Green | August 06, 2009 | Comment on this video (0)

Strong Roots: A Green Burial Alternative

janstur
Each year we bury our loved ones in over 22,000 cemeteries across the US

We also bury:
100,000 tons of steel
2,700 tons of copper and bronze
1,600,000 tons of reinforced concrete
827,000 gallons of embalming fluid

Some are seeking an alternative at a growing number of green cemeteries in America.

Fernwood, north of San Francisco, is one such cemetery. The facts are simple: no embalming, no metal caskets, no concrete headstones. Instead each body is wrapped in a shroud, or placed in a pine, bamboo or cardboard coffin and buried directly into the ground. A simple stone or GPS coordinate marks the spot. And with each burial more land is preserved as natural habitat for the native plants and animals. For through Fernwood's stewardship of the land, a profound story is told about the connection between nature, the cycle of life and the memorial of a loved one who has passed.

This video tells how one man chose – when the time comes – to bury is ailing father naturally.
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