Choices, choices

Resomation

I thought I had my mind made up that I want to be cremated after I die.   (I want my ashes scattered over a lush vegetable garden and lovingly plowed in.  That way some of my molecules may contribute to ongoing life.)  Just when I had decided that cremation was the "greenest" way to go, I read about a process called "resomation".  In this process water and a relative of lye (KOH) are used to reduce the dead body into basic minerals.  Quoting from The Funeral Site: "The end result is a small quantity of green-brown tinted liquid (containing amino acids, peptides, sugars and salts) and calcium phosphates. " The only drawback is that at this time only some funeral homes in Florida are authorized to perform this procedure.  That may soon change as the California Assembly has approved its use in California and the state Senate is likely to agree.  


Promession


Another method of body disposal also interests me.  It is called: Promession.  Quoting from The Funeral Site.com:

Within a week and a half after death, the body is submerged in liquid nitrogen which removes the water (70% of the body) and causes the body to become brittle. It is then exposed to vibrations that reduce the remains into a fine, organic powder weighing about 30% of the original mass. The powder is dried and any metals present can be removed for recycling. Remains can be stored indefinitely if contained in a vacuum-sealed container (exposure to moisture will allow for natural decomposition), or one can opt for a “green” eco-friendly burial. 

Currently promession is not available in the United States.