Scrutable

What do peeps think about this: Human compost funerals 'better for environment'

Will such a process really save as much carbon dioxide as they claim. After all they're saying it would stop a tonne of CO2 being released. That seems a lot.

CF

Cardinal Fang wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 16, 2020 10:18 pm

What do peeps think about this: Human compost funerals 'better for environment'

Will such a process really save as much carbon dioxide as they claim. After all they're saying it would stop a tonne of CO2 being released. That seems a lot.

CF

I think I'd like to see their calculation. They actually say it's a 'tonne of carbon', not a tonne of CO2. Even if it is a tonne of CO2, then that's 363.6 kg of methane (1 tonne * 16/44). The Lower Heating Value of methane is ~50 MJ/kg = 18.2 GJ of energy. This seems a bit much for a cremation. (I've seen figures on the web of anything from 100 MJ to 4 GJ for cremation.)

But the article does say that it saves a tonne of carbon over even traditional burials; maybe they are just counting the weight of the coffin and energy involved in making the coffin.

There'll be methane emissions from burials, as decomposition takes hold, which you can count as higher carbon emissions than CO2, at least over short timescales.

But maybe they're counting the funeral hearse and limos...

Or maybe they're just making sh.t up for marketing purposes.

I suppose if you factor in making a large, ornate coffin with substantial metal fixings and digging a large hole and having a hundred people drive or fly a long way to watch one be placed in the other then you can get there. But that rather suggests funerals have no social value which is an idea that can f.ck off.

Maybe we could save energy by starting a virtual gravedigging exercise class, like Peloton but with shovels. Two birds, one stone. Just needs a catchy name, which i have no doubt is on the tip of your tongue.

What about the bones?

Orabona wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:10 pm

What about the bones?

You need a human bokashi bin for those first!

I'd be happy to have my manky corpse picked over by medics for transplant potential (or dissection training) and then the bag of leftovers lobbed into the hopper for making cat food.
Apparently my family have different views

rockdoctor wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 12:19 pm

I'd be happy to have my manky corpse picked over by medics for transplant potential (or dissection training) and then the bag of leftovers lobbed into the hopper for making cat food.
Apparently my family have different views

My family has the view that they needn't wait for the corpse stage first

There are other methods that have fewer carbon emissions than traditional processes:

Alkaline hydrolysis (AKA 'Liquid Cremation)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_ ... _disposal)
https://gizmodo.com/what-is-liquid-crem ... 1696897615
Cryodecomposition (AKA 'Liquid Nitrogen Cremation' )
https://www.funeraldirect.co/liquid-nitrogen-cremation/

The main practical issues appear to be dealing with mercury, prions, and to a lesser extent, medical implants and pharmaceuticals.

rockdoctor wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 12:19 pm

I'd be happy to have my manky corpse picked over by medics for transplant potential (or dissection training) and then the bag of leftovers lobbed into the hopper for making cat food.
Apparently my family have different views

I was just discussing that with my youngest daughter today as she was signing up for the stem-cell register, and we were wondering why it's 16-30 year olds who can join the register, but once on, you can remain until 60.

Your opinion is pretty much what I said. It's also what Dad's said, and his father left his body to science, which he assumed would be dissection training.

Pucksoppet wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 29, 2020 5:04 pm

There are other methods that have fewer carbon emissions than traditional processes:

Alkaline hydrolysis (AKA 'Liquid Cremation)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alkaline_ ... _disposal)

My problem with that one is that the first things that come to mind are scenes from various police procedurals on TV.

jimbob wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 01, 2020 7:37 pm

rockdoctor wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 20, 2020 12:19 pm

I'd be happy to have my manky corpse picked over by medics for transplant potential (or dissection training) and then the bag of leftovers lobbed into the hopper for making cat food.
Apparently my family have different views

I was just discussing that with my youngest daughter today as she was signing up for the stem-cell register, and we were wondering why it's 16-30 year olds who can join the register, but once on, you can remain until 60.

Your opinion is pretty much what I said. It's also what Dad's said, and his father left his body to science, which he assumed would be dissection training.

A friend asked me if I feared that my body might end up as the plaything of a stupid medical student mucking around in dissection. Seemed surprised when I responded, "What part of I don't give a sh.t did you misunderstand? It will be a piece of meat I don't have any use for. If it raises a smile from some undergrad that's a win"

I think I'll leave my body to science on the principle of "If you can't be a good example then you'll have to be a terrible warning".

I wonder where burial at sea lands in the way of environmentally friendly methods of body disposal (legal obviously)? One assumes that it would get munched up by sea creatures, and you wouldn't have the same issues about methane and carbon dioxide that you get with land based ones.

CF