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Planning Together for End of Life

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DECOMPOSE

August 15, 2018 By Deborah Luscomb

Know what happens when your food and yard ‘waste’ is composted?  Eventually, with a little water, air, and time, soil is produced and can be used to grow more life.

How about the decomposition of your body?

“Composting is an aerobic method (meaning that it requires the presence of air) of decomposing organic solid wastes.[1] It can therefore be used to recycle organic material. The process involves decomposition of organic material into a humus-like material, known as compost, which is a good fertilizer for plants.”

If your corpse is given the opportunity to rest in ground that is alive, it too will become healthy soil.

However, our current burial practices include techniques to avoid decomposition by embalming the body, putting it in a polyester and steel lined casket which is then dropped into a polymer-lined concrete vault creating a long-term toxic soup, some of which seeps into our water supply.

Or one could opt for cremation and create a giant carbon footprint on the way out.

Green burial is an option for corpse disposal that allows the body to decompose naturally and nourish the soil.  Think about it.

 

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The “D” Word

DIAPERS

Here is a thing to consider… you in diapers again.  When people are contemplating their end-of-life plans (and there aren’t enough of you doing that) a common marker is whether you can manage to take yourself to the bathroom or not.  Sometimes folks ...

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