tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48664272115533286682024-03-05T23:44:42.887-06:00Northwoods Casket CompanyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-54566897110114155912014-07-01T08:52:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:53:53.130-05:00Reverse Brainstorming: What is the most unsustainable funeral a person could choose?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">A creative thinking technique employed by <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/spanx-on-steroids-how-speedo-created-the-new-record-breaking-swimsuit-9662/?c=y%3Fno-ist" target="_blank">Speedo researchers in 2009</a>, <i>reverse brainstorming </i>helped the team conceptualize new designs for competitive swimwear when the company's revolutionary and controversial swim suits were banned after the record-breaking 2008 Summer Olympic games. Experts in fluid dynamics, biomechanics, and psychology envisioned a combination of oversized goggles and a body-compressing suit to create drag. Imagining the opposite of what we want can help hone our creative thinking to get closer to the results we do want.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Now imagine the company of a casket builder, a physician, a funeral director, and a pharmacist along with our wives enjoying an evening of cocktails on the patio at a local supper club. I cannot share all of the details of our reverse brainstorming on the worst funeral choices we could imagine for the environment, but the highlights are worth repeating. As for the exercise, I invite you to try reverse brainstorming this, or any, subject and experience the creativity that can result in a collaborative discussion among your family, friends, or work colleagues. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We quickly listed all funeral choices that we know are harmful in some manner to the environment or our health. Casket? Yes. Concrete Burial Vault? Yes. Embalming? Yes. Cremation? Yes. Burial Plot? Yes. Large grave stone? Yes. As we explored the details we set some boundaries for ourselves. We didn’t intend to confuse “elaborate” as the opposite of being eco-friendly. We also didn’t want to consider impractical choices nobody would ever make (like cremating a 24-karat gold casket).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Our reverse brainstorming helped us imagine the worst possible set of choices money could buy in funeral service. We concluded our evening with several good laughs and each of us took home some ideas for our own end-of-life plans. So what might the worst possible (but reasonably probable) funeral service look like from a Green perspective on funerals?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Well, there would have to be a cremation for a carbon footprint of about 600 lbs. of CO2, but not without a full service funeral with our embalmed body. After all, a large number of cremations in the U.S. are embalmed. In addition to the carbon footprint, cremation generates emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury, hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), NMVOCs, and other heavy metals, in addition to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP). For those of us metal implants or dental fillings, the impact of incineration releases harmful dioxins and mercury. There is an ongoing debate on how to address mercury poisoning from cremation which the United States EPA believes is the 3rd largest contributor of air-born mercury contamination.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Our casket would have to be an imported Indonesian natural burial casket made from seagrass. While it is biodegradable, a seagrass casket weighing 70 lbs. would have a carbon impact of more than 2500 lbs. (even more than imported stainless steel) after being shipped to an American port by ocean cargo, then air freighted to a commercial airport in the Midwest, and finally transported by truck to our funeral home. And if our seagrass came from a controversial area where fisheries were compromised by seagrass farming, even better. And if our casket could be woven by the hands of underpaid laborers (or even children) we’d be sublime.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We planned a funeral home visitation followed by a full service funeral the next day at a church for the added fuss of transporting our body and our families. After the cremation we’d have our cremated remains interred at a cemetery and another memorial service so that everybody could start their cars three times to drive to at least three locations to pay their respects during our funeral. All three of our funeral events would be thoroughly adorned with cut flowers—another industry rife with environmental and energy controversies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Our cremated remains would be interred in a concrete cremation vault in a full-sized cemetery plot next to our loved ones. We’d hope that our cemetery of choice used only the finest pesticides and herbicides to maintain a plush green lawn manicured regularly with two-stroke oil-burning trimmers and leaf blowers. Oh, and the trees, of course take out the trees because they leave such a mess every fall. After all of this, we will have left behind a larger impact after our death than in the final 2-3 years of our living lives.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-9594856447523491252014-06-01T08:14:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:18:31.266-05:00Sustainability in Death Care: From Trend to Movement<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><a href="http://www.limeredstudio.com/what-we-think/trends-movements/" target="_blank">Trends come and go</a> without consequence. Movements come and stay until they are no longer needed because the world has changed entirely. Movements happen when a group of people work hard toward a change. A movement with a humble beginning credited to the 1998 opening of Ramsey Creek Preserve in rural South Carolina has blossomed into a momentous change in modern burial practices. One example includes the expansion of natural burial service offerings by one of the industry's largest cemetery and funeral service providers, <a href="http://www.stonemor.com/who-we-are/our-properties/default.aspx" target="_blank">StoneMor Partners</a>, L.P. (STON).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Mark Harris, author of the 2007 award-winning book, <i>Grave Matters</i>, <a href="http://grave-matters.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">opined on his blog</a> last month at how quickly America’s cemeteries have changed. While there were very few modern green cemeteries in America prior to 1998, today there are hundreds of existing and new cemeteries embracing sustainable burial practices to varying degrees of “going green” from merely allowing families to forgo concrete burial vaults to prohibiting vaults, monuments, and embalming entirely.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Several national market surveys by leading research groups in the last three years have reported that most people would consider a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_burial" target="_blank">natural burial</a>. In some regard, almost everyone values the environment when making choices in how they live from choosing what car they will drive to deciding what food they will eat. When asked specifically, most people extend their environmental values in making end-of-life choices. Making end-of-life choices consistent with one’s values is a matter of being informed when it comes to the environmental impact of cremation, embalming, caskets, vaults, and other choices in death care.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The natural burial movement has brought death care discussions to the dinner table. When people ask good questions and share their values with one another, real change happens. The independent film, “<i><a href="http://www.awillforthewoods.com/" target="_blank">A Will for the Woods</a></i>,” is the first feature-length documentary on the green burial movement. The film has stirred attention and conversation around the world through a comprehensive campaign including a Kickstarter project, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/awillforthewoods" target="_blank">social media buzz</a>, film festivals, and local screenings. This movie is garnering the attention of Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers alike adding to the momentum of the green burial movement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Many in the death care industry in the early 2000s contended that “green burial” would be a short-lived trend. Some early adopters of greener funerals were subject to accusations of greenwashing from their contemporaries. Today, we are witnessing a new era of Big Business on the Green bandwagon. We are living in a time when a Mountain View, California Walmart store hosted the President of the United States for a press event highlighting the <a href="http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2014/05/obama-pledges-2-b-energy-efficiency-funding-lauds-wal-mart-solar-roofs" target="_blank">White House’s renewed push for solar energy</a>. Conservation, recycling, carbon emissions, toxicity, pollution, energy use, renewable energy… these are all part of big business initiatives to some degree in every trade or industry. Death care is no exception.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I’m sort of done with Green. It isn’t enough to declare one’s individual or company intentions as “good for the environment.” The <a href="http://www.neontommy.com/news/2012/02/sustainability-trend-movement" target="_blank">sustainability movement</a> has made such declarations pointless and irrelevant. Every company—even big companies—from Apple to Walmart are going green. Even the nation’s largest trash removal company, Waste Management, has built an <a href="http://www.wm.com/thinkgreen/" target="_blank">entire marketing campaign on going green</a>. I say that if we aim to convince somebody that they should consider our product or service because it is greener, we must be prepared to talk about exactly how we will contribute to creating a safer and healthier environment right now in the present and in the future. We need to provide specific and measurable benefits of our products and services, or our families won’t pay attention. While it is true that “being green” isn't easy, it is no longer a differentiator either. Sorry, Kermit.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-P4LJ4aSwa-KMAHt-0TO8NjuDpD4562TFLnREuKDHeV1Zhpke2puG8O02rGVNVs80vvGQSGVfWMrVK8XIsHy5dndTEpcFZR-hAEzCsABciyTPPQ0N8toUfROSjUMRCeETiLBOY-Z-5z0/s1600/kermit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-P4LJ4aSwa-KMAHt-0TO8NjuDpD4562TFLnREuKDHeV1Zhpke2puG8O02rGVNVs80vvGQSGVfWMrVK8XIsHy5dndTEpcFZR-hAEzCsABciyTPPQ0N8toUfROSjUMRCeETiLBOY-Z-5z0/s1600/kermit.jpg" height="310" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's not easy being green.</td></tr>
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</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-74856787827267872182014-05-21T14:48:00.001-05:002014-05-21T14:48:45.804-05:00Sustainable Businesses<i>By guest author, <a href="mailto:jatyjeski@gmail.com" target="_blank">Jeni Tyjeski</a></i><br /><br />Consumers today are increasingly aware of the effects that their decisions have on the environment. When faced with the option to purchase a product from a company that has environmentally friendly practices or buy a cheaper product from a company that isn’t sustainable, many people are making the choice to purchase the green product, even if they do have to pay a little more. Sustainable businesses “create products and services that compete on price and performance while significantly reducing humankinds impact on the environment” (Fried, 2014). As consumers seek out the green products more and more, green businesses become more competitive within their market and sustainability becomes a greater subject among the producers, regardless of their size.<br /><br />I interviewed two Wisconsin businesses that either incorporate green practices into their business or were founded as a green alternative to a heavily polluting industry. Their business practices are environmentally friendly, educational for consumers, and extremely different from each other. Differences within the market are common, though, and Rona Fried, president of sustainablebussiness.com, comments that “sustainable businesses operate across all business sectors” (2014). Differences within the green market have been incredibly apparent while interviewing <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/" target="_blank">Northwoods Casket Company</a> and <a href="http://centralwaters.com/" target="_blank">Central Waters Brewing Company</a>. Though these two businesses create vastly different products, they both have sustainable practices that set them apart from other businesses within their field. What efforts are these small business owners taking to grow and build their products sustainably and lessen their ecological footprint, and what is the value of a sustainable business? Could other, larger businesses, adopt a greener business approach similar to the paths taken by the companies interviewed? <br /><br />After the passing of his grandfather, Jonas Zahn wanted to create a casket that was both skillfully designed and environmentally friendly. He also wanted the time spent creating the casket to be time where he could remember and honor his grandfather. What Zahn ended up with was a simple and unique design created with local materials that both honored and respected his grandfather’s memory. Following the creation of his first casket, Zahn further researched the natural burial movement. <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/Simple-Pine-Box-Kit.html" target="_blank">His first product was a kit</a> that allows other families to spend the memorial time creating a casket for their loved one. After his first design, he continued to do more research and built many more prototype caskets, changing designs and materials to introduce a truly green and attractive product that exceed industry standards. In addition to the local materials used in the creation of the casket, Northwoods plants 100 trees for every product sold. The 100 trees sequester 200 pounds of CO2 in their first year, 4 times <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyXT5o3WOUTSdRYVg1Whxdl2Kp-GHAQWzNdNrybnhfj1MzAKKhMRRqKp9cZSzurO6_MBn7h22UjFjkemJ8ePRg_8yB2JBEApTZSrn6YXPqDocVoHaOyQO40LMMT30R7bEgTj7VIVpz6w/s1600/_MG_4022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUyXT5o3WOUTSdRYVg1Whxdl2Kp-GHAQWzNdNrybnhfj1MzAKKhMRRqKp9cZSzurO6_MBn7h22UjFjkemJ8ePRg_8yB2JBEApTZSrn6YXPqDocVoHaOyQO40LMMT30R7bEgTj7VIVpz6w/s1600/_MG_4022.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Simple Pine Box by Northwoods Casket Co.</td></tr>
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more than the carbon footprint of Northwoods Simple Pine Box (Personal Interview). Compared to the 2000 pounds of carbon produced from a creation of a traditional steel casket, the Northwoods casket is actually bettering the environment from which their product is made (Personal Interview). One unique quality of the green casket business is their ability to create a product that is extremely sustainable. Brewing, on the other hand, has taken a different approach to creating a sustainable business, focusing on both their product as well as the process used to create it. <br /><br />In 1999 Paul Graham added his years of brewing knowledge to the Central Waters Brewing Company team. With his understanding of the brewing process he brought passion for sustainable and local practices, which he used to expand the business. Graham, along with his co-owner, Anello Mollica, source a large percentage of their ingredients from local farmers, cutting back on transportation emissions in addition to sustaining local businesses. Central Waters has demonstrated a forward thinking approach to sustainable practices that not many other breweries have. They have two solar arrays at their brew house; one that provides hot water to heat the facility and preheated water for brewing needs. The other photovoltaic array produces twenty percent of their energy needs. Graham thought sustainability was important when choosing the packaging for the products as well. Sourcing the bottles from a green manufacturer and using post-consumer recycled cardboard, Central Waters shows an attention to detail in all phases of their production, a feature that appeals to a generation concerned with the future of our planet (Personal Interview). Though many consumers today are looking for a greener alternative, not all retailers are as willing to supply the newer and greener products to their specific clientele. <br /><br />Julie Zahn, wife of Northwoods founder Jonas Zahn, commented on the difficulty of changing minds towards greener alternatives. Like Brodwin mentioned, sustainable practices are often thought of as nice, but not practical. It took Northwoods five years and many conversations, trade shows, newspaper articles, press releases, etc. to get the funeral industry to take their sustainable caskets seriously. A large percentage of the funeral directors “have been happy offering funeral options that do not account for environmental impact or sustainability for a very long time and are not very open-minded to change” (Personal Interview). Since green caskets are becoming more popular, and more consumers are looking for the green caskets, the families are pushing the funeral homes to add the green options to their casket offerings. Zahn adds that that is why consumer education has always been such an important aspect of Northwoods’ business plan. Though they can convince the funeral industry to carry their product, unless consumers are seeking to purchase green products, Northwoods efforts will be in vain. A successful sustainable business needs knowledgeable consumers looking for their green products in order to change traditional industry minds and survive in their market.<br /><br />The practices that the businesses interviewed have implemented are sustainable and community-minded, but Northwoods Casket Company and Central Waters Brewing Company are relatively small businesses. Their products are geared toward select audiences: those looking for a casket or a beverage. What would happen if a larger business, like Wal-Mart, were to create and sell legitimately sustainable products? Though Wal-Mart is not typically thought of as a community-minded business, “big business plays an important role in sustainability due to its legitimizing value in the eyes of the public” (Brodwin, 2014). Though the products produced by Central Waters and Northwoods are sustainable, David Brodwin, cofounder of the American Sustainable Business Council observes “policymakers and others may dismiss it unfairly as too small to matter to the economy as a whole” (2014). Brodwin adds that the entry of large businesses into the green and sustainable market “proves the legitimacy and importance of sustainability as a concept and as a market force” (2014). It proves that sustainable practices work and can be implemented into any business, regardless of size. It tells competitors “’there’s money here’ and that brings more investment capital to help sustainable businesses grow” (Brodwin, 2014). It portrays the realness of the practices, and in turn, the media writes “serious stories about sustainability going mainstream rather than just human-interest stores about mavericks bucking the trend” (Brodwin, 2014). In order for success of sustainability as a widespread marketing plan, smaller businesses need to continue to model the success that they are having and push the larger businesses into action. <br /><br /> Central Waters Brewing Company and Northwoods Casket Company have not only envisioned a company ran sustainably, but also implemented practices into their business in order to reduce their carbon footprint and sustain local industries. “The arrival of big companies offers powerful, credible testimony that sustainable business is indeed good business” (Brodwin, 2014). The foundation of sustainable practices was created by small, grass roots efforts, and is growing into an increasingly important aspect of business ethics. These businesses have created effective plans for reducing their carbon footprint and producing environmentally friendly practices that need to be noticed and implemented by larger businesses. Green producers, combined with educated consumers are putting the necessary pressure on larger businesses to add more sustainable products and practices, helping to make sustainability an industry norm.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-425136476059861522014-05-01T08:05:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:06:26.687-05:00Could Biodegradable Caskets and Urns be Subject to FTC Scrutiny for Greenwashing?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In the fifteen years since the opening of America’s first modern green burial cemetery at Ramsey Creek, South Carolina in 1998, there hasn’t been a month with as many headline news articles from major news outlets on the topic as there were this past March. The Green Burial Council estimates that as many as a quarter of America’s aging want a nature-friendly burial absent of concrete burial vaults, steel caskets, and formaldehyde embalming chemicals. The NFDA hosted a workshop entitled, "It’s Only a Matter of Time: Are You Ready for Natural Burials and Green Funerals?” for funeral directors attending the annual convention in Austin, Texas last October. Some funeral directors, including <b>Amy Cunningham </b>of <a href="http://www.nycgreenfunerals.com/" target="_blank">Greenwood Heights Funeral & Cremation Services</a>, say the time is now with one quarter of their clients prearranging green funerals.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Biodegradability is the most asked about aspect of green and natural burial alternatives when we receive inquires from families by phone or email at the Northwoods Casket Company. The Green Burial Council has certified more than twenty firms who market green burial products including caskets, urns, and burial shrouds. While the 2011 GBC Standards/Eco-Rating system for funeral products never cites the words <i>biodegradable </i>or <i>degradable</i>, nearly every marketer of green burial caskets, shrouds, or urns cites biodegradability as one of their key claims for eco-friendliness.