Human Composting

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Cardinal Fang
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Human Composting

Post by Cardinal Fang » 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
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Martin_B
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Martin_B » Mon Feb 17, 2020 12:47 am

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.
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dyqik
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Re: Human Composting

Post by dyqik » Mon Feb 17, 2020 1:55 am

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...

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bolo
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Re: Human Composting

Post by bolo » Mon Feb 17, 2020 2:40 am

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

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Dermot O'Logical
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Dermot O'Logical » Mon Feb 17, 2020 8:12 am

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.

Orabona
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Orabona » Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:10 pm

What about the bones?

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mediocrity511
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Re: Human Composting

Post by mediocrity511 » Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:24 pm

Orabona wrote:
Wed Feb 19, 2020 7:10 pm
What about the bones?
You need a human bokashi bin for those first!

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rockdoctor
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Re: Human Composting

Post by rockdoctor » 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

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Martin_B
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Martin_B » Thu Feb 20, 2020 11:52 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
My family has the view that they needn't wait for the corpse stage first
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Pucksoppet
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Pucksoppet » 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)
https://gizmodo.com/what-is-liquid-crem ... 1696897615
Cryodecomposition (AKA 'Liquid Nitrogen Cremation' :roll: )
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.

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jimbob
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Re: Human Composting

Post by jimbob » 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.
Have you considered stupidity as an explanation

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Woodchopper
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Woodchopper » Sun Mar 01, 2020 8:34 pm

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.

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rockdoctor
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Re: Human Composting

Post by rockdoctor » Sun Mar 01, 2020 9:57 pm

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"

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Sciolus
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Sciolus » Mon Mar 02, 2020 8:21 pm

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".

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Cardinal Fang
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Re: Human Composting

Post by Cardinal Fang » Tue Mar 03, 2020 8:04 pm

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.

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