But I encourage you to think about end of life issues, medical directives, a family trust, your celebration of life, and what you would like to be done with your remains 🙏.
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People who want their own or a loved ones’ body to be composted for such things as their garden can now be processed after death to produce up to 200 pounds of composted soil.
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California to legalize human composting by 2027 as residents seek environmentally healthy burials
Alexander Hall
Thu, May 23, 2024 at 4:26 AM
California has already voted to legalize the composting of human remains in 2027, but some residents are not willing to wait that long.
The Los Angeles Times wrote about California resident Blaire Van Valkenburgh being one of a growing number of residents composting the remains of their loved ones, "But this kind of burial — natural organic reduction — won’t be legal in California until 2027, so Van Valkenburgh paid to fly her husband’s body to Washington, the first state to legalize human composting in 2020."
Until 2027, it appears that there will be a budding industry of collaboration to facilitate compost burials for those who live in California. "[I]n the first of what will probably be other such collaborations, the family-owned Clarity Funerals and Cremation in Anaheim has partnered with Return Home to offer a package deal for people in Southern California who want to compost their loved ones in Washington," the LA Times wrote.
The same outlet reported that currently, the three human composting mortuaries operating in Washington "have reported steady business from out-of-state customers, especially Californians, who are either flying or driving their deceased loved ones north."
Guests sit in the gathering space looking at a shrouded mannequin in front of the threshold vessel at Recompose, a green funeral home specializing in human composting, also known as natural organic reduction, terramation, or recomposition at Recompose Seattle on October 06, 2022 in Seattle, Washington. (Mat Hayward/Getty Images for Recompose)
“Natural Organic Reduction is defined as “the contained, accelerated conversion of human remains to soil.
This process uses large tanks, containers, or similar vessels to hold human remains together with straw, wood chips, and/or other natural materials for a period of time of about four to six weeks.
The remains and organic materials, mixed together with warm air, are periodically turned and the composting process eventually results in reduction to a soil material.
When the process is complete the family of the deceased has the opportunity to receive the soil material, which is suitable for spreading in a garden, planting a special tree, or scattering in other meaningful locations such as a garden, memorial forest, or other special place.
Where is Natural Organic Reduction Available?
Natural Organic Reduction is currently only available in six states: Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Vermont, California, and New York.
Note: This conflicts with the above May 23, 2024 article above, which cites the process is in transition.
Although Natural Organic Reduction (NOR) is only legally available in six states, there are a number of states moving forward to legalize the practice.
More states including Rhode Island and Delaware are currently in the process of attempting to legalize NOR.
The NOR Vessel
Natural Organic Reduction takes place in a specialized vessel, usually custom and sometimes even hand-made to fit the purpose.
The body is placed inside the vessel, along with natural materials such as alfalfa and straw. Over time the microbes in the plant material help break down the body through natural processes, leaving only soil behind.
The resulting soil is removed from the vessel, allowed to dry, and returned to families - often as much as 200 pounds of soil are returned to families.
Even though this may be news to many, the decomposition of human bodies into soil is a natural process that has been used for centuries. For example, Jewish and Muslim cultures may use biodegradable caskets or simply put the body straight into the soil.
In the early 21st century, this process entails enclosing human corpses in several compounds.
The most common compounds used in this process include:
Alfafa
Wood chips
Straw
The body decomposes using thermophilemicrobes,which can accelerate the process to just 1-2 months.This is a method that has been used for livestock composting.
You may not have heard of this before, but your kids may be likely to grow up accepting this method.
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WHAT I REALLY THINK
After we die, our body remains on earth and our spirit, soul, and mind go to either heaven or hell. During my near-death experience, I went to heaven and had a conversation with God.
It's difficult for me to know what God thinks of our cadavers. Certainly, the body of Christ was prepared with oils and perfumes, and wrapped in a linen. Then it was placed in a stone cave and sealed with a huge stone.
And Christ’s body ascended into heaven, joining God the Father.
I really wanted to donate my body to a medical school, so I could go back to my favorite, Anatomy class. Teaching medical students as my last earthly effort brings me joy, and in about a year or two, my cremated remains would be returned to my family.
That's exactly what my father did, by donating to Loma Linda Medical School.
I don't know if you have plans for where your body should go, but it's one of those thoughtful topics you should have with your family- so they don't have to guess while they are celebrating your life and passing to be with the Lord.
Please think about this and discuss your Medical Directives with your loved ones.
Here’s some other freaky methods of getting rid of a body: wiki says: Alkaline hydrolysis (also called biocremation, resomation,[1][2] flameless cremation,[3] aquamation[4] or water cremation[5]) is a process for the disposal of human and pet remains using lye and heat, and is an alternative to burial or cremation.
And don’t forget Soylent green which has probably been happening all along…they use fetal tissue in all kinds of products fro beauty, drugs, and food products.
And, not sure if this is true but they are trying to pass a bill to legalize cannibalism …. Which, again, is probably already happening.(fetal tissue in everything)
Here’s some other freaky methods of getting rid of a body: wiki says: Alkaline hydrolysis (also called biocremation, resomation,[1][2] flameless cremation,[3] aquamation[4] or water cremation[5]) is a process for the disposal of human and pet remains using lye and heat, and is an alternative to burial or cremation.
And don’t forget Soylent green which has probably been happening all along…they use fetal tissue in all kinds of products fro beauty, drugs, and food products.
And, not sure if this is true but they are trying to pass a bill to legalize cannibalism …. Which, again, is probably already happening.(fetal tissue in everything)
They probably are doing it already, and now telling us. They people are mentally deranged !