</span><br /><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/news-events/press-releases/2012/10/ftc-issues-revised-green-guides" target="_blank">October, 2012 update</a> to the <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/sites/default/files/attachments/press-releases/ftc-issues-revised-green-guides/greenguides.pdf" target="_blank">FTC Green Guides</a> includes specific guidelines for using the word <i>degradable </i>or any of its derivatives when marketing green products. The guide specifies that a degradable product must completely decompose into elements found in nature within a reasonably short period of time after customary disposal. Any degradable claim for items customarily disposed in landfills, incinerators, or recycling facilities are deemed deceptive because these disposal environments do not promote decomposition within one year of disposal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The guides were <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/policy/public-comments/initiative-353" target="_blank">open for public comment for two years</a> before the 2012 update. <b>Cynthia Beal</b>, founder of the <b>Natural Burial Company</b>, <a href="http://www.ftc.gov/policy/public-comments/comment-00113-7" target="_blank">commented</a> on the new language for <i>degradable </i>in the proposed update. She explained that caskets and urns customarily disposed in cemeteries are not likely to degrade (return to their natural elements) in one year as the law now requires. Marketers of green funeral products use <i>degradable </i>to differentiate from non-degradables such as steel caskets, concrete burial vaults, and urns made from metal or ceramics. Cynthia Beal stipulated that use of the word biodegradable in this context does not mislead consumers. The FTC did not adjust the content of the Green Guides to further specify, or make an exception for, funeral products customarily disposed in cemeteries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">What, really, is the relevance of biodegradability in funeral service products? An <i>accelerated </i>return to its natural elements does not necessarily make any given burial choice greener, or better for the environment, than another. As a matter of science, the argument is that decomposition, which releases carbon dioxide into the soil & atmosphere, should be slowed and not accelerated if we aim to reduce the degradation of our environment. Nonetheless, claims of biodegradability are only meant to discern those funeral products that are degradable from those that are not. However, the FTC Green Guides of 2012 could scrutinize marketers of natural burial caskets, urns, and shrouds for being in violation of the law for using the word <i>biodegradable</i> to describe their products!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Natural burial has shifted from trendy topic to modern movement in the United States just as it did almost a decade earlier in the U.K. As more consumers research green[er] funeral options and make inquiries for eco-friendly alternatives to the conventional funeral, we should expect scrutiny from the FTC. The funeral industry has not yet been the subject of FTC scrutiny for greenwashing, but that could change. Funeral service has been in the crosshairs of the FTC before—recall The Funeral Rule. Let us keep in mind that the FTC’s primary concern is protecting consumers from deceptive marketing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">What should we do? Biodegradability is a great conversation starter with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/13/fashion/baby-boomers-are-drawn-to-green-and-eco-friendly-funerals.html?_r=0" target="_blank">families interested in green funerals</a>. As funeral service professionals, we should be prepared and address this talking point transparently to avoid accusations of deceptive marketing. We should explain that in a conservation cemetery where the casket is in direct contact with the soil, the availability of moisture and organic bacteria create prime conditions for rapid decomposition of wooden caskets or urns, and shrouds made from natural fabric. By contrast, the same wooden casket or urn "customarily disposed" in a sealed concrete vault in a cemetery will not degrade rapidly. There are creative alternatives in a conventional cemetery that can accelerate decay, but in my experience, the family is more interested in environmental conservation than accelerated decay. It might be time to shift the conversation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">What is better for the environment? Biodegradability [of casketed human remains] is hardly relevant to the preservation of our natural habitat. We professionals should take the opportunity to explore other topics far more relevant to “being green” in funeral planning. Talking points such as carbon footprint, sustainability, toxicity, pollution, and local-sourcing are far more interesting than biodegradability. Furthermore, these talking points are more easily aligned with an individual’s core values and can better aid families making decisions, especially when choosing between burial and cremation.</span><br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-65578754710746530032014-04-01T07:57:00.000-05:002014-07-03T07:59:11.027-05:00Reduce, Reuse, Recycle<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><i>Greening Funeral Service with the Three R's</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Reducing, reusing, and recycling have been touted by civic, private, and environmental organizations world-wide for the better part of three decades as a simple reminder that, over time, it is the choices we make every day can make a big difference in the environment. Could there be <a href="http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/green-burials-save-money-but-some-wonder-at-what-cost/2172612" target="_blank">opportunities to reduce, reuse, or even recycle in funeral service</a>? My first thoughts on this topic were along the lines of, "not so much" when it comes to funeral service products. While it is certainly a good idea to apply the three R's in the funeral home office, break room, catering services, and restrooms, these are not the items we're all thinking about right now, are they? I made a few calls in the last several months and I am, quite honestly, surprised and thoroughly fascinated at what I learned from some of you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I'd never considered, not for one moment, the idea of recycling or reusing a casket or burial vault. That is, not until I had the opportunity last October to speak with <b>Charles "Buddy" Stiffler</b>, 3rd generation funeral director at <b>Stiffler Funeral & Cremation Service</b> in Madison, Wisconsin. Buddy tells me of three baby-boomer couples in the last two years who have made prearrangements to share both casket and burial vault. The couples were all acquaintances and conceived the idea together and then each couple made their own arrangements to share their burial plot, casket, and vaults with their spouse. Two people, one cemetery plot, one casket, one vault, and one monument. That is reducing, reusing, and recycling in funeral service!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I asked the obvious questions, of course. Certainly the couples cannot coordinate the timing of their deaths. "We exhume graves a couple times a year, but for investigative or relocation purposes," Buddy shares with me. "It's not a stretch of the imagination to return the casket to our facility where we will carefully place the husband and wife together in perpetuity." The second funeral service, of course, is a closed casket. In fact, the casket won't be present as the condition of it is not predictable despite the decision by each couple to use a 16 gauge stainless steel casket in a sealed concrete vault.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Warming up to the idea, I wrote a few letters looking for more examples of the three R's in funeral service. Could this be a new idea? Maybe a trend? After all, the thought of husband and wife sharing a final resting place together sounds nice. Co-mingling human remans is not a new idea. For many centuries in Europe, underground crypts and catacombs have served as the shared final resting places for human remains, "Shall we say unto the bones of our fathers, Arise, and go into another land?" (For a fascinating story, look up the CNN <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/world/europe/wus-france-catacombs/" target="_blank">documentary</a> on the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2184393/Paris-catacombs-The-skulls-bones-inside-Frances-Empire-Dead.html" target="_blank">200 miles of catacombs under Paris</a> that serve as the final resting place for more than 6 million people.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Next I heard from <b>Theodore "Tidy" M. Balmer</b>, a licensed funeral director in North Carolina. Tidy shares that he's conducted one such service for a family that chose to reuse both casket and burial vault for an elderly gentleman who passed just two weeks after his wife was buried. "I'd never considered opening a casket before, but we made it work for the family," said Tidy. "They were rather petite individuals so there was plenty of room in the standard-sized casket for the couple to lay comfortably." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">"<a href="http://www.oversizecasket.com/" target="_blank">Oversized caskets</a> are generally available as a suitable burial container for our growing [sic] population," says <b>Cass Ketmacher</b> at <b>Walters Casket Company</b> in Indiana "but I didn't imagine fulfilling a request for an oversized casket suitable for two people!" That's exactly what happened one day last summer when a Chicago widow buried her husband in an oversized casket. She didn't need the larger casket for him--he was an average size. She made advanced arrangements for her own internment to share both casket and burial vault with her husband.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I also heard from several of crematory operators that, while not common, a number of families reuse the same urn for cremated remains for two members of the same family to co-mingle in one urn. <b>Samuel "Smokey" Chambers</b>, assistant crematory operator at a crematorium in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, tells me over a cup of coffee, "If this trend gains momentum, there'll be a <a href="http://www.funeral-urn.com/Double-urns-companion-urns.aspx" target="_blank">whole new market for larger oversized urns</a>." He continues with a smile, "I can imagine trading in your old urn for a larger one when the time arises and selling perfectly usable <i>pre-occupied</i> urns for a few dollars less than the new ones." After a few more sips of coffee, we chuckled at the possibilities including an urn detailing service that could guarantee the previous occupant had thoroughly vacated the urn.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Examples of the three R's in funeral service is a timely topic for the <i>first of April</i>. I trust you are warming up to new ideas as our long-awaited Spring brings milder temperatures. If you have any examples of reducing, reusing, or recycling in funeral service, please comment here.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-59829480430433203842014-03-01T07:44:00.000-06:002014-07-03T07:45:14.862-05:00Green Funerals for The Minimalists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Could minimalism be the next influence in greener funerals?</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">At first glance, you might think you've heard about minimalism before. The phrase "Less is More" was the motto of German-American architect <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohe" target="_blank">Ludwig Mies van der Rohe</a> (1886 to 1969). Regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modern architecture, Meis along with post WWI contemporaries including Frank Lloyd Wright, helped define a trend in design and architecture wherein their subjects were reduced to their necessary elements. Post WWII America <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimalism" target="_blank">experienced a wave of minimalism</a>, especially in the music and art of the 1960s and 1970s, reinforcing the appeal of pared down design elements. London and New York witnessed another revival of minimalist architecture in the late 1980s where architects and fashion designers collaborated on boutiques to achieve simplicity using white elements, cold lighting, and large spaces with minimum objects and furniture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">There's another revival of minimalism in this new millennium. As described by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus and their two million followers (<a href="http://theminimalists.com/">theminimalists.com</a>), <i>Minimalism</i> is a lifestyle that helps people question what things add value to their lives. It is a matter of living a more meaningful life with less stuff. While each one of us embraces minimalism differently, our paths lead to the same place: a life with more time, more money, and more freedom to <a href="http://www.theminimalists.com/pitch/" target="_blank">live a more meaningful life</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Before we apply minimalist thinking to greener funerals, let us explore more deeply some examples of minimalism and how it might affect our choices. My journey into minimalism began last summer. After reading a few articles on Joshua and Ryan's blog, I quickly realized that "the clutter" in my life was a liability. Not only did these things fail to bring joy into my life, many of these things were actually the cause of anxiety in my life. The clutter in my life included clothing that hadn't fit in years, unfinished projects, spare parts, leftover building materials, books, papers, furniture, and a plethora of other things I had acquired, inherited, or purchased. As a family, we began paring down. More than ten truck loads left our home destined for garage sales, friends & family, and Goodwill where these things went to good use. Even my 1978 BMW motorcycle, in boxes of parts, near and dear to me more than fifteen years ago and yet untouched for as many years went to a new home freeing up both storage space and my conscience. It felt great.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyqE7qxDFoYcVCJ-R7WVO00BfBvE3JgM7t0j4f_bdn90yWcASIcqkm_YJXt75NIEMyZ3IGcPQZFkWL3XqGo7JN-cTrq1qFknJs-KYgP1VlrtXIJ3UsesYWptA0jcqOGCe71BqpAJ6YFw/s1600/2013-06-06+22.44.10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPyqE7qxDFoYcVCJ-R7WVO00BfBvE3JgM7t0j4f_bdn90yWcASIcqkm_YJXt75NIEMyZ3IGcPQZFkWL3XqGo7JN-cTrq1qFknJs-KYgP1VlrtXIJ3UsesYWptA0jcqOGCe71BqpAJ6YFw/s1600/2013-06-06+22.44.10.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More than 10 truck loads of stuff left our home.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Minimalism isn't a matter of living more cheaply or making painful sacrifices. If fact, let us illustrate with a pair of shoes. A minimalist might choose to keep just one pair of shoes… instead of 14 pairs like so many of us probably have right now. One very nice pair of lace-up wingtips made by <a href="http://www.allenedmonds.com/" target="_blank">Allen Edmonds</a> might cost more than $300. However, these fine shoes will work for almost any occasion casual or formal, will last several years (even if worn daily so long as they are cared for), and be truly comfortable to wear. For the person who keeps 14 different pairs of shoes, wearing just one very nice carefully selected pair of shoes might bring more joy into his/her life. We might actually spend less money on shoes overall if we choose a pair of shoes that we will enjoy more thoroughly and for longer. If we're only buying one pair of shoes, we can afford to pay a premium price for a pair that meets all of our needs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Minimalist thinking can be applied to all of the choices in our lives. Are we making choices that add to the joy in our lives? Or are we making choices that add to the clutter and anxiety in our lives? To live a more meaningful life, it helps to clear the clutter from our life's path. That path is different for each and every one of us. While possessions are the easiest place to start clearing away the clutter, the same thinking can improve the quality of our lives when applied to our health, relationships, the company we keep, in our careers, and yes, even funerals. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">As funeral service professionals let's ask ourselves, are we minimalists? Are we helping our families make meaningful choices in funeral service? Do the choices we present our families and the guidance we give them truly bring more meaning into their lives? Do we propose a feature, aspect, or element of funeral service because that's just what we do? …or because this element will bring meaning to the family? While every family embraces the end-of-life sacrament differently, as professionals in funeral service we can lead our families to the same place: a meaningful funeral service.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Could a minimalist funeral be a greener funeral? That depends on the family, but I'll bet more often than not that a carefully planned and meaningful funeral is greener than the "standard package" funeral. Like the wingtip shoes, I'll also bet that many families are willing to spend more on carefully selected elements that are truly meaningful. Many funeral directors tell me about a trend wherein families are choosing to spend less money on a casket and monument, but significantly more money on food and refreshments for a celebration. Perhaps these families are asking themselves if their choices are bringing more meaning into the funeral service. If we help our families ask exactly that, we could not only bring more meaning into funeral service, but we might also notice that many of these "meaningful choices" are also greener.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_4l98p2VfN81U15WZHkwu9_4czt1W_Ls8F09zE6AvQZxxXKCRgWMC69f7gCzpCgUk2uHmkZ8nurEu89vI3tY9B3x6Cx8_w4vEFbGvTjbMJONmx2VtNTbqqsNZx6-8bv8XS3L4FC-SA8/s1600/006_MG_9758_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo_4l98p2VfN81U15WZHkwu9_4czt1W_Ls8F09zE6AvQZxxXKCRgWMC69f7gCzpCgUk2uHmkZ8nurEu89vI3tY9B3x6Cx8_w4vEFbGvTjbMJONmx2VtNTbqqsNZx6-8bv8XS3L4FC-SA8/s1600/006_MG_9758_1.jpg" height="425" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good choices can bring more meaning into the funeral service.</td></tr>
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</span><br /><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-48926858620587064362014-02-01T07:22:00.000-06:002014-07-03T07:30:38.372-05:00The Green Hearse: Novel Idea or More Greenwashing?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In this column we've discussed almost every aspect of greening the funeral service including the casket, burial shroud, burial vault, cemetery, and the funeral home itself, but the green hearse is a new topic. What effect might a hybrid, all-electric, or even human-powered bicycle have in making our way of death safer and healthier for all living things that remain? Let us again keep in mind our five talking points on greening funeral service including biodegradability, sustainability, local-sourcing, toxicity, and carbon lifecycle assessment as we think about the eco-friendly funeral coach.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Last September, Golders Green-based (England) <b>Leverton and Sons</b> funeral home basked in world-wide news coverage for their eco-friendly hearse. The all-electric Nissan Leaf converted to a funeral car earned the <a href="http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/10674263.Eco_friendly_hearse__star_of_show__at_funeral_awards/" target="_blank">Green Funeral Director of the Year award</a> for the family-owned funeral home. The coach, which can drive 120 miles on a single electrical charge at a cost of about $5, was declared "star of the show" at the Good Funeral Awards in Bournemouth, England.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Japanese manufacturer, Lequios, first announced <a href="http://cnsnews.com/news/article/eco-friendly-grave-japanese-manufacturer-produce-first-hybrid-hearse" target="_blank">plans to build a Prius Hearse</a> early in 2009. In November of 2012, Lequios made the news again with their Prius Hearse and concept pictures, but the product was still in development. <b>Connecting Directors</b> blogged the story and it went viral, but as of January, 2014, there's still no sign of the Prius Hearse leading funeral processions on our roadways.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In September of 2011 the U.K. based firm, Brahms Electric Vehicles, announced <a href="http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1065966_plug-in-hearse-offers-to-whisk-you-silently-to-your-grave" target="_blank">plans to build a hybrid electric funeral coach</a>. The prototype hearse, built from a Mercedes-Benz station wagon, adorned none of the typical paneling and hardware features of a hearse. The company was searching for a partner to aid in outfitting the wagon with features of a hearse. Opinion pieces on the prototype were less than enthusiastic. Today, the web site appears defunct with broken links and no images. [3-July-2014 Update: <a href="http://www.brahmselectricvehicles.co.uk/" target="_blank">Brahms continues in their mission</a> with a Nissan Leaf platform and offers an electric hearse.]