living. I mean, I'll be done with it by then , so why not?

YEAH! Maybe we'll be crash test dummies together!
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post #16 of 21
4/20/05 at 6:00pm
I have chosen to be cremated or my body will be donated to science my parents have explicit instructions to do either one of these shall I die before them, Honsetly I think its quite vain to consider being dressed up,and having your body placed in a wood casket ( that trees had to die for ) lined with silk, so your family can pay thousands to come visit your dead body once a year. I know that sounds harsh but to me its just not worth it! So go ahead and exume these bodies and stop taking up my land!
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post #17 of 21
4/20/05 at 6:05pm
i'd much rather be fed to the lions than buried. what a waste of money!

plant a tree in my memory or place a plaque on a bench if you want a sign that i exsisted.
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post #18 of 21
4/21/05 at 2:37am
well, this is obviously bound to happen, although not nice for thoughs who have family burried there's nothing you can do about it.
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post #19 of 21
4/22/05 at 6:49am
For those in favour of cremation - have you considered how much greenhouse gas is released every time a body is burnt? It's not very environmentally friendly I think.

There is an alternative to the traditional graveyard, which is becoming more widely available - the green burial ground. There are no headstones, it's usually in wet ground (where flesh decomposes quickly) and to mark the place, a tree is planted. You can also have a cardboard coffin (don't worry, they're made from strong card!) which you can have painted if you want. These are cheaper than wood, and also rot down a lot quicker. I'd like one of these, painted with pictures of all my pets. I have seen them painted up to look like cars, planes, idyllic countryside scenes, they can look really nice. And because they're cheaper, you can leave the difference in cost to your favourite cat charity!

My final point is, that whatever you choose for the disposal of your remains, make sure you make a will, and put your choice in the will.

Sue
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post #20 of 21
4/22/05 at 8:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by millyanddaisy
For those in favour of cremation - have you considered how much greenhouse gas is released every time a body is burnt? It's not very environmentally friendly I think.

There is an alternative to the traditional graveyard, which is becoming more widely available - the green burial ground. There are no headstones, it's usually in wet ground (where flesh decomposes quickly) and to mark the place, a tree is planted. You can also have a cardboard coffin (don't worry, they're made from strong card!) which you can have painted if you want. These are cheaper than wood, and also rot down a lot quicker. I'd like one of these, painted with pictures of all my pets. I have seen them painted up to look like cars, planes, idyllic countryside scenes, they can look really nice. And because they're cheaper, you can leave the difference in cost to your favourite cat charity!

My final point is, that whatever you choose for the disposal of your remains, make sure you make a will, and put your choice in the will.

Sue
I have never heard of that alternative, but it sounds like a good option. Is it widely available?
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post #21 of 21
4/22/05 at 12:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rockcat
I have never heard of that alternative, but it sounds like a good option. Is it widely available?
It might just be a European thing currently. I know some are being opened in Germany, but that they've met with opposition by some traditional churches because they're supposedly too "pagan", and funeral home directors, who'll presumably earn less.
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