Disposing of the Dead: A Third Option

[Milton Platt]

"Bear these words in mind, as I tell you about a new, ghoulish way of disposing of the dead.

Not burial, and not cremation.

No. It is a liquefaction process called by a variety of names — flameless cremation, green cremation or the “Fire to Water” method, and chemically known as alkaline hydrolysis.

An alkaline hydrolysis unit at a funeral home in Windom, Minnesota.
​

Here is how it works (and, if you have just eaten, forgive me).

A machine uses a chemical bath to dissolve protein, blood, and fat.

After that happens, what’s left (in addition to the soul)?

A coffee-colored liquid consisting of minerals, salts, amino acids, soap and water.
Powdery bone.
Weakened bones that can be crushed into ash.
Any metal that was in the body, like dental fillings.

Now – imagine that for your mother.

Alkaline hydrolysis is not new. It was first patented in the United States in 1888 “for the treatment of bones and animal waste.” The process was modernized in the 1990s, when it was used to dispose of human cadavers and dead pets.

The process has become all the rage among younger funeral directors.

Why is alkaline hydolysis gaining in popularity?

Well, because for some people, reverence for the environment seems to take precedence over reverence for the dead.

Consider the fact that the death rate is close to one hundred percent. This means that at a certain point, we will run out of land for cemeteries.
The carbon footprint for liquefaction is about a tenth of that caused by cremation.
Liquefaction uses a fraction of the energy of a standard cremator and releases no fumes.

Then, there are other benefits of liquefaction. The resulting fluid contains nutrients. It can be used, and is already being used, as a fertilizer.
source​

But what about the cost?

"in Minnesota, basic alkaline hydrolysis costs about $2,400, while the cost of direct cremation -- that is, simple cremation without an on-site ceremony -- ranges from about $800 to more than $4,300, depending on the provider. The national average cost for a traditional funeral, including burial and a headstone or monument, is about $10,000."
source
​

The possibilities seem endless.

​

Seriously though, what do you think?

.​

This is essentially what happens after burial due to anaerobic decomposition. I fail to see why it is a problem to do it before hand.

 

[Revoltingest]

"Bear these words in mind, as I tell you about a new, ghoulish way of disposing of the dead.

Not burial, and not cremation.

No. It is a liquefaction process called by a variety of names — flameless cremation, green cremation or the “Fire to Water” method, and chemically known as alkaline hydrolysis.

An alkaline hydrolysis unit at a funeral home in Windom, Minnesota.
​

Here is how it works (and, if you have just eaten, forgive me).

A machine uses a chemical bath to dissolve protein, blood, and fat.

After that happens, what’s left (in addition to the soul)?

A coffee-colored liquid consisting of minerals, salts, amino acids, soap and water.
Powdery bone.
Weakened bones that can be crushed into ash.
Any metal that was in the body, like dental fillings.

Now – imagine that for your mother.

Alkaline hydrolysis is not new. It was first patented in the United States in 1888 “for the treatment of bones and animal waste.” The process was modernized in the 1990s, when it was used to dispose of human cadavers and dead pets.

The process has become all the rage among younger funeral directors.

Why is alkaline hydolysis gaining in popularity?

Well, because for some people, reverence for the environment seems to take precedence over reverence for the dead.

Consider the fact that the death rate is close to one hundred percent. This means that at a certain point, we will run out of land for cemeteries.
The carbon footprint for liquefaction is about a tenth of that caused by cremation.
Liquefaction uses a fraction of the energy of a standard cremator and releases no fumes.

Then, there are other benefits of liquefaction. The resulting fluid contains nutrients. It can be used, and is already being used, as a fertilizer.
source​

But what about the cost?

"in Minnesota, basic alkaline hydrolysis costs about $2,400, while the cost of direct cremation -- that is, simple cremation without an on-site ceremony -- ranges from about $800 to more than $4,300, depending on the provider. The national average cost for a traditional funeral, including burial and a headstone or monument, is about $10,000."
source
​

The possibilities seem endless.

​

Seriously though, what do you think?

.​

Sounds good to me.
Still too expensive, but better than the traditional more wasteful methods.

 

[Silverscale derg]

How about letting the bodies be eaten? If I would have died and been used to feed the ones who killed me I would consider my death to be justified but if it's done out of sport then that's unacceptable. Humans fill their dead with chemicals and put them in the ground which isn't helping anyone

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Humans fill their dead with chemicals and put them in the ground which isn't helping anyone

This is largely true in the US; I don't know about elsewhere, but I've seen documentaries and articles about places (Africa, SE Asia, South America, etc.) where preservation through chemicals is not the common way of dealing with the dead, and many of the alternatives have been presented in this thread.

 

[Silverscale derg]

This is largely true in the US; I don't know about elsewhere, but I've seen documentaries and articles about places (Africa, SE Asia, South America, etc.) where preservation through chemicals is not the common way of dealing with the dead, and many of the alternatives have been presented in this thread.

Just put them in a forest without any clothing on, the predators will get an easy meal thus would not be likely to kill hunters deer as they like to call prey there own, nor would they go prey on livestock...everyone wins.

 

[DavidFirth]

"Bear these words in mind, as I tell you about a new, ghoulish way of disposing of the dead.

Not burial, and not cremation.

No. It is a liquefaction process called by a variety of names — flameless cremation, green cremation or the “Fire to Water” method, and chemically known as alkaline hydrolysis.

An alkaline hydrolysis unit at a funeral home in Windom, Minnesota.
​

Here is how it works (and, if you have just eaten, forgive me).

A machine uses a chemical bath to dissolve protein, blood, and fat.

After that happens, what’s left (in addition to the soul)?

A coffee-colored liquid consisting of minerals, salts, amino acids, soap and water.
Powdery bone.
Weakened bones that can be crushed into ash.
Any metal that was in the body, like dental fillings.

Now – imagine that for your mother.

Alkaline hydrolysis is not new. It was first patented in the United States in 1888 “for the treatment of bones and animal waste.” The process was modernized in the 1990s, when it was used to dispose of human cadavers and dead pets.

The process has become all the rage among younger funeral directors.

Why is alkaline hydolysis gaining in popularity?

Well, because for some people, reverence for the environment seems to take precedence over reverence for the dead.

Consider the fact that the death rate is close to one hundred percent. This means that at a certain point, we will run out of land for cemeteries.
The carbon footprint for liquefaction is about a tenth of that caused by cremation.
Liquefaction uses a fraction of the energy of a standard cremator and releases no fumes.

Then, there are other benefits of liquefaction. The resulting fluid contains nutrients. It can be used, and is already being used, as a fertilizer.
source​

But what about the cost?

"in Minnesota, basic alkaline hydrolysis costs about $2,400, while the cost of direct cremation -- that is, simple cremation without an on-site ceremony -- ranges from about $800 to more than $4,300, depending on the provider. The national average cost for a traditional funeral, including burial and a headstone or monument, is about $10,000."
source
​

The possibilities seem endless.

​

Seriously though, what do you think?

.​

So why don't scientists create life from this bio-friendly