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In Reno, Nevada there's an entirely different approach to the electric hearse taking shape. A <a href="http://www.evalbum.com/2861" target="_blank">1973 Cadillac Hearse has been converted</a> by EV enthusiast, William Brinsmead. After four years and $22,000, the completely rebuilt funeral coach has driven more than 2000 miles. Top speed is 60mph and the charging range is 60 miles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The bicycle hearse is another approach to eco-friendly transport of human remains. <b>Sunset Hills Cemetery and Funeral Home</b> made the news last May with their <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/19/bicycle-hearse-sunset-hills-cemetery-funeral_n_3302383.html" target="_blank">custom built bicycle hearse</a>. The sidecar cargo transport has electric assist for the pair of pedaling pallbearers. The whole package including a wicker casket costs $3500. Director, Wade Lind, shares that five families have opted for the pedal power and there is a waiting list for the service. There are a few other examples of custom-built bicycle hearses in both the US and the UK that have made the news in the last few years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The few examples of electric and hybrid electric funeral coaches in the news in the last five years appear to be more media hype than rubber-meets-the-road change in funeral service. The few proprietors enjoying media coverage appear to have reaped more reward from the media coverage than from the benefits of green funeral coaches. Human-powered hearses make for a great story, but any funeral service requiring more than a few miles of service would be impractical. That is, unless the family lined up to take turns pedaling.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">What about our talking points? Biodegradability is not relevant for a re-usable good like a funeral coach. Electric and hybrid vehicles fall prey to scrutiny in sustainability, toxicity, and carbon life cycle assessment when considering the cradle-to-grave impact of building, using, and disposing a hybrid electric automobile. Compare a Cadillac Hearse with a Toyota Prius assuming 10,000 miles annually. The carbon footprint of the Prius would be 10,000 lbs. less than the Cadillac. That's the same carbon impact as 5 steel caskets or 20 cremations. This assumes the Prius hearse would get the same mileage as the standard model (which would not be the case), so the carbon savings might be only half our estimate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Were it practical for wider adoption, the bicycle hearse would take the prize for eco-smart funeral transportation. It appears the green funeral coach is more greenwashing than real impact. It would be far better in all of our five talking points on greening the funeral service to move more families to locally-made natural burial caskets in lieu of steel. We could also have a far greater impact by talking to families about the carbon impact and toxicity of cremation so those who value the environment might opt for a green[er] burial instead.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-7642758186052099952014-01-01T07:08:00.000-06:002014-07-03T07:21:15.454-05:00Could shrouded burials be the next trend in green funerals?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">If we look at the last 10,000 years of human history the casketed cemetery burial is a rather contemporary practice. Nearly every religion in both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_world" target="_blank">Western</a> and Eastern worlds including Christianity, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhism, and Jewish--which together account for about 70% of the world population--have various death rituals that involve burial shrouds. For the last several thousand years of human history, the majority of death rituals included some type of burial shroud. Yet today the shrouded burial is almost unheard of in the Western World. Very few people--less than 1%--have witnessed or otherwise participated in a shrouded funeral followed by either burial or cremation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_population" target="_blank">world population</a> surpassed 7 billion near the end of 2011. There are <a href="http://www.worldometers.info/" target="_blank">more people living on the earth</a> than ever before--and that also means there are more people dying than ever before. More than <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm" target="_blank">50 million people will die this year</a> and most of them will not be entombed in steel or wooden caskets in concrete burial vaults as Westerners today would call a <i>traditional</i> burial. Most of the deaths on this planet of ours will follow a cultural or religious death ritual that involves a burial shroud.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Only recently has the green and natural burial movement brought the <a href="http://www.afinefarewell.com/faqs.html" target="_blank">burial shroud</a> into conversations on death care in the Western world. And at that, there appears to be more talk about burial shrouds than actual shrouded funerals. Very few Westerners are planning shrouded funerals. A quick <a href="http://www.google.com/trends/explore#q=burial%20shroud&geo=US&cmpt=q" target="_blank">survey of google search trends for "burial shroud" shows zero searches</a> prior to 2010 and trace interest since 2011. Searches for "natural burial shroud" or "green burial shroud" turn up zero searches.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In 2005 the acclaimed HBO series, <i><a href="http://www.hbo.com/six-feet-under#/six-feet-under/about/index.html" target="_blank">Six Feet Under</a></i>, enacted a shrouded burial for one of the lead characters. The burial shroud used in the final episode was a secular creation by <b>Esmerelda Kent</b>. An artist and environmentalist inspired by her practice in Buddhism, Esmerelda starting making green burial shrouds in 2004 and founded <a href="http://www.kinkaraco.com/history.html" target="_blank">Kinkaraco</a>. Hand-made in California from biodegradable natural fibers like organic cotton, linen, and silk, Kinkaraco provides burial shrouds to funeral homes throughout the United States.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Could <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shroud" target="_blank">shrouds</a> be the next trend for green and natural burial? The Green Burial Council is an advocate of burial shrouds as are the many conservation cemeteries opening up around the U.S. <b>Kevin Corrado</b>, natural burial facilitator at the <a href="http://www.naturalpathsanctuary.org/" target="_blank">Natural Path Sanctuary</a> in Verona, Wisconsin expresses "that our preference is biodegradable fabric shrouds, but we do allow caskets and other containers." Several funeral homes in close proximity to natural burial sites are adding green funeral packages but typically include a green casket made from biodegradable materials including wood, willow, and seagrass. Those that offer a shroud are finding that very few families opt for a natural burial shroud when a green casket is available.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAafSJcAMNW8mnxyJd4a13_zkNdWQ6vnrOuQ4Gx7ZHsPkkNWalbwN9MwI3lp4kEAQHXqkcCLIPRRh_MWdtVBthpc-6Ql1H4aXrTJQAnLX_oi-Mmc9DxLFATYS-i_YPyegZHNiy3rmbD0/s1600/shroud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTAafSJcAMNW8mnxyJd4a13_zkNdWQ6vnrOuQ4Gx7ZHsPkkNWalbwN9MwI3lp4kEAQHXqkcCLIPRRh_MWdtVBthpc-6Ql1H4aXrTJQAnLX_oi-Mmc9DxLFATYS-i_YPyegZHNiy3rmbD0/s1600/shroud.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organic Cotton Burial Shroud with Wooden Trundle by the Northwoods Casket Co.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">There are a handful of online retailers who sell green burial shrouds to the public or via wholesale to funeral homes. In addition to Kinkaraco, also founded in 2004 there is the <a href="http://funerals.naturalburialcompany.com/products/Organic-Cotton-Shroud.html" target="_blank">Natural Burial Company</a> founded by former organic grocer, <b>Cynthia Beal</b>, based in Eugene, Oregon. Tennessee-based, <b><a href="http://www.forlora.com/burialshrouds.html" target="_blank">Forlora</a></b> offers burial shrouds made from <a href="http://www.forloradesigns.com/10sifo1.html" target="_blank">dupioni silk or cotton</a> inspired by the Baha'i faith but also offers secular shrouds since 2010. Another online retailer, <b>Village Memorial</b>, offers a selection cotton burial shrouds. Retail prices for burial shrouds tend to range from $250 for cotton and up to $500 or more for silk and intricate hand-made designs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">What families are opting for a natural burial shroud? <b>Dwight Cushman</b>, founder of <a href="http://www.villagememorial.com/natural-burial-craft-green-burial-items.html" target="_blank">Village Memorial</a>, has observed that families opting for a burial shroud are doing so out of a need to be more hands-on in the funeral ritual. In the last few years there has been a <a href="http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/burial-shrouds" target="_blank">transition by many shroud makers</a> to move from their culturally or religiously inspired roots to make shrouds that are secular and more creatively expressive. Artisans are adding their own personal touches utilizing reclaimed printed fabrics, natural dyes, scented oils, flower petals, and a variety of other creations. Those opting for shrouds seek an alternative to the conventional funeral.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In the great scheme of things, Westerners make big changes quickly. In 1950, 70% of caskets buried in the United States were made of wood. By the late 1960s, steel replaced wood with 60% of the market. Similarly, cremation trended from less than 4% in the 1960s to more than 40% by 2010. Contemporary burial shrouds just might have the right blend of environmental consciousness, artistic expression, hands-on involvement, historic relevance, affordability, and a loose connection to a variety of religions faiths to appeal to the very diverse population that makes up the Western World today in order to become the next great shift in funeral practices in the United States.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-88542383991894158962013-12-01T09:42:00.000-06:002014-03-31T10:22:19.237-05:00Funerals, Fiber, and Fabric<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Much of our discourse on green and natural burial is focused on the <a href="http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/22643-dying-to-give-back-to-the-earth" target="_blank">biodegradability</a> and toxicity of casketed remains in a cemetery burial. The five standards published by the <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/standards/products/" target="_blank">Green Burial Council in 2011 for shrouds, urns, and burial containers</a> extend our thinking on green burial to also include local-sourcing of organic or sustainable materials. Let us explore the fibers and fabrics that are used in caskets and burial shrouds and how they measure up to our talking points on green and natural burial.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOCqCaY_7CPU0FGLhj_q7EAKKMuN5Oc4FoXqb6DClwAmRcl-gCG63k0StZ8aZxFUIZm4_s_gwyl-drJnVHMTkXDsqrmcSvz2nMUp909tB4Cbtf1FRcgasa3-5rdXJwKSCMbV24JBWNGE/s3200/F1-foot-drape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOCqCaY_7CPU0FGLhj_q7EAKKMuN5Oc4FoXqb6DClwAmRcl-gCG63k0StZ8aZxFUIZm4_s_gwyl-drJnVHMTkXDsqrmcSvz2nMUp909tB4Cbtf1FRcgasa3-5rdXJwKSCMbV24JBWNGE/s3200/F1-foot-drape.jpg" height="211" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Organic cotton has a lower carbon footprint.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In previous installments of this column we've used five key talking points to measuring how green a funeral product or service might be. The five talking points include biodegradability, toxicity, local-sourcing, sustainability, and carbon life cycle assessment. Each of these talking points is evident in the Green Burial Council standards for burial containers, but not all five of these are necessarily in alignment all the time. There are compromises to be made. If we view each of these points through a lens of a harmonious and healthy environment for all living things, the compromises are easier to discuss.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The textile industry is the 5th largest contributor of carbon emissions in the United States followed by primary metals, nonmetallic mineral products, petroleum, and chemicals according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. <a href="http://oecotextiles.wordpress.com/2011/01/19/estimating-the-carbon-footprint-of-a-fabric/" target="_blank">World-wide fabric production</a> consumes 1,074 billion kWh of electricity or 140 million tons of coal and 2 trillion gallons of water annually. Here in the United States the textile industry accounts for 1 ton, or 5%, of every individual's annual carbon footprint. So when it comes to maintaining a healthy environment for living things, fiber and fabric matter.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The impact of fabric production can be broken into two components. First, there is the production of fiber to make thread and second, there is the energy required to weave thread or yarn into fabric. The energy required to operate a fabric mill to weave threads into fabric is about the same for both synthetic and natural fibers. The differentiation is on the production side. Natural fibers like hemp and cotton are cultivated and harvested. Animal fibers like wool also require land and water resources to raise and harvest. The good news is that agri-fibers are renewable and sustainable. While synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon do not have an agricultural impact, synthetics are produced from petroleum or other chemicals which have significant toxicity and carbon emissions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Overall, the heaviest polluters and carbon producers are synthetic fabrics. Polyester generates 21 lbs of CO2 emissions per ton of fabric produced. Acrylics produce more than 25 lbs of CO2 and nylon is worse yet. Domestic cotton by comparison, emits 13 lbs of CO2 per ton of fabric. Organic cotton does not use nitrogen fertilizer. Just 1 ton of nitrogen fertilizer emits more than 7 tons of CO2! Domestic organic cotton weighs in at just over 5 lbs CO2 per ton of fabric produced. <a href="http://www.greenlivingonline.com/article/guide-natural-and-eco-friendly-fabrics" target="_blank">Organic cotton emits less</a> than 1/4th of the CO2 that is emitted by the same amount of polyester. In short, synthetics are bad, natural fibers are good, and organic fibers are better yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Descriptions for conventional casket interiors include words like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taffeta" target="_blank">taffeta</a>, velvet, crepe, pebble, chalet, and chiffon, but <a href="http://tbevs.com/products/Polaris/30" target="_blank">nearly all conventional casket interiors are made from polyester</a>. Polyester fabric is available in various different weave patterns and textures that are durable, wrinkle-resistant, and easy to work with for making casket interiors. Polyester is less than half the cost of cotton and far less than the cost of organic cotton. So from a manufacturer's perspective, polyester is a logical choice for making casket interiors.</span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPrxmzFvLtuGb91R9THeYagQ-UvKJyxqKdiL8y_1KbjuFUMOTDVdweAsU1gA0xBuWQMHjMExEnXEimI3Txkuc9SgOtob26IZEYAjxvF5elB0V-_LntSRIzhhFJEGmrqNSupsOdI-yYv4/s3200/_jzb2692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKPrxmzFvLtuGb91R9THeYagQ-UvKJyxqKdiL8y_1KbjuFUMOTDVdweAsU1gA0xBuWQMHjMExEnXEimI3Txkuc9SgOtob26IZEYAjxvF5elB0V-_LntSRIzhhFJEGmrqNSupsOdI-yYv4/s3200/_jzb2692.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lyocell is a low impact fabric alternative.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">If we revisit the talking points on greening the funeral industry, any natural fiber-based fabric is biodegradable and organic fabrics have a smaller carbon footprint. Local-sourcing, however, limits our choices in the U.S. The Green Burial Council standards limit material sourcing to within 3000 miles making domestic organic cotton a good choice. While some Egyptian, Indian, and Romanian organic fabrics may have a smaller carbon footprint than even domestic organic cotton, these materials compromise on the local-sourcing standard.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">On a side note, there is a growing variety of green burial caskets made from natural fiber plants including wicker, willow, cane, seagrass, bamboo, and banana leaves. While all of these are 100% biodegradable, few meet the local-sourcing guideline for distribution in the United States. European willow caskets and Indonesian seagrass caskets must be imported racking up <a href="http://www.greenlogistics.org/SiteResources/d82cc048-4b92-4c2a-a014-af1eea7d76d0_CO2%20Emissions%20from%20Freight%20Transport%20-%20An%20Analysis%20of%20UK%20Data.pdf" target="_blank">carbon emissions from transportation</a>. Some of these natural fiber materials also <a href="http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2013/mar/26/seagrass-die-off-one-of-major-issues-addressed/" target="_blank">fall under scrutiny</a> in their production practices. For example, the bamboo industry, while touting the sustainability of bamboo as a renewable resource has become subject of criticism for cultivating in marginal waters, displacing local fishing industries, polluting waters, and unfair labor practices. Seagrass production in Indonesia has been subject to similar criticisms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Recently the clothing and fashion industry has been subject to scrutiny on fair trade, safe working conditions, pollution, sustainability, and carbon life cycle assessment of textile production. There is a bright side to all of this scrutiny. The textile industry has organized the new <a href="http://www.global-standard.org/" target="_blank">Global Organic Textile Standard</a> (GOTS) to address the many issues in world textile production. This new standard is a tool for an international common understanding of environmentally friendly production systems and social accountability in the textile sector. The new standard covers the production, processing, manufacturing, packaging, labeling, exportation, importation and distribution of all natural fibers. The standard is promoting the use of certified organic fibers, prohibition of all GMOs and their derivatives; and prohibition of a long list of synthetic chemicals (for example: formaldehyde and aromatic solvents are prohibited; dyestuffs must meet strict requirements such as threshold limits for heavy metals, no AZO colorants or aromatic amines and PVC cannot be used for packaging). So there's a lot going on in the textile industry to change the way the fabrics are made to make for a healthier and safer environment for all living things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">So what is the Green Verdict for fabrics in caskets and burial shrouds? We should look for fabrics made from <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm61Fi3pPMPsnskZApnIlvxdgGIwjvWsPc2ybalHRoHODCewUC4hlJqQ3LPgJvt7C1v8j8XY3ucJ8b71ms2e_lGtcExk23panM4q1zBP2FVhwJc4FykejaFmdAuCEIFrpLuBMkZuBKGL8/s3200/E-interior-view-open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm61Fi3pPMPsnskZApnIlvxdgGIwjvWsPc2ybalHRoHODCewUC4hlJqQ3LPgJvt7C1v8j8XY3ucJ8b71ms2e_lGtcExk23panM4q1zBP2FVhwJc4FykejaFmdAuCEIFrpLuBMkZuBKGL8/s3200/E-interior-view-open.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Natural cotton monk's cloth casket liner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
natural fibers for their biodegradability. <a href="http://www.honeybegood.com/Hemp_and_Lyocel_Fabric_s/1836.htm" target="_blank">Organic fibers</a> are slightly better in terms of carbon life cycle assessment. On local-sourcing, domestic cotton is widely available. Organic cotton is better from a toxicity perspective. Cultivated fibers are renewable and sustainable materials. Interesting alternatives not as easily available as cotton include <a href="http://www.honeybegood.com/Hemp_and_Lyocel_Fabric_s/1836.htm" target="_blank">lyocell</a>, a wood-pulp fabric produced with low energy, fewer emissions, less water, and no bleach. There are also <a href="http://www.fashionfabricsclub.com/" target="_blank">eco-friendly fabrics</a> made from plants including hemp, soy, and linen (from flax). These, too, are great green alternatives to the conventional polyester, but not as readily available as cotton. Animal-based fabrics including cashmere (from goat hair) and alpaca wool would be green alternatives, but are expensive and long-lasting and thus may be better suited to clothing than casket interiors. Domestic organic cotton might be the greenest and most readily available option for natural burial caskets and shrouds distributed in the U.S.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-88151631877909281432013-11-01T07:07:00.000-05:002014-07-03T07:21:39.127-05:00Are There Green Alternatives to Concrete Burial Vaults?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Are concrete burial vaults bad for the environment? The Green Burial Council's <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/faqs-fiction/" target="_blank">position on steel and concrete</a> burial vaults is that they must be "not required" in hybrid burial grounds and that they are "prohibited in Council-certified conservation and in natural and environmentally low-impact burial grounds." Contrast this with claims on some web sites and in advertisements by both funeral homes and concrete vault manufacturers that concrete vaults are "green" because concrete is natural, biodegradable, non-toxic, or otherwise harmless to the environment. So some of us might be left wondering just what is the problem with concrete burial vaults when it comes to being green or promoting natural burial?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Concrete is all around us and is an inexpensive, long-lasting, multipurpose building material. As an undergraduate student in civil engineering, I found concrete fascinating. It cures by absorbing water (hydration) not by drying like many people think. This magic rock-like stuff gets stronger with age--especially with continued exposure to water. I was present for the ceremony in 1998 at UW-Madison for the 100th year in a long-running experiment load-testing concrete cylinders that had been mixed by undergraduate students in 1898! Each year, the cylinders stored in a room with 100% humidity continued to grow in strength whereas those left in dry conditions had long since plateaued. What could be wrong with concrete?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Concrete is made from <a href="http://www.cement.org/basics/howmade.asp" target="_blank">water, cement, and aggregate</a> (sand & gravel). While water and aggregate are relatively easy to come by and inexpensive, cement is not. Cement is 85% lime and silica by mass plus gypsum and trace amounts of aluminum and iron. Cement is typically made from calcium carbonate that must be mined, transported, and crushed before being loaded into a kiln. These kilns are 12 feet in diameter and as long as a football field and heat the calcium carbonate to 2700 degrees F producing lime and lots of carbon dioxide. The foreign elements, including toxic heavy metals such as mercury and cadmium, evaporate off and the remaining marble-sized material called "clinker" is then ground-up into a very fine powder we know as Portland cement mix. The high temperature kilns require significant amounts of fossil fuels to bring up to operating temperature so these kilns are run continuously. There are about 100 cement plants in North America. The cement is transported all over North America by rail and truck for use in our highways, bridges, buildings, and of course, concrete burial vaults.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_impact_of_concrete" target="_blank">environmental impact of concrete</a> adds up quickly. To manufacture and distribute cement and then mix and transport concrete is very expensive in terms of carbon life cycle analysis. The concrete industry estimates that a little less than 1 ton of CO2 is released into the atmosphere for each ton of concrete we produce--and this includes a 30% improvement in CO2 production from concrete since then 1960s! On a global scale, concrete production accounts for 5% to 10% of the total world carbon footprint. In 2010 the United States alone produced an estimated 63.5 million tons of concrete. In that same year, the funeral industry buried 1.6 million tons of concrete burial vaults. Surprisingly, the funeral industry accounts for 2.5% of domestic concrete production.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">A single concrete burial vault weights 1800 lbs. and ranges upward to 3000 lbs. For a 1 ton burial vault we produce about 1 ton of CO2 to manufacture and transport the vault to a cemetery. This is the same amount of CO2 that a <a href="http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ghgemissions/ind-calculator.html#c=homeEnergy&p=reduceOnTheRoad&m=calc_currentEmissions" target="_blank">four-person family produces in about 9 days</a>. It takes a tree about 40 years to sequester 1 ton of CO2.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">With the exception of only two or three states, Massachusetts being one, most states do not require concrete or steel burial vaults. However, most municipal and church maintained cemeteries do require burial vaults. Burial vaults do have a practical purpose and every vault manufacture's web site is quick to explain the safety and aesthetic value of vaults in preventing grave collapse. A cemetery operator would also tell you it is far easier to locate neighboring graves with a thin rod when identifying where to dig a new grave if the adjacent graves are vaulted. Aside from the Green Burial Council's position to forego the vault altogether, could there be a green alternative to the concrete burial vault?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">There are some ideas among green-thinking funeral directors and cemetery operators. One simple idea is to use a vault lid to cover the casket. If the grave is dug several inches wider than the casket on all sides with a casket-sized channel at the bottom of the grave, the soil could support a simple slab--just a vault lid--and get the benefit of preventing grave collapse with less concrete. We can do better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">There's no shortage of research on greener concrete. Carbon tax laws in countries like Australia have implemented a tax of $25 per ton of CO2 produced. While such laws and regulations are prompting the building industry to improve concrete production methods by adding fly ash, bottom ash, or slag. One Italian company has developed a concrete that is supposed to fight air pollution. The mix includes titanium dioxide that absorbs ultraviolet light and purportedly breaks down pollutants in the air that collide with the concrete. The Jubilee Church in Rome is made from this type of concrete. In any case, all of these attempts to make green concrete are minimal at best in reducing carbon emissions. We can do better.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">There's a new vault company on the scene--since 2009, that is. Massachusetts-based, <a href="http://www.dukeburialvaults.com/about/about.htm" target="_blank">Duke Burial Vaults</a>, markets a plastic burial vault that is five times stronger than concrete, ten times lighter than concrete, and costs less. Before we get too far, yes, plastic (even recycled plastic) comes with some cost in environmental impact and carbon life cycle analysis. However, at 140 lbs shipping weight and as much as $1500 savings over concrete burial vaults, Duke has a value-proposition worth a good look. The vaults are made from polyethylene inner and outer shells with polyethylene structural foam molded in between. Lighter. Stronger. Cheaper. But is it Greener? <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/07/23/idUS97410+23-Jul-2009+BW20090723" target="_blank">Polyethylene ranges in CO2 output</a> of 1-3 lbs. per 1 lb. of product produced. Even at 3 lbs. CO2, that 140 lb vault might be responsible for 500 lbs. CO2 even after freight distribution. The National Institutes of Health final report on the safety assessment on polyethylene tells us this stuff is pretty safe. Which is good news because polyethylene is widely used in cosmetics, food packaging, prosthetics, and various implant devices in medicine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">So what is the Green verdict? If one can forego a burial vault altogether, that is the greenest option. But if a vault is required, a Duke burial vault is at least 4 times less harmful in terms of carbon life cycle analysis, and has almost zero impact in terms of environmental pollution. And if you are a funeral directory or cemetery operator, the best news might be that this green alternative can save money and add a few dollars to your bottom line.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><b>Concrete Burial Vault Facts</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Concrete Burial vaults range from 1800 lbs to 2400 lbs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">1 ton of concrete produces ~1 ton of CO2</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The concrete industry accounts for 5% to 10% of the world's carbon footprint</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The average household of 4 people in America produces 40 tons of CO2 per year</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">It takes a tree about 40 years to absorb 1 ton of CO2.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The US Congress has proposed carbon tax $25/ton of CO2-e (this already exists in Australia)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Every year, we bury 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete burial vaults in America's cemeteries</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The total concrete in made in the US in 2010 is a combined total of </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13px;">63.5 million tonnes</span></li>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-52967741554762999982013-10-01T06:56:00.000-05:002014-07-03T07:21:54.757-05:00Could Green + Gold be the New Black?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">There's been an awful lot of talk in the last several years about keeping the funeral industry out of The Red. Business is changing due to all kinds of trends: decreasing death rate, increasing cremation rate, rising employer costs, rising cost of health care, decreasing asset to debt ratios, and more. Every one of these topics is the subject of news articles and op-ed pieces in every publication on- or off-line from which we opt to fill our minds. There's no shortage of opinions on the profitability (or lack thereof) in death care service or where the industry is headed next. One thing for sure is that for those fifth and sixth generation funeral directors, operating a funeral service business today is nothing like it was five generations ago when cash and bartering were the primary means of transacting business.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Last year in this column I wrote about the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC0QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Ftalks%2Fsimon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action&ei=HUO1U9-GIYujyAS1loHgBA&usg=AFQjCNF3m5imX34YbjpwWa9VQZzYkt0ldw&sig2=Ug6T-17qnL5XNz85GxcsIg&bvm=bv.70138588,d.aWw" target="_blank">Golden Circle of Motivation</a> as presented by Simon Sinek in a TED talk. In about ten minutes Mr. Sinek makes a compelling argument for any commercial business to re-invent our marketing message to focus on <i>why</i> we do what we do. Answers like "to make money" are not valid. A business makes money to exist, it does not exist to make money. Mr. Sinek uses breathing as an analogy. We breath to live, not the other way around. Typically most employees in a business can explain <i>what</i> they do. Very few can explain <i>how</i> they do it. And even fewer know <i>why</i>. For some firms, nobody can articulate <i>why</i> their firm exists. But those who can explain why, and can explain effectively, already have their go-to-market message.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTgUQ0zDuUi_za4nYs985xy0MglUWPHkRdlGM9Po7J1oiHycYsYJJIP0neAu9Zxb85lGYclqEOEh55P0f1TQGiWxYsGaKJMDyTog7d91c9u7_H1FFfTrIz9OwW-pKfQKGMQj-LWDCTww/s1600/A2-full-view-open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTgUQ0zDuUi_za4nYs985xy0MglUWPHkRdlGM9Po7J1oiHycYsYJJIP0neAu9Zxb85lGYclqEOEh55P0f1TQGiWxYsGaKJMDyTog7d91c9u7_H1FFfTrIz9OwW-pKfQKGMQj-LWDCTww/s1600/A2-full-view-open.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Why</i> do we make eco-friendly caskets?</td></tr>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In these contemporary times of volatile markets, political challenges, and ever-rising cost of doing business, it is hard enough to keep a business in The Black. Add to our challenges this new breed of consumer with the loyalty of Benedict Arnold and the attention span of Sponge Bob inhaling more information in a minute today than our forefathers consumed in an entire month. Could Green and Gold be the new Black?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Nine years ago, I built my first casket. Eight years ago I sold my first "green" casket. About five years ago I discovered, almost by accident, that people were more interested in <i>why</i> I build caskets than <i>how</i> I build them (the <i>what</i> has always been obvious). Like many businesses, I had a web site that described <i>what</i> I was selling. For a short period I thought I was clever in describing <i>how</i> I was achieving the <i>what </i>but I bored every sorry chap that read my web pages. Then about two years ago I listened to Simon Sinek's TED talk and things haven't been the same since. Sales have more than doubled in each of the two years since I have re-focused my go-to-market messaging on <i>why</i> I build environmentally friendly caskets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I share this with you and anyone interested enough to re-think their marketing message. For those of you who are 5th or 6th generation funeral directors, I applaud you. For those of you just entering this industry, I applaud you. You are both likely very close to explaining "why" you have remained in, or have recently chosen, this profession. As for the rest of us… can we quickly and effectively explain "why does my firm exist" or "why am I a funeral director" to a 10 year-old? Keep in mind that "make money" is a cop-out answer. Not everyone's answer is the same--and need not be. Your answer is your own--it is your Golden Circle of Motivation. Making your motivation transparent for your customers will have a profound impact on both their attention span and their loyalty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">So maybe you get the Gold, but where's the Green in the Black? I illustrate with my own experience. I don't build caskets to make money--there are a lot of other ways I could make money, and some are far easier than making caskets. And I don't just make caskets. I make sustainable, eco-friendly, non-toxic, locally sourced, carbon-negative caskets because I am fascinated by the challenge of building a business on Smarter Planet ideas. I plant lots and lots of trees because I believe that nobody can argue that planting trees isn't a great <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6v-6ow1ZBfnmbrhNWgGzYM9gipLCNcxXPAKzGCcQNIkYz_tv8Ya9GJQW35BOWCUcgOz2GMwVE8w82Nt9d360rCvndqumZtwE-qNijPewpC4w8c7rmwZegik7Zx_U82pOH9umlgSnYiY/s1600/_JZB0652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB6v-6ow1ZBfnmbrhNWgGzYM9gipLCNcxXPAKzGCcQNIkYz_tv8Ya9GJQW35BOWCUcgOz2GMwVE8w82Nt9d360rCvndqumZtwE-qNijPewpC4w8c7rmwZegik7Zx_U82pOH9umlgSnYiY/s1600/_JZB0652.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planting trees is a good thing.</td></tr>
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thing. I source raw materials and manufacture with local talent so that I can create jobs in my community. This is my passion. Before listening to Mr. Sinek, I was shy about my passion and kept my motivations private. I now realize that not only was there no need to hide my motivation, but instead making myself transparent has only helped to build trust in personal relationships, longer attention spans, and true loyalty from our customers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I invite you to find the <i>why</i> in your motivation. Yes, I admit Green is arguably an already over-played marketing moniker and trend. It is no longer relevant to a consumer to tout our wares as simply Green--that's not good enough. Go for the Gold and tell your customers why you do what you do. If you can sprinkle a little Green into that Gold I assure you will find yourself a whole new Black.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-68302333566859276972013-09-01T06:47:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:19:39.636-05:00A Fresh Green Perspective on the Cremation vs. Burial Debate <span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Every year in America, more and more families opt for cremation as an alternative to a casket and a cemetery burial. A trend that began in the 1960s with less than 4%, the cremation rate in the U.S. reached 40% in 2010. With growing interest in sustainability some marketers have espoused cremation as a green alternative to a casketed burial in a cemetery. Let us examine cremation with carbon life cycle assessment and our definition of Green as it applies to death care to also include political, economic, and toxicity perspectives in promoting a healthy environment for all living things.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">A typical cremation includes a cardboard cremation tray or container and human remains. Cremation uses high-temperature burning, vaporization, and oxidation to reduce human remains to basic chemical compounds including gases and mineral fragments. Crematoriums in the U.S. use a fossil-fuel powered incineration process that takes 2-3 hours for the stages of warm-up and burning with temperatures reaching 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. An Australian study determined the combined release of CO2 from burning the fossil fuel, cremation container, and human remains is 350 lbs CO2. Other sources suggest the carbon impact of incineration is closer to 600 lbs CO2 and depends on the mass of the human remains. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The manufacture and distribution of a steel casket compares at 2000 lbs CO2--that is four to six times more CO2 than the cremation. </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The Australian study at 350 lbs CO2 compares favorably to a steel casket. On the other hand, the carbon impact of a green casket made locally from sustainable material is just 50 lbs CO2. In this comparison, a cremation has seven to ten times greater carbon impact! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">An interesting side note might be to combine a green casket alternative with cremation. By substituting a locally made sustainable wooden casket as a cremation container, we can actually reduce the carbon impact. Cardboard is a water intensive process and 1 lb of cardboard generates almost 4 lbs of CO2 equivalents. Interestingly, a 2011 Netherlands study revealed that cremation with wooden caskets result in less fossil-fuel used during incineration. The wood serves as a renewable fuel source--thus the more wood used in the cremation container, the less fuel required during incineration. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The toxicity of cremation is harder to quantify than the carbon impact. Cremation generates emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury, hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), NMVOCs, and other heavy metals, in addition to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP). For a human body that contains metal implants or dental fillings, the impact of incineration releases harmful dioxins and mercury--there is an ongoing debate on how to address mercury poisoning from cremation which the United States EPA believes is the 3rd largest contributor of air-born mercury contamination. The United Nations has estimated that 0.2% of the global emission of dioxins and furans are from cremation. While embalming is not required for direct cremation, circumstances that include a viewing or service prior to cremation often include embalming. The toxic gases released by cremating an embalmed body are cause for further controversy over the health and environmental impacts of cremation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">One green argument in favor of cremation invokes the social, political, and economic factors of land use. Studies in Australia and the Netherlands concluded that the carbon impact of cemetery maintenance alone could account for as much as 30 lbs CO2 per grave site every year. Some believe that a casketed burial in a cemetery occupies precious land space that could serve other useful purposes. The Netherlands study points out that land competition is a contributing factor for cremation if we consider the land use involved in producing the particleboard, wood, and cotton used in cremation containers. Add to this the land use required to extract, refine, store, and distribute fossil fuels. We should also consider that a large contributor to the growing popularity of cremation since the 1960s has to do with the acceptance of cremation by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church maintains that cremated remains must be entombed in an appropriate container in a cemetery, mausoleum, or columbarium--all of which occupy land space. From a full-story perspective on land use by itself, cremation and cemetery burial might be comparable in environmental, political, and economic factors when it comes to promoting a healthy environment for all living things. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I offer another consideration on the subject land competition when comparing cemetery burials with cremation. America's cemeteries serve our cities, villages, and towns as green space. Some cemeteries serve their communities in the same way that a park does by offering a safe and quiet place for a walk or exercise. Cemeteries provide wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, and squirrels as well as storm water run-off control. More recently, America's growing number of conservation cemeteries for natural burials both preserve and protect lands for public enjoyment and for natural wildlife habitat. Families concerned about land competition may be interested in options for nearby conservation cemeteries where funds raised through the sale of burial plots serve to maintain and protect the land for conservation, wildlife, and recreational purposes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Every individual has the liberty to make their own choices when it comes to end-of-life care. We in the death care industry must take responsibility for ensuring an individual's choice be an informed one. We fail to serve our families if we are complacent in accepting an individual's decision without understanding the motivation or values upon which that decision was made. That is not to say we should question an individual's values, but rather educate with factual content so that our families can make informed decisions in accordance with their individual values. After all, isn't it our <i>duty</i> to inform our families without questioning their values or judging their wishes? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-17076274042443379012013-08-01T08:23:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:23:59.357-05:00What is the role of biodegradability in greening the funeral industry?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Very often the first question asked of me at a presentation on greening the funeral industry goes something like this, "Isn't the whole idea of a green burial to <i>completely</i> decompose within a few years?" There are three ideas hidden in this question worth exploring. First, notice the assumption that the <i>green</i> in green burial is entirely about a single idea. Second, the question suggests that biodegradability is this single idea. And third, I find it interesting that so many people believe that rate of decay has significance in being green--as if returning to our earthly elements should be a race.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Greening the funeral industry is not entirely about a single idea. There are many perspectives we ought to consider when talking to families. After many years of conversations, reading countless books and articles, and cognitive discourse with industry professionals, academics, and families on this topic, I have adopted a definition of green burial to include several perspectives such as biodegradability, toxicity, sustainability, local-sourcing, and carbon life cycle assessment. These perspectives overlap and are interrelated. I believe that being green is a matter of maintaining or improving quality of life for all living things in the environment as they may be affected by the creation, use, and disposition of a product or service. This definition of <i>being green</i> applies to any product or service and the cradle-to-grave activities that occur as a result of our choice to use that product or service--whether directly or indirectly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">More importantly, I offer that we must further allow leeway in our definition of <i>being green, </i>especially when it comes to funerals, so that we accommodate the different perspectives of individuals. People have different core values and various experiences upon which their own attitudes toward the environment and perspectives on green burial will differ. As professionals in funeral service we must recognize that an individual who values sustainability and local-sourcing over biodegradability would not be satisfied with an imported seagrass or wicker casket though it is marketed as a green casket and is 100% biodegradable. The more we learn about the core values and experiences of our families, the better we can assist them in making choices consistent with their values.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Why is biodegradability so often the first perspective considered in green burial? First of all, biodegradability is not a new term and not nearly as complex as <i>sustainability </i>or <i>carbon life cycle assessment. </i>Moreover, people are familiar with "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" and how this centuries-old epitaph suggests that returning to our earthly elements is as natural as it is green. Then consider the fact that biodegradability is easy to quantify and measure--thus most green, natural burial, and conservation cemeteries have a biodegradability requirement or standard for burial containers and/or monuments. Biodegradability is a good perspective, but it ought not be the <i>only</i> perspective if our definition of green is to include "maintaining or improving quality of life for all living things."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Let's think on this idea of rapidly returning to the earth somehow being greener than a slower return. I believe this attitude may originate in individuals who are thinking about preservation through embalming, refrigeration, sealed caskets, and sealed burial vaults. These practices invoke additional and interrelated perspectives such as toxicity, sustainability, carbon footprint, and land use. However, the perspective on biodegradability alone is neutral, if not contradictory. If we consider the pathology of decay for our human remains alone--without attention to the surrounding activities to accelerate decomposition (i.e. cremation, alkali resomation, cryomation) or decelerate decomposition (i.e. embalming, refrigeration) then the argument for biodegradability being green is moot. Take this one step further and bring in the perspective on carbon footprint. It would actually be better if our bodies were never to decay--somehow trapping permanently, or sequestering, the carbon that makes up a large part of our body mass.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The same is true if we consider the toxins our bodies accumulate throughout life. A perspective on toxicity would suggest we contain these toxins or slow decay to give nature time to neutralize these toxins. Take for example TED talk guest and award winner in <i>designBoom,</i> Jae Rhim Lee, and her <i>Mushroom Death Suit. </i>Her invention is a set of hooded pajamas laced with mushroom spores selected for their ability to cleanse the hundreds of toxins that accumulate in the human body during life. Yes, that is disposition of human remains by way of feeding the fungi! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Back to maintaining and preserving the quality of life for all living things in the environment. Perhaps biodegradability alone should not be our first or most important perspective in greening the funeral industry. It is an excellent start--easy to observe, easy to explain, and easy to write standards for. There is precedent for biodegradability requirements in burial practices in many religions around the world including Orthodox and Muslim faiths. It makes good sense to start with biodegradability, but isn't it time we expand the conversation in funeral service?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Let us advance into this next decade of the green and natural burial movement in North America by adding toxicity, sustainability, local-sourcing, and carbon life cycle assessment to the conversation. We're bound to learn something.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-5313689111540582472013-08-01T06:44:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:20:53.707-05:00Is Cremation a Green Alternative to a Casketed Cemetery Burial?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In the last decade cremation has continued to grow in its appeal to families in America. The percentage of deaths in the U.S. where families have chosen cremation has grown from less than 4% in 1960 to more than 40% annually. With growing interest in sustainability, many marketers have touted cremation as a green alternative to a casketed burial in a cemetery. Let us examine cremation with carbon life cycle assessment and our definition of Green as it applies to death care to also include the political and economic factors in promoting a healthy environment for all living things.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Consider a typical cremation that includes a wooden cremation container and human remains. Interestingly, a 2011 Netherlands study revealed that cremation with wooden caskets result in less fossil-fuel used during incineration. The wood serves as a renewable fuel source--thus the more wood used in the cremation container, the less fuel required during incineration. The fossil-fuel powered cremation process takes 2-3 hours for the stages of warm-up and incineration where temperatures reach 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. An Australian study determined the combined release of CO2 from burning the fossil fuel, cremation container, and human remains is 350 lbs CO2. Other sources suggest the carbon impact of incineration is closer to 600 lbs CO2. The Australian study at 350 lbs CO2 compares favorably to the impact of an imported steel casket at 2000 lbs CO2. However, cremation is 7 times greater than the impact of a green casket made locally from sustainable materials at 50 lbs CO2. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The toxicity of cremation is harder to quantify than the carbon impact. Cremation generates emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury, hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), NMVOCs, and other heavy metals, in addition to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP). For a human body that contains metal implants or dental fillings, the impact of incineration releases harmful dioxins and mercury--there is an ongoing debate on how to address mercury poisoning from cremation which the United States EPA believes is the 3rd largest contributor of air-born mercury contamination. The United Nations has estimated that 0.2% of the global emission of dioxins and furans are from cremation. While embalming is not required for direct cremation, circumstances that include a viewing or service prior to cremation often include embalming. The toxic gases released by cremating an embalmed body are cause for further controversy over the health and environmental impacts of cremation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">One green argument in favor of cremation invokes the social, political, and economic factors of land use. Studies in Australia and the Netherlands concluded that the carbon impact of cemetery maintenance alone could account for as much as 30 lbs CO2 per grave site every year. Some believe that a casketed burial in a cemetery occupies precious land space that could serve other useful purposes. The Netherlands study points out that land competition is a contributing factor for cremation if we consider the land use involved in producing the particleboard, wood, and cotton used in cremation containers. Add to this the land use required to extract, refine, store, and distribute fossil fuels. We should also consider that a large contributor to the growing popularity of cremation since the 1960s has to do with the acceptance of cremation by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church maintains that cremated remains must be entombed in an appropriate container in a cemetery, mausoleum, or columbarium--all of which occupy land space. From a full-story perspective on land use by itself, cremation and cemetery burial might be comparable in environmental, political, and economic factors when it comes to promoting a healthy environment for all living things. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I offer another consideration on the subject land competition when comparing cemetery burials with cremation. America's cemeteries serve our cities, villages, and towns as green space. Some cemeteries serve their communities in the same way that a park does by offering a safe and quiet place for a walk or exercise. Cemeteries provide wildlife habitat for birds, butterflies, and squirrels as well as storm water run-off control. More recently, America's growing number of conservation cemeteries for natural burials both preserve and protect lands for public enjoyment and for natural wildlife habitat. Families concerned about land competition may be interested in options for nearby conservation cemeteries where funds raised through the sale of burial plots serve to maintain and protect the land for conservation, wildlife, and recreational purposes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Every individual should have the liberty to make their own choices when it comes to end-of-life care. An individual's choice is personal. What should be important to those of us in the death care industry is that an individual's choice be an informed one. We fail to serve our families if we are complacent in accepting an individual's decision without understanding the motivation or base values behind that decision. That is not to say we should question an individual's values, but rather inform with facts so that our families can make informed decisions in accordance with their individual values. After all, isn't it our <i>duty</i> to inform our families without questioning their values or judging their wishes? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-82371844397973205282013-07-01T08:25:00.000-05:002014-07-03T08:25:31.100-05:00Could rental caskets be the next trend in green funerals?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Rental caskets with replacement insert and liner are not new to the funeral industry. Rental caskets first emerged as an option for cremation families to conduct a funeral service prior to cremation. Fees charged to families for casket rental services generally range from $350 to $1000. With growing interest in cremation as an alternative to cemetery burial, the rental casket has gained some popularity in the last five years. As "green" as it may seem, the idea of using a rental casket for a green funeral is not a common option presented to families curious about green or natural burial alternatives. And yet, the rental casket might just be the perfect choice for families who value the environment but do not wish to make a bold statement with something as different as a natural burial shroud or simple pine box. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">From a sustainability perspective, rental caskets could be a very attractive option for families seeking options to minimize impact on the environment. Our opportunity in funeral service is to suggest a rental casket to families interested in reducing environmental impact. There's no reason a funeral service with a rental casket could not be followed by direct burial with a burial shroud in a natural burial cemetery. For conventional cemeteries that require a burial vault, remains could be interred with a burial shroud or the same type of cardboard box container used in cremations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">It is difficult to write this column without a shameless reference to the pun, "thinking outside the box." True or not, our funeral service industry has a reputation in the media for being resistant to change and slow to adopt new ideas. Compounded by the fact that we live in a time in our Western culture where people generally avoid talking about death and death care, it is ever more important that we think outside the box and be prepared to talk about different options with our families as they explore sustainable alternatives in death care.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In preparing to talk to families about green funerals, I offer the following five talking points. "Green" has many meanings to different people so it helps to hone in on specific perspectives to better understand the values and priorities of your families. These five talking points include (1) biodegradability, (2) toxicity, (3) sustainability, (4) carbon footprint, and (5) local sourcing. Each of these talking points has many aspects, facts, and figures and are all interrelated. There are others, but these five tend to be the most common and are easily understood in the context of death care choices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">If biodegradability is important, as would be the case with a conservation cemetery, then it is important that the casket rental insert that is to be interred be made from biodegradable materials such as cotton and paper whereas synthetics like polyester and sateen be avoided. Steel staples and toxic adhesives may also need to be avoided for burial in a conservation cemetery like the <b>Penn Forest Natural Burial Park</b> in Verona, PA. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">A funeral service with a handsome locally-made rental casket followed by either cremation or a cemetery burial (with or without vault) complemented with a memorial tree-planting ceremony at someone's home or in a city park could be a relatively green funeral. A single hardwood memorial tree can offset the carbon impact of the cremation or burial vault after 10-15 years--and if that tree lives on to 80-100 years the tree continues to sequester carbon every day.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">For a rental casket that is used over and over again, the biodegradability of the casket is no longer relevant. The carbon footprint and toxicity of the materials and methods of construction may still be important but certainly less relevant than for a casket that is used once and is interred in the earth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">A family primarily concerned about sustainability from a perspective of conservation of natural resources and limiting the use of non-renewable resources might best be served by a funeral service with a rental casket and cremation complemented with an offset activity to plant a few hundred trees. The Arbor Day Foundation offers a "Trees in Memory" service (www.arborday.org) that will plant one tree in a national forest for every dollar donated. We might suggest the family request that all memorial donations go toward planting trees.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">The rental casket combined with alternatives with which we are already familiar could be the beginnings of an exemplary "green" funeral service offering for most firms. Sustainability and being "green" isn't only about the casket, or the cemetery, or embalming. Try to keep the five talking points close at hand to help uncover the values upon which your families will make choices. These talking points might invite more questions than provide answers, but these are the conversations upon which we build everlasting trust in personal relationships. And that's good business.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-3345371041491548912013-06-01T06:40:00.000-05:002014-07-03T06:43:40.374-05:00Green Day - What are People Saying About Sustainability in Death Care?<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We were invited to the <a href="http://www.isthmusgreenday.com/" target="_blank">Isthmus Green Day</a> in Madison, Wisconsin last month to exhibit our sustainable and environmentally friendly caskets. The Isthmus Green Day is a one-day "sustainability celebration" and expo organized by the Isthmus Newspaper. What would people think? Would people be interested in talking about death care at a sustainable living celebration? What types of questions would we be asked? We didn't know what to expect but made arrangements for a double-booth to fit four different casket models and four staff. To our surprise, our caskets were the talk of the show and for more than eight hours starting at 9:00AM that Saturday, the four of us barely had a moment to catch our breath. An estimated 3000 people attended the expo and we handed out more than 750 brochures. Here's what people are saying (and asking) about sustainability in death care.<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OcArtvX7vNXyeFgPvf58D545kh2jkJVMnpMVrbNOaaK46jet1U_v-ZR6FLWfpAsOucPnozuQsow5utDk02odHGIgnNE5UljVGu1zQP24qqZIzoueyRg77Z55sLIJSiNIEqNaM91RXKw/s1600/2013-04-20+09.16.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_OcArtvX7vNXyeFgPvf58D545kh2jkJVMnpMVrbNOaaK46jet1U_v-ZR6FLWfpAsOucPnozuQsow5utDk02odHGIgnNE5UljVGu1zQP24qqZIzoueyRg77Z55sLIJSiNIEqNaM91RXKw/s1600/2013-04-20+09.16.49.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibiting at Green Day, April 2013</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Let's talk about cremation. It isn't often I find myself in a setting where people are openly and genuinely interested in talking about the merits of cremation from an environmental conservation point of view. After my third conversation, I kept tally marks on a card in my pocket. By the end of the day just more than 20 individuals or couples had thanked me for speaking with them and affirmed they would be changing their plans from cremation to some type of green or natural burial. Three key topics emerged in our conversations when comparing cremation and burial in order of interest (1) carbon impact, (2) toxicity and pollution, and (3) land use. On carbon impact, some people were not at all surprised after considering for a moment the carbon impact of a cremation--a fossil-fueled fire reaching 1800 degrees F for 2-3 hours--ranges from 300 to 600 lbs of CO2. Compared to the carbon footprint of a conventional steel casket at roughly 2000 lbs of CO2, cremation is a better choice. However, compared to a sustainable "green" casket at 50 to 150 lbs. of CO2, the environmentally friendly casket is clearly a better choice. While carbon impact was of significance to most of our audience, some were most moved by thoughts of toxic pollution. Depending on the study you trust, cremation accounts for 10% to 30% of global Mercury contamination of our environment. People who care about pollution very quickly agreed to reconsider a natural burial. A select few individuals were primarily considering land use in their funeral plans based on previous awareness of new conservation cemeteries opening up on the area including <b>Natural Path Sanctuary</b> in Verona, WI.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Let's talk about caskets. We had four caskets illustrating a range of materials, pricing, and finishes. To our surprise, the simple, rectangular and boxy "Simple Pine Box" stole the show! Our experience with Green Day attendees is consistent with our funeral home partners. While living people choose a simple pine box for themselves, they will not choose the same simple pine box for a loved one who did not previously express their wishes for a simple casket. There was some curious interest in our Orthodox caskets that contain no metal nails, screws, or hinges, but most attendees had no issue being buried with a handful of fasteners and some metal hinges. We learned that toxicity and our choices in wood finishes were very important for this audience. Caskets with finishes free of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) were preferred over those with even low VOCs. As for interiors, our audience expressed interest in biodegradable natural fiber interiors. People genuinely recognized that while they could easily imagine selecting a very simple interior for themselves, many recalled a recent funeral experience where they would have had difficulty making the same decision for a loved one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Let's talk about funeral homes. There was no confusion whatsoever when people asked about price and we explained prices were set by funeral homes and that we distributed our caskets through funeral homes exclusively. It was not a leap to recognize us as a casket manufacturer and not a casket retailer--not unlike the Toyota exhibit 15 feet from ours. We offered ballpark price ranges that funeral homes might charge and that satisfied their questions when comparing the different models. We shared contact information and literature for our funeral home partners in the Madison area. We also found it encouraging the number of people who had already made or were making their funeral arrangements in advance. It seems clear to me that for individuals who care about the environment, they do not want to leave their funeral choices up to their survivors--advance planning was a priority. Several individuals commented how they wished their funeral director had more information on sustainability, environmental impact, and toxicity of their choices including cremation, embalming, concrete vaults, and casket options.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Overall, I would say our participation in Green Day was a success and full of pleasant surprises. People are genuinely interested in talking about sustainability in death care at an event like this. I would encourage others vendors in the death care industry to seize the opportunity to participate in local "sustainable living" events. People were more interested than even I would have expected before attending Isthmus Green Day.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-23163906796922895882013-05-01T15:59:00.000-05:002014-01-16T16:00:15.805-06:00The Conversational Undertaker<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><i>Finding the meaning of "green" in green funeral inquiries</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I've heard this story many times in the last few years as relayed to me by funeral directors. A couple arrives to make funeral arrangements for an elderly family member in the final days of life or immediately after death. Early in the conversation, a member of the family says something like, "Dad wants one of those Green Funerals... you know, like we <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=17232879" target="_blank">heard on Public Radio</a>."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">As professionals in the death care industry, hearing a family ask about a Green Funeral is a good conversation starter. In the whirlwind of news, sensational articles, books, television shows and Hollywood productions in the last several years, many people are interested enough to ask about a Green Funeral. However, not every family knows fully what "green" can mean regarding a funeral. The family's request could be motivated by any of several factors and warrants further conversation to understand the family's wishes. The better we understand the reason for the family wanting to know more about green funeral options, the better we can serve them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Often times the key motivator for inquiring about a green funeral is cost. Many funeral directors have shared with me the family's directive, "Dad just wanted a <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/Simple-Pine-Box.html" target="_blank">simple pine box</a>. Simple and plain, nothing fancy." Directives like this are sometimes a bit hostile and motivated by <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-American-Way-Death-Revisited/dp/0679771867" target="_blank">Mitford's writings</a> on American funerals. We've learned that after presenting an inexpensive "simple pine box" like our Phillips Simple Pine Casket, many families shy away from this option unless the deceased had made explicit arrangements beforehand with the funeral home or a family member. In this early stage of grief, many families are not prepared to make as bold a statement as might be perceived by the family and community with just a plain pine box. For this family, we can show a more conventional-looking wooden casket like our <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/Pine-Panel-Casket.html" target="_blank">Pine Panel Casket</a> that appeals to the family that is both price-conscious and eco-conscious. Additionally, we can address their concerns for cost in other ways--planning a funeral to meet a budget is not new to the death care industry. The lesson learned here is that there are a few families who will ask for a Green Funeral when they mean to be more informed about ways to manage cost.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">For some families the foremost concern when inquiring about a green funeral is the environment. Unlike the cost-conscious, this family is primarily concerned with minimizing the impact on the environment. Until recently, the only perceived alternative to a conventional funeral has been cremation. We now have alternatives to cremation that convert many families to a full service green funeral that may be much more appealing to the eco-conscious. A good indicator that a family has already done their homework on green funerals is their openness and willingness to discuss detailed matters such as the cemetery, burial vaults, biodegradable <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KwFDsKUFQCkRlTMjYrbn71gABtQnncsifRszGAhIzI5NkDq37av38EfEFn4TKJy7sHjeRIJyfR_94N7P3TYVmHLbNgQ_8mnULv3vushyms3xphrs9JaF8LIG1SNkFNZ8_PgbYaHco-g/s1600/E-interior-view-open.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5KwFDsKUFQCkRlTMjYrbn71gABtQnncsifRszGAhIzI5NkDq37av38EfEFn4TKJy7sHjeRIJyfR_94N7P3TYVmHLbNgQ_8mnULv3vushyms3xphrs9JaF8LIG1SNkFNZ8_PgbYaHco-g/s1600/E-interior-view-open.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handcrafted Pine Casket by Northwoods Casket Co.</td></tr>
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caskets, and embalming alternatives. Cost is typically not an issue when it comes to paying a premium for a burial site in a natural burial cemetery, a hand-crafted wooden casket, and the added cost for refrigerated storage and/or dry ice in lieu of embalming. For the family most interested in avoiding environmental impact, it may be appealing to complement the funeral services with a memorial tree-planting or a donation to an organization that will plant trees as an off-set for the impact of the funeral.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">For other families, the main concern when considering a green funeral is more personal. A family that is well-informed about natural burial may seek a funeral that inters the remains of the deceased in a manner that does not prohibit decomposition and allows the body to return to the earth. For some, this is a spiritual matter and they want to be in direct contact with the soil in order to return to the earth more naturally. Depending on the cemetery requirements, there may be options to fore-go the concrete vault altogether or use a grave liner. The family may ask about biodegradable caskets that do not contain precious metals or chemical finishes. For these families it is important to recognize that "biodegradable" and "low environmental impact" are not the same. (Recall from a previous installment of this column that a biodegradable natural burial casket shipped from Indonesia via ocean cargo and air-freighted across the US would have more than twice the environmental impact when measured with carbon life cycle analysis than a steel casket assembled in the US.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We all have much to learn as the death care industry changes. The more families are willing to get involved, make advanced arrangements, and ask questions about death care, the more opportunity we have as death care professionals to make a lasting impression. For many of us, it is that lasting impression, and the loyalty earned with it, that keeps us engaged in our profession. When we are prepared to talk about Green Funerals with those families that inquire about them, we can better serve their interests, varied as they may be.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-42887804536025193032013-04-01T15:52:00.000-05:002014-01-16T15:53:18.148-06:00Green Funerals are for the Living<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDHSsRzOJUAjcB19-hOrYxh66mVSUuNvHzfDKE9IRf09dYc3vcif_eXOB0L_WcJIzZJehRzVTNdP0hy1kNNtdIWx4KKnKtvWVmHeFzjGDsq8sF_3MzbQKWGLStftl3WT0CW9XCG6g2oQ/s1600/Full_Couch_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeDHSsRzOJUAjcB19-hOrYxh66mVSUuNvHzfDKE9IRf09dYc3vcif_eXOB0L_WcJIzZJehRzVTNdP0hy1kNNtdIWx4KKnKtvWVmHeFzjGDsq8sF_3MzbQKWGLStftl3WT0CW9XCG6g2oQ/s1600/Full_Couch_2.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Simple Pine Box by the Northwoods Casket Co.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Dead people don't have choices. They're dead. Living people understand that dead people don't have feelings, don't care about money, have no interest in being comfortable, and do not care about the weather. These are concerns for living people. And yet, when living people make funeral decisions for the deceased many of these elements come to the forefront in the decision making process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">As death care professionals, we've seen it all. While there are those moments we witness something we've never seen before, we are intimately familiar with the grieving family and their difficulty in making funeral choices. Is this the casket Mom would have wanted? Are these flowers too much, or not enough? What will the rest of the family and her friends think? Yeah, Dad wanted a cheap pine box, but is this too cheap? Will Grandma be comfortable? We just cannot stand the thought of Grandpa's casket being submerged in water--maybe we better get the sealed concrete burial vault with a 5-year warranty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">When it comes to making smart choices in death care, we've noticed that living people make decisions very differently for themselves than they do for the deceased. At the Northwoods Casket Co. we can attest that our funeral home partners sell very few Simple Pine Boxes to a family in an at-need funeral situation; yet in the same time our partners have sold more than 200 Simple Pine Boxes to living people making choices for their own funerals. What does this mean?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Our industry is on the verge of change. The decade beginning 2010 is one of significant social, economical, and political change. The population itself is changing--aging baby-boomers are reaching their final stages of life, GenX-ers are becoming late parents or early grandparents, and a new generation raised on social media is entering the working class. The "green" marketing fad is maturing into a movement built on an imperative for Environmental Sustainability. Attitudes toward the environment, the economy, and entitlements are changing. Today, there are volumes of information (and mis-information) available through multiple channels of media for the voter, consumer, or otherwise individual searching for an answer or the confidence to make an informed choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In death care, we see casketed burials shrinking by 2% annually despite a growing death rate giving way to cremation--the only alternative to a casketed cemetery burial in the last several decades. At the same time, we see exponential growth in <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/finding-a-provider/" target="_blank">openings of new green cemeteries</a>, and new "green" areas of existing municipal and private cemeteries. In its third year of offering natural burial, <a href="http://www.riverviewcemetery.org/_mgxroot/page_10790.php" target="_blank">River View Cemetery</a> shares that nearly one-quarter of all burials at their cemetery in Portland, Oregon were natural burials in 2012. There are more local casket builders today than there have been since the First World War.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Living people make choices, and the living people are choosing local and sustainable alternatives to Big Business. This is as true in food with the rapidly growing population of local <a href="http://www.localharvest.org/csa/" target="_blank">community supported agriculture producers</a> (CSAs) as well as with the trend toward local breweries and distilleries (the ATF has awarded more distillery licenses in the last 5 years than in all the years since prohibition). These are just two examples of many trends toward local, sustainable, and environmentally friendly practices that transcend ethnic, class, and geographic divides in our population.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Here's the rub for us death care professionals. There's a growing trend in death care not unlike those in the food and beverage industry. There have been more green funerals in the last 5 years than in the previous two decades. There are hundreds of funeral homes, churches, and volunteer groups organizing in America to offer assistance with green funerals. At the Northwoods Casket Co. we answer more than a dozen callers each week asking for help with local ordinances and state laws, casket & vault requirements, and the many other questions best answered by a licensed funeral director. We refer every caller to their local funeral director.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">As death care professionals, the opportunity is ours to embrace changing attitudes and reestablish ourselves as local partners committed to both environmental sustainability and helping our families make informed choices in death care. We already recognize that funerals, like choices, are for the living. The death care industry may shrink [in dollars] in the coming decade despite the long over-anticipated 25% growth in the death rate by baby-boomers, but as with all change those of us who embrace change will persevere.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-45177228206224656612013-03-01T15:15:00.000-06:002014-01-14T15:23:38.371-06:00Environmental Attitudes<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;"><b>Do environmental attitudes in death care affect end-of-life choices?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">A guest on Wisconsin Public Radio recently caught my attention talking about attitudes and the environment. Thomas Heberlein, a professor of community and environmental sociology at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has spent the last 40 years studying the affects of attitudes on people's actions when it comes to environmental issues. Inspired by the talk, I checked out Heberlein's book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Navigating-Environmental-Attitudes-Thomas-Heberlein/dp/0199773335" target="_blank">Navigating Environmental Attitudes</a>" with consideration for people's choices in death care regarding environmental issues. The premise of <i>navigating attitudes</i> compares marketing and messaging regarding environmental attitudes to rafting a river. We don't set out on a river rafting trip with tons of dynamite so that we can move boulders and alter the riverscape. Like boulders among the rapids, attitudes are difficult to move and it is far easier (and less expensive) to understand and navigate attitudes than it is to alter them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Heberlein goes into great academic detail on the characteristics of attitude and how to measure attitudes of a population. Interestingly, while attitudes are a real and observable influence in behavior, an attitude cannot be held, it has no mass, color, temperature, or other characteristics we generally associate with scientific measurement. Generally speaking, however, an attitude can be observed when an individual likes/dislikes an object or agrees/disagrees with an idea. When observing attitudes, there is always an object. That object can be an idea (environmental conservation), movement (racial equality), or a physical thing (bees).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Like environmental attitudes, death care attitudes can be observed as having both cognitive as well as emotional characteristics. The cognitive aspect of public attitude can be influenced with information (facts or purported facts) logic, and reason. The emotional aspect of public attitude is influenced by individual experience and is harder to change. Public attitudes can also be modeled both horizontally and vertically. The horizontal dimension represents the number of cognitive supporting elements of an attitude. The wider the horizontal axis (i.e. more supporting elements) the more stable the attitude is. The vertical dimension represents the emotional experience and core values from which the cognitive assessment is derived. Supporting elements of attitude deeply rooted in an individual's core values and personal experience are difficult to change. Let us use this model to observe environmental attitudes and cremation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">[I preface this model with the disclaimer that these are not my personal opinions (or my personal attitude) but observations from reading countless articles on the topic and in speaking with 100s of death care professionals and families.] To illustrate on the horizontal axis, let's review four elements of public attitude (there are others) for choosing cremation as an alternative to a cemetery burial. Cremation is less expensive. Cremation does not occupy valuable land space. Cremation does not require embalming, casket, or a cemetery monument. Cremation was the choice of someone close to me [spouse, parent, grand-parent, etc.]. Each of these four elements is supported by an individual's values and experience.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">In this example, we observe that this individual values money and has information or experience leading to the conclusion that cremation is less costly than a cemetery burial. This person values environmental conservation and land use. From the statement about embalming we might observe that this person has an emotional experience regarding embalming and also wishes to avoid unnecessary spending on a casket and monument. Lastly, the emotional connection to other members of family is a key factor in attitude. People find comfort following their family when it comes to making end-of-life choices.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">We can assess that this individual's attitude, based on four cognitive elements each deeply rooted in both information (cognitive) and experience (emotion), is fairly stable. Moving just one of these elements (i.e. if cremation was suddenly <i>more</i> expensive) is not likely to change this individual's attitude. On the other hand, people's attitudes generally shift and change over time. This can be observed with maturity as values change over the course of a lifetime. In this example, an individual may discover a <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/standards/burial-grounds/" target="_blank">conservation cemetery</a> that actually preserves land for environmental conservation and learn that a direct burial can be achieved without use of embalming, casket, or monument. This might be enough new information to change one individual's attitude toward cremation. Yet another individual, even with 3 of the 4 horizontal elements of attitude removed, may have a deeply rooted value (i.e. being cremated and interred next to a spouse) that upholds the individual's attitude toward cremation as an end-of-life choice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">It might seem as though navigating attitudes in death care is a hopeless exercise that will have us running in circles. We must recognize that two individuals with seemingly similar life experiences based on the same information and core values can have opposing attitudes on the same subject. Take for example attitudes on a contemporary environmental topic such as <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2013/07/17/legislation-proposed-ban-bee-killing-pesticides/" target="_blank">proposed legislation banning chemicals found to kill bees</a>. Take notice that two individuals sitting in a barber shop in your local community can read the same newspaper article, share similar core values, and even vote the same politically, but have opposing attitudes on bees. We see the same in death care on a number of detailed subjects including embalming, metal vs. wood caskets, how comfortable a casket interior looks & feels, land use and cemeteries, etc.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">I try to bring each of these columns to a close with a call to action. I offer this shallow glimpse into the well-established science of sociology and environmental attitudes to help us better understand our families' choices in end-of-life care. First, we must recognize that attitudes change slowly. During pre-planning we have time to ask questions to better understand the core values of an individual planning a funeral and offer new information and alternatives that may lead an individual to better decisions--decisions more in line with their core values. But even after offering what might be entirely new information, it takes time for the cognitive process to influence a change in attitude. This might happen over a few days, months, or even years but it certainly won't happen during that one hour session. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 13px;">Second, by listening to our families and observing their core values, we not only put ourselves in a better position to provide a valued service, we build trust with our families. Human psychology (and sales training) tell us that good listening and comprehension skills achieve a mutual understanding of an individual's values and lead to trust in lasting personal relationships. People very much like to be understood. As for offering information, transparency is key. Separate your personal attitudes from factual information. It is helpful to offer a recommendation based on your own attitude, but be forthcoming that your recommendation is based on your own personal experience and core values. For example, "I value the environment as did my Mother, so when we buried her we decided to..." is an honest statement that discloses both your values and your own experience. Offering factual information comes more naturally, "The nearest conservation cemetery is 200 miles away. The plot and mileage expense would amount to about $xxxx. However, this rural cemetery just 6 miles outside of the city allows direct burial in a simple wooden casket without a burial vault and would save the time, expense, and environmental impact of the mileage." Even at the difficult time of need, offering both the richness of your experience and depth of your knowledge can help a family feel better about their choices--and build ever-lasting trust in personal relationships. This is was separates the <i>practitioners</i> from the <i>professionals</i>.</span>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-26938138399172062442013-02-01T13:00:00.000-06:002013-02-15T17:20:33.022-06:00Greening America's Cemeteries<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This column originally appeared in the February, 2013 issue of <a href="http://www.nomispublications.com/onlinenews.aspx" target="_blank">Funeral Home and Cemetery News</a> by Nomis Publications, Inc.</i><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Green Burial entered the American vernacular in 1998 with the opening of </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.memorialecosystems.com/Locations/WestminsterSC/tabid/58/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Ramsey Creek Preserve</a></span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> near Greenville, South Carolina. In the 15 years since there has been much discussion regarding death care in America and green alternatives to conventional burial. News articles tend to follow a formula with a cliche headline on death and burial. Articles often include a quote from </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">Joe Sehee</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">, founder of the <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/" target="_blank">Green Burial Council</a> (created in 2005) or </span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.nfdabizexchange.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=674:shades-of-green&catid=33&Itemid=12" target="_blank">James Olson</a></span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">, spokesman on green burial for the NFDA. Most cite statistics on the volumes of hardwoods, steel, and concrete buried each year in America's cemeteries. Many will mention <a href="http://www.amazon.com/American-Way-Death-Revisited/dp/0679771867" target="_blank">Jessica Mitford's</a> </span><i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">American Way of Death</i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> or a quote from the more contemporary and journalistic views in </span><i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://www.gravematters.us/" target="_blank">Grave Matters</a></i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> by Mark Harris</span><i style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">.</i><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> Almost every story cites survey statistics to demonstrate growing public interest in green burial including the 2007 AARP poll indicating <a href="http://www.naturalburial.coop/2009/01/13/going-out-green/" target="_blank">21% of respondents were curious about or considering green burial</a> and the 2008 <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/the-greening-of-death-11032011.html" target="_blank">Kates-Boylston survey</a> finding 43% of respondents would consider a green burial.</span></div>
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A great many news stories on green burial originate from local TV and newspaper media announcing a green cemetery or a green burial at a local cemetery. Many dozens of existing municipal, religious, and private cemeteries have opened new sections of property dedicated to varying "shades of green" burial services. There is also the growing number of newly opened green cemeteries entirely committed to green burial such as <a href="http://www.greenhavenpreserve.com/" target="_blank">Greenhaven Preserve</a> near Columbia, South Carolina.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/standards/burial-grounds/" target="_blank">Green Burial Council</a> (GBC) characterizes three tiers of cemeteries in its green burial standard for cemeteries: Hybrid, Natural, and Conservation. A Hybrid rating might include an existing traditional cemetery that would allow a burial without a vault or grave liner in any type of casket or burial shroud. </span><span style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial;"><a href="http://www.riverviewcemetery.org/_mgxroot/page_10790.php" target="_blank">Riverview Cemetery</a></span> established 1882 in Portland, Oregon is one such Hybrid cemetery allowing green interments in nearly every area of the cemetery. </span><span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">While the GBC lists 20 such Hybrid cemeteries in North America and Canada on its web site, there are countless municipal cemeteries located in both rural and urban settings across </span>America that have no strict requirements on the use of a burial vaults or caskets. For most Americans, this "lighter shade of green" burial sans vault and with an eco-friendly casket is available nearby.</div>
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A Natural Burial Ground takes it up a notch in defining non-toxic practices to protect the environment. The GBC uses several criteria including the cemetery's policies on burial vaults, caskets or shrouds, embalming, use of chemicals in lawn care, grave opening/closing techniques, and land status. Land status must also guarantee adherence to green practices through deed restriction, conservation easement, or other irrevocable legally binding agreement in perpetuity. The GBC lists a dozen cemeteries at this level. At the highest standard, Conservation burial grounds are those that demonstrate a legally binding responsibility for perpetual stewardship of the land and are adjacent to land of ecological significance such as a park, wildlife corridor or critical habitat area. There are four such cemeteries in the U.S. that have achieved the Conservation burial ground level as defined by the GBC including <a href="http://www.honeycreekwoodlands.com/" target="_blank">Honey Creek Woodlands</a> (Conyers, GA), <a href="http://www.foxfieldpreserve.org/" target="_blank">Foxfield Preserve </a>(Wilmot, OH), <a href="http://www.memorialecosystems.com/Locations/WestminsterSC/tabid/58/Default.aspx" target="_blank">Ramsey Creek Preserve</a> (Westminster, SC), and <a href="http://www.naturalburialground.com/" target="_blank">White Eagle Memorial Preserve</a> (Goldendale, WA).</div>
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The Green Burial Council has contributed much to an international conversation on green and natural burial by defining standards. But there are far more practitioners than there are certifications when it comes to greening America's cemeteries. Inquiries for a "back to nature" burial are growing ever more common among America's cemeteries. Graham Garner, warden/manager of the 17 acre West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania <a href="http://www.fswbg.org/" target="_blank">Friends South Western Burial Ground</a> established in 1861, tells us that while they have not actively promoted green burials, they have had five such burial requests already--a significant number because sometimes a year will go by with no burials. This cemetery, home to roughly 4000 grave sites, is the final resting place for Quakers (and others) seeking a simple "environmentally aware" burial. Two families used simple wooden caskets, and three used cloth burial shrouds. Graham explains they do not have vault or casket requirements, but they do have some restrictions on headstones.</div>
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A very new burial ground by contrast is the <a href="http://www.naturalpathsanctuary.org/" target="_blank">Natural Path Sanctuary</a> that opened June, 2011 in Verona, Wisconsin. Kevin Corrado, coordinator for the sanctuary, explains that while they prefer shrouded burials they will accept caskets made from "unfinished non-precious woods" and free of non-biodegradable materials. Conventional practices including burial vaults, embalming, and grave markers are not allowed. All graves in the wooded sanctuary are dug and closed by hand.</div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">In 2012, the Catholic Sentinel reported that</span> <a href="http://ccpdxor.com/" target="_blank"><span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Mount Calvary</span> </a><span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><a href="http://ccpdxor.com/" target="_blank">in Portland, Oregon</a> became the second Catholic cemetery in the nation to offer a dedicated area of the cemetery for green burial. </span><span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Tim Corbett</span><span style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: initial; border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">, superintendent of Catholic cemeteries for the Archdiocese of Portland, explains that he first started hearing about green burial six years ago. He views this movement as a way for people to leave a natural legacy adding that if everyone opted for a green burial, he'd have 500 acres of endowed forest. The St. Francis green burial section of the cemetery has space for 120 graves and will re-forest the area as interments are made.</span></div>
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The <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/finding-a-provider/" target="_blank">Green Burial Council</a> and the <a href="http://www.naturalburial.coop/find-a-green-cemetery/" target="_blank">Centre for Natural Burial</a> each list more than 30 green burial sites in the U.S. If we include all private, municipal, and church operated cemeteries offering green burial options there may already be more than 200 cemeteries in America where people can opt for a green burial. Trend or fad, I'm optimistic that awareness on green burial continues to spread throughout America, more options are becoming available, and that our industry is changing for the better when it comes to protecting our natural habitat. </div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-16040460317794552782013-01-01T18:35:00.000-06:002013-01-26T16:51:13.595-06:00Cremation Vs Burial<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This column originally appeared in the January, 2013 issue of <a href="http://www.nomispublications.com/onlinenews.aspx" target="_blank">Funeral Home and Cemetery News</a> by Nomis Publications, Inc.</i><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">In the last decade cremation has continued to grow in its appeal to families in America. The percentage of deaths in the U.S. where families choose </span><a href="http://www.nfda.org/media-center/statisticsreports.html#cfacts" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">cremation has grown</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> from less than 4% in 1960 to more than 40% annually. With growing interest in sustainability, many marketers have </span><a href="http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hal-stevens/blog/2009/04/01/cremation-or-burial-carbon-emissions-and-the-environment" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">touted cremation as a green alternative</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> to a casket burial in a cemetery. Let us examine cremation with </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-cycle_assessment" style="text-align: -webkit-auto;" target="_blank">carbon life cycle assessment</a><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"> and our definition of Green as it applies to death care to also include the political and economic factors in promoting a healthy environment for all living things.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden cremation containers reduce fossil fuel use.</td></tr>
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Consider a typical cremation that includes a wooden cremation container and human remains. Interestingly, a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&ved=0CDUQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tno.nl%2Fdownloads%2FTNO%2520report%2520Environmental%2520impact%2520of%2520different%2520funeral%2520technologies.pdf&ei=X-XcUKbaFsTdqQHaj4EQ&usg=AFQjCNHvlfhQK6aA-9U_-8J41frm1Cv0UA&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.aWM" target="_blank">2011 Netherlands study</a> revealed that cremation with wooden caskets result in less fossil-fuel used during incineration. The wood serves as a renewable fuel source--thus the more wood used in the cremation container, the less fuel required during incineration. The <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41003238/ns/business-going_green/t/when-youre-dying-lower-carbon-footprint/#.UMN_fYO7Pzg" target="_blank">fossil-fuel powered cremation process</a> takes 2-3 hours for the stages of warm-up and incineration where <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/cremation2.htm" target="_blank">temperatures reach 1800 degrees Fahrenheit</a>. An Australian study determined the combined release of CO2 from burning the fossil fuel, cremation container, and human remains is 350 lbs (160 kg) CO2. <a href="http://www.worldwatch.org/node/6440" target="_blank">Other sources suggest the carbon impact of incineration</a> is closer to 600 lbs (275 kg) CO2. The Australian study at 350 lbs CO2 compares favorably to the impact of an imported steel casket at 2000 lbs (900 kg) CO2. However, cremation is 7 times greater than the impact of a green casket made locally from sustainable materials at 50 lbs CO2. </div>
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The <a href="http://no2crematory.wordpress.com/the-toxic-truth-data/" target="_blank">toxicity of cremation</a> is harder to quantify than the carbon impact. Cremation generates emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter, mercury, hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), NMVOCs, and other heavy metals, in addition to Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP). For a human body that contains metal implants or dental fillings, the impact of incineration releases harmful dioxins and mercury--there is an ongoing debate on how to address mercury poisoning from cremation which the United States EPA believes is the 3rd largest contributor of air-born mercury contamination. The United Nations has estimated that 0.2% of the global emission of dioxins and furans are from cremation. While embalming is not required for direct cremation, circumstances that include a viewing or service prior to cremation often include embalming. The toxic gases released by cremating an <a href="http://www.funeralhomesguide.com/embalming.html" target="_blank">embalmed body</a> are cause for further controversy over the health and environmental impacts of cremation.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">One green argument in favor of cremation invokes the social, political, and economic factors of land use. Studies in Australia and the Netherlands concluded that the carbon impact of cemetery maintenance alone could account for as much as 30 lbs CO2 per grave site every year. Some believe that a casketed burial in a cemetery occupies precious land space that could serve other useful purposes. </span> The Netherlands study points out that <a href="http://www.tno.nl/downloads/TNO%20report%20Environmental%20impact%20of%20different%20funeral%20technologies.pdf" target="_blank">land competition is a contributing factor for cremation</a> if we consider the land use involved in producing the particleboard, wood, and cotton used in cremation containers. Add to this the land use required to extract, refine, store, and distribute fossil fuels. We should also consider that a large contributor to the growing popularity of cremation since the 1960s has to do with the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cremation_in_the_Christian_World" target="_blank">acceptance of cremation by the Catholic Church</a>. The Catholic Church maintains that cremated remains must be entombed in an appropriate container in a cemetery, mausoleum, or columbarium--all of which occupy land space. From a full-story perspective on land use by itself, cremation and cemetery burial might be comparable in environmental, political, and economic factors when it comes to promoting a healthy environment for all living things. </div>
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I offer another consideration on the subject land competition when comparing cemetery burials with cremation. America's cemeteries serve our cities, villages, and towns as green space. Some cemeteries serve their communities in <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/03/our-first-public-parks-the-forgotten-history-of-cemeteries/71818/" target="_blank">the same way that a park does</a> by offering a safe and quiet place for a walk or exercise. <a href="http://www.npr.org/2010/07/27/128786311/scientists-stalk-cemeteries-for-signs-of-wildlife" target="_blank">Cemeteries provide wildlife habitat</a> for birds, butterflies, and squirrels as well as storm water run-off control. More recently, America's <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/standards/burial-grounds/" target="_blank">growing number of conservation cemeteries</a> for natural burials both preserve and protect lands for public enjoyment and for natural wildlife habitat. Families concerned about land competition may be interested in options for nearby conservation cemeteries where funds raised through the sale of burial plots serve to maintain and protect the land for conservation, wildlife, and recreational purposes.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An individual's choice is personal.</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Every individual should have the liberty to make their own choices when it comes to end-of-life care. An individual's choice is personal. What should be important to those of us in the death care industry is that an individual's choice be an informed one. We fail to serve our families if we are complacent in accepting an individual's decision without understanding the motivation or base values behind that decision. That is not to say we should question an individual's values, but rather inform with facts so that our families can make informed decisions in accordance with their individual values. After all, isn't it our</span> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00390625);">duty</i> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">to inform our families without questioning their values or judging their wishes? </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-32941406664917977282012-12-01T00:00:00.001-06:002013-01-26T17:12:47.305-06:00Green Illusions<br />
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">This column originally appeared in the December, 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.nomispublications.com/onlinenews.aspx" target="_blank">Funeral Home and Cemetery News</a> by Nomis Publications, Inc.</i><br />
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<span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">I borrowed the title for this month's column from author and scholar, <a href="http://ozziezehner.com/" target="_blank">Ozzie Zehner</a>, who recently published a book of the same title. Zehner explains in great detail how every alternative energy technology including solar, wind, nuclear, bio fuels, fuel cells, hydrogen and clean coal are extensions of the hydrocarbon economy. Solar, wind, nuclear, and bio fuels actually cause more harm than good for the environment. Fuel cells and hydrogen violate the laws of physics. Worse yet, the <a href="http://www.thenewatlantis.com/publications/the-hydrogen-hoax" target="_blank">hydrogen car and clean coal amount to little more than a hoax</a> specifically designed to advance a political agenda for commercial gain.</span></span></div>
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<i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><a href="http://www.greenillusions.org/" target="_blank">Green Illusions</a></i> is an intriguing and entertaining read, and I want to share one particularly useful insight by Zehner that applies to our death care industry. America does not have an energy <i>production</i> problem. America has an energy <i>consumption</i> problem. That is to say that Americans use more energy than any other developed nation on earth. Americans use more than twice as much energy per capita than Europeans or Japanese do. The worst part is that an <a href="http://www.mckinsey.com/Insights/MGI/Research/Natural_Resources/How_US_can_reach_its_energy_potential" target="_blank">estimated 80% of energy consumed in the United States is wasted</a>. By "wasted" we mean that 80% of the energy we consume brings no enjoyment or <a href="http://grist.org/article/2009-09-11-how-much-energy-does-the-us-waste/" target="_blank">improvement to our quality of life</a>. </div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">How might Zehner's ideas on energy conservation apply to the death care industry? Let us first take on the controversial endeavor to define</span> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">green</i> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">as it applies to funerals and the death care industry. (I have avoided defining</span> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">green</i> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">for the last ten installments of this column.) There are many definitions of <a href="http://www.greenburials.org/" target="_blank">green</a> as it applies to the <a href="http://www.naturalburial.coop/" target="_blank">natural burial movement</a>. Definitions invoke terms such as biodegradable, non-toxic, carbon footprint, recycled, and organic. I offer you my definition of green--that being green is a matter of maintaining or improving quality of life for all living things in the environment as they may be affected by the creation, use, and disposition of a product or service. This is a broad definition that seeks to demonstrate clarity in its purpose. We need to include</span> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">all</i> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">activities that support the cradle-to-grave life cycle of any product or service we aim to market as</span> <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">green</i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span> <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> This definition does not give credit to marketers whose products are just "less" toxic, or "less" harmful to the environment. Such marketing is akin to marketing low-tar cigarettes as the "healthy" option.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Our broad definition of green gets even broader if we accept the idea that "all living things" should include future generations of living things. And wider again if by "environment" we also include harmonious politics and healthy economies in addition to the well-being of the earth and the living things in her air, lands, and seas. This sounds exceedingly difficult and perhaps a chore of calculus reserved only for those with a certain amount of insanity for mundane details or scholars adequately funded to ponder, measure, and publish the details of all the products and services involved in conventional funerals in the United States.</span></div>
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It doesn't need to be difficult. Being Green can be as simple as following a personal ethic to "do the right thing" and never stop asking questions. In my own experience making decisions about raw materials, suppliers, and methods of production, I am always asking questions. Where does <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">this stuff</i> come from? How is <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">this stuff</i> made? Who makes <i style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">this stuff</i>? What is the measurable impact of <i>this stuff</i>? There is the magic word: measurable. I continue to find good science in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life-cycle_assessment" target="_blank">carbon life cycle analysis</a>. Every activity on the planet can be measured, to a degree of certainty, as either sequestering or producing carbon dioxide (CO2) or CO2 equivalents.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSFpixpOM8BsGXzZOVjjqVOzC9MEcFivYNV6Sf2tqTXR4OdRdrn4kPwhbB3wvAuYJgxbRnYDm0WQ_r7VSD999czn1hAjt6HrBH0cFxXNYj8Vqun9UnKkD_IyPyTEqZGIPpsEXyqfDHfA/s1600/full-casket-unfinished.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkSFpixpOM8BsGXzZOVjjqVOzC9MEcFivYNV6Sf2tqTXR4OdRdrn4kPwhbB3wvAuYJgxbRnYDm0WQ_r7VSD999czn1hAjt6HrBH0cFxXNYj8Vqun9UnKkD_IyPyTEqZGIPpsEXyqfDHfA/s400/full-casket-unfinished.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">What might be the net effect on jobs for locally-made caskets?</span></td></tr>
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Being Green should not end with carbon life cycle analysis; we must also include a broader appreciation for quality of life. For example, a pair of jeans produced in a dimly lit sweatshop by the hands of a child in Indonesia might have a smaller carbon footprint than the same produced in New York City by a boutique seamstress. We could hardly agree, however, that the effort of child labor is Green if we include quality of life, politics, and economic factors in our definition. While we might want being Green to be entirely objective and scientific, we need to maintain some degree of common sense and compassion for quality of life in our pursuit to be Green.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Let us explore a few scientific facts about death care through our new lens of compassion. The impact of producing the raw materials for America's funerals is in the neighborhood of 0.5% of United States annual CO2 emissions. Caskets and burial vaults account for 30 million board feet of lumber, 90,000 tons of steel, and 1.6 million tons of concrete annually. Add the impact of assembling, storing, and shipping caskets and burial vaults and the United States funeral industry is responsible for as much as 2% of total CO2 emissions annually. We could reduce carbon emissions by 80% or more by simply using "green" caskets made from sustainable, local, air-dried lumber. As an alternative to 2700 lb concrete burial vaults, <a href="http://www.dukeburialvaults.com/about/about.htm" target="_blank">polyethylene vaults</a> are 95% lighter (140 lbs), stronger, and longer-lasting than concrete. Although Polyethylene is not an <i>eco-friendly </i>material given that it creates one to three times its weight in CO2 emissions, the net impact over concrete would result in 80% savings in CO2 emissions annually. Would these changes take away from the quality of life for all those involved? What might be the net effect on jobs for locally-made caskets and polyethylene burial vaults? We could achieve 1-2% reduction in CO2 emissions without spending an extra dime for these products. Federal spending on wind energy amounted to $14 billion in 2012 resulting in an estimated annual savings of CO2 emissions far less than one tenth of one percent. Just think about it.</span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-76218889844494187522012-11-01T00:00:00.001-05:002021-09-30T14:18:56.864-05:00Meet Margaret<div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;">This column originally appeared in the November, 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.nomispublications.com/NewsOnline.aspx" target="_blank">Funeral Home and Cemetery News</a> by Nomis Publications, Inc.</i></h2>
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<b>Answering the Call for Green Funerals</b></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: normal; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><i>...but I don't want a typical funeral with all that unnecessary expensive stuff!</i></span></h3>
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Meet Margaret. In her sixties and still working as a nurse in a county hospital for the elderly, Margaret has dedicated much of her life to caring for people in their final moments. Margaret is familiar with death, even comfortable with it. Less than three weeks ago Margaret learned the uncomfortable feeling in her throat was more than just a lump. Margaret expects that esophageal cancer will take her life before the Thanksgiving holiday.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.004);">Without a moment to spare, Margaret took it upon herself to plan her own funeral. An eccentric and sophisticated woman, she wants to be buried in an old rural cemetery with a reputation for being haunted. Margaret had professional pictures taken of her as she danced in this haunted cemetery in a night gown.</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> I met Margaret when she called to ask about a simple <i>green</i> casket. I invited Margaret to my home to see and touch some of our <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/products.html" target="_blank">green caskets</a>. Upon her arrival, Margaret had a cascade of questions. How do I <a href="http://www.naturalburial.coop/find-a-green-cemetery/" target="_blank">find a green cemetery</a>? What is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burial_vault_(enclosure)" target="_blank">burial vault</a> and are they required by law? Do I <a href="http://www.funeralplan.com/products/embalming.html" target="_blank">need to be embalmed</a>? How will my family transport my body from the hospital to my home and to the cemetery? Do I need to be stored in a refrigerator? Where can I find a refrigerator? What is required to dress and prepare my body for burial? Can my children dress me? Are there any requirements for my monument? <a href="http://www.themedicalquestions.com/ge/1010552P2010.html" target="_blank">What happens to my body</a> if sealed in a burial vault vs. a wooden casket buried in the ground?</span></div>
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I have answers to all of these questions and am happy to participate in such discussions. I refer Margaret to <b>John Leiting</b> at <b><a href="http://www.murrayfh.com/" target="_blank">Murray Funeral Home</a></b> in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin. I am a casket maker. These are questions better suited for a Funeral Director--a licensed professional with all of these answers and a deep understanding of the federal and state laws, local regulations, and cemetery policies. Margaret is visibly uncomfortable with my advice--as uncomfortable as her daughter was a few minutes prior while Margaret was explaining that she wanted her two daughters to transport and prepare her body for burial. She tells me she doesn't want a typical funeral with embalming, fancy casket, and all of those unnecessary expensive services--I want a <a href="http://www.greenburials.org/" target="_blank">Simple Green Funeral</a>, she tells me. I explain that John Leiting is a professional and will listen to her, answer her questions, and carry out her wishes. Margaret only finds comfort when I tell her John did something similar for my own Grandfather eight years ago when I built my first casket.</div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.004);">We receive a lot of calls from people like Margaret--about two per week--and refer them to their local funeral director to answer questions about <a href="http://www.greenburials.org/" target="_blank">Green Funerals</a>. I am constantly reminded by these families that green funerals appeal to a wide variety of demographics. From my anecdotal experience, I've had this same conversation with people both young and elderly, religious and secular, conservative and liberal, affluent and impoverished. It occurs to me that the characteristics of a <a href="http://www.beatree.com/" target="_blank">natural burial are generally appealing</a> and often sparked by those searching for alternatives to the conventional (a.k.a. "traditional" burial). What troubles me is that people like Margaret don't feel they can go to their local funeral director to have this conversation and ask these questions--that the funeral home only sells one kind of funeral service. I am committed to help change this perception--even if we have to by answering one call at a time.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you've read this far, you might be a professional in the death care industry. Maybe you are not a licensed funeral directory, but perhaps your work is related to a cemetery, church, or hospital. I ask that you keep reading about <a href="http://www.greenburialcouncil.org/" target="_blank">Green Funerals</a> and if you aren't already, be prepared to have conversations with people like Margaret. Her family will benefit from the help of a funeral service professional when she passes. There's value in the services a funeral director provides to ensure Margaret receives the right-of-passage she desires and her family is left with peace of mind knowing that all the details a funeral requires have been tended to by a professional.</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-1665674557309217442012-10-01T00:00:00.000-05:002012-11-13T14:35:20.051-06:00The Memorial Tree<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This column originally appeared in the October, 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.nomispublications.com/NewsOnline.aspx" target="_blank">Funeral Home and Cemetery News</a> by Nomis Publications, Inc.</i><br />
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<b style="font-family: Tahoma; text-align: -webkit-auto;">The Memorial Tree</b></h2>
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<i>A simple gesture and a lasting legacy</i></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plant a Memorial Tree</td></tr>
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For thousands of years and around the world people have been planting trees in honor of loved ones lost. For survivors, <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/Memorial-Tree-Kit#.UKKt18V6tXE" target="_blank">planting a memorial tree</a> is a simple gesture that will benefit the earth and many generations to come. It is a yin-yang of a sort--the end of one life honored by the creation of a new life. It is in this simple act that many people find comfort. For some, a living memorial tree is a pleasant reminder as the years pass and the tree grows to maturity keeping the memories of loved ones alive to share with the children of the next generation.</div>
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There is <a href="http://www.arborday.org/trees/benefits.cfm" target="_blank">so much value in trees</a>. There are few opportunities in life where a tiny investment--less than a few pennies to plant a single tree from seed--can return so much value year after year. The rewards compound each year as a tree matures and continues to sequester carbon, absorb storm water runoff, and shade our streets and homes. Real estate sales data shows that property with mature trees sells for a 15% to 20% premium over property without trees. The shade of one tree and the cooling affect of releasing water vapor from its leaves on the south side of a home can reduce energy costs by as much as 12% for a home or small business. Various methods of appraising different species of trees suggest the value of even a 15 year old tree is at least $1000 and could be upwards of $10,000. There are very few investments that can compound from a few pennies to thousands of dollars in 15 or 20 years--perhaps none as certain as a tree.</div>
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The Memorial Tree is one way the entire death care industry could participate in sustainability. Any service provider in death care--funeral homes, churches, cemeteries, hospices, hospitals, vault companies--could complement their products and services with a memorial tree planting kit. This inexpensive gift would not only help green our industry, but would also generate much goodwill as a kind gesture to the family of the deceased.</div>
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Many in the death care industry have made a memorial tree a standard part of their practice. Years ago, Steve Mitchell, owner of <a href="http://www.thompsonfuneralservice.com/" target="_blank">Thompson Funeral Home</a> in Wonewoc, Wisconsin, would send a memorial tree in time for Arbor Day to all of the families that he serviced in the previous year. Steve expressed to me how he received thank-you letters and goodwill from those families for years and years afterward. Sadly, Steve discontinued this practice when the partnering vendor who prepared and shipped the trees stopped providing the service several years ago. This story is the reason that we, at the Northwoods Casket Company, have worked with the DNR and forestry experts to create our own memorial tree planting kit.</div>
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What if the death care industry were to expand the practice of planting a memorial tree to all funerals? What if planting a memorial tree were as common place in funerals as sending flowers? Imagine the goodwill, the value created in our communities, and the environmental impact of the trees we could plant. Would you like to give it a try?</div>
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If you'd like to try a memorial tree planting kit, we'll send you one for free. Our kit includes 50 seeds for up to 5 species of trees appropriate for planting in both urban and forest settings. We've prepared simple 3-step instructions for germinating and planting the seeds. The little peat pots included in the kit are easy to start indoors and then you simply transplant the whole pot come <a href="http://www.arborday.org/" target="_blank">Arbor Day</a> (in North America, anyway). Learn more about our memorial tree kit and get one for free on-line at <a href="http://northwoodscasket.com/Memorial-Tree-Kit">NorthwoodsCasket.com/Memorial-Tree-Kit</a>. (Enter coupon code MAPLE.)</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4866427211553328668.post-70305877120566782012012-09-01T14:00:00.000-05:002012-09-10T13:08:28.647-05:00The Golden Circle of Motivation<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This column originally appeared in the September, 2012 issue of <a href="http://www.nomispublications.com/NewsOnline.aspx" target="_blank">Funeral Home and Cemetery News</a> by Nomis Publications, Inc.</i>
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<b style="font-family: Tahoma; text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Golden Circle of Motivation</span></b><br />
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<i>The art of explaining why</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSccgN_EC02f84_ZHO-9F8cDcdqfgmQ4xB3pZmd09YFKiSUi0emVfCWLt9UZzCB251Hi1wiJaHsRDs1o4jdNQh24OYMjcydt8xMC8zlSno7Zcri-99fPErVo7_F3rVJtGrIRYBFWOcnIY/s1600/GoldenCircle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSccgN_EC02f84_ZHO-9F8cDcdqfgmQ4xB3pZmd09YFKiSUi0emVfCWLt9UZzCB251Hi1wiJaHsRDs1o4jdNQh24OYMjcydt8xMC8zlSno7Zcri-99fPErVo7_F3rVJtGrIRYBFWOcnIY/s200/GoldenCircle.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
A friend recently shared with me an <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html" target="_blank">inspiring TED talk by Simon Sinek</a> that introduces a visual model of motivation that can be applied to both individuals and organizations. This model has three concentric circles--it looks like an archery target. In the outer most circle, Simon writes "What" to represent the idea that <i>all</i> enterprises know <i>what</i> they do. At the <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/products.html" target="_blank">Northwoods Casket company</a>, we manufacture and sell green caskets. Most organizations create their marketing messages from <i>what</i> their business sells (ex. Want to buy an eco-friendly casket?).</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Want to buy an eco-friendly casket?"</td></tr>
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The middle circle represents a smaller group of companies--those who know "How" they do whatever it is they do. In many organizations only a select few individuals know exactly <i>how</i> they do what they do. For example, think of food companies where employees and consumers really don't want to know "how the sausage is made" when deciding to purchase. For some companies there is much benefit in explaining <i>how</i> as it more easily (but still indirectly) conveys the seller's motivation. Some marketers use the <i>how</i> in their marketing messages to motivate consumers to buy their products. We've certainly experienced success in telling our story and explaining <i>how</i> we manufacture our eco-friendly casket products. (ex. We make green caskets by using locally harvested sustainable pine lumber. We air-dry our lumber instead of using a fuel-burning kiln. We use no metal in our caskets and no chemical finishes making both our manufacturing environment and our product clean, safe, and healthy for our craftsman and for the environment. Want to buy an eco-friendly casket?)</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jfll35oGLPhG4qH92jwfF5nOWlM0oyIEVsEdEY5pbtyG_WpMxbl_EyFsqE74fEJnlnjSaffLhxZmQfajT7k-qbyjiV-Pf9Dl2MqpWmMHOulp4QeDdncqZegQvTx0lhiZ18IvUxMrxmk/s1600/Jute_4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7jfll35oGLPhG4qH92jwfF5nOWlM0oyIEVsEdEY5pbtyG_WpMxbl_EyFsqE74fEJnlnjSaffLhxZmQfajT7k-qbyjiV-Pf9Dl2MqpWmMHOulp4QeDdncqZegQvTx0lhiZ18IvUxMrxmk/s320/Jute_4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Want to buy an eco-friendly casket?"</td></tr>
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The inner-most circle is where this model gets interesting. This small circle represents "Why" we do whatever it is we do. And "make money" isn't a valid answer. Despite how Wall Street and Banking has shaped our economy, consider for a moment that companies make money to exist--they don't exist for the sole purpose of making money. Just as we humans do not exist for the sole purpose of breathing air, but rather breathing is a necessary activity to support life. Without making money a corporation's life would be short-lived. Not every organization knows <i>why</i> it exists, but those that do demonstrate inspirational leadership. Mr. Sinek cites several examples of individuals and organizations that truly understand <i>why</i> and use it in their messaging. Apple, for example, illustrates this with the simple fact that loyal consumers are willing to buy phones and music players from a <i>computer</i> company.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Planting trees is important to our family.</td></tr>
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The reason my friend shared Simon Sinek's TED talk with me is that he recognized that we know <i>why</i> we do what we do at the <a href="http://www.northwoodscasket.com/mission.html" target="_blank">Northwoods Casket Company</a>, but our marketing message does not espouse this. We exist to plant trees--lots and lots of trees. We helped <a href="http://northwoodscasket.blogspot.com/2012/04/northwoods-casket-co-launches-statewide.html" target="_blank">plant more than 10,000 trees last April in state forests</a> as well as <a href="http://northwoodscasket.blogspot.com/2012/05/arbor-day-celebration-in-wonewoc.html" target="_blank">urban areas</a> with the guidance of the Department of Natural Resources Urban Forestry Initiative. We have a goal of planting 10 million trees in the next decade. We do this for the health and enjoyment of our community. This is important to me, my family and others close to me. Planting trees is the reason my wife and I created our casket company, but we haven't taken this message to our customers--at least not as bluntly as Mr. Sinek suggests. Here's how our message might change: At the Northwoods Casket Co, we value the quality of life and the world in which we live. <a href="http://northwoodscasket.blogspot.com/2010/12/neutral-is-not-good-enough-were.html" target="_blank">That's why we plant 100 trees for every casket we make</a>. This is our permanent commitment to our children and the next generation. We do this by making green caskets with locally harvested sustainable pine lumber air-dried and assembled using no metal and no chemical finishes making both our manufacturing environment and our product clean, safe, and healthy for our craftsman and for the environment. Want to buy an eco-friendly casket?</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Want to buy an eco-friendly casket?"</td></tr>
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There is some science to Mr. Sinek's Golden Circle model. As it turns out, scientists and psychologists have understood for years that the part of our <a href="http://www.bized.co.uk/current/mind/2006_7/140507.htm" target="_blank">brain that makes a purchase decision is emotional</a>. It is not logical. This is why it can be so difficult to make a purchase decision. I've done this before by grabbing a pair of jeans at my local home improvement store. The jeans were on sale for a good price, the right size, satisfactory color, and good brand name--the product is functional and logical in every respect, but I didn't come to this store to buy a pair of jeans. Something doesn't "feel right" and I cannot explain it despite how logical this purchase decision might seem. That's the emotional part of my brain at work in making this decision. We can't explain it with logic and the best thing we can do is simply say, "It just doesn't feel right." Then I put the jeans back on the rack.</div>
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The opportunity for marketers is to recognize the <i>why</i> and supplant our messaging to lead with <i>why </i>we do what we do and the rest will follow. If we can appeal and attach our message to the emotional part in decision making, the <i>how</i> anbd <i>what</i> will naturally follow to support the decision. I think this whole idea is particularly compelling in funeral planning decisions--especially when related to being green. We already fully understand that families making funeral decisions are doing so in a very emotional context. Simply espousing how "green" some part of the funeral may or may not be isn't likely to generate an effective response. Those of us who learn to lead with <i>why</i> and be transparent in our motivation may find more success in marketing our products and achieving our mission--whatever that mission may be. Making a purchase decision motivated by agreement with your mission is a very powerful motivation in any decision.</div>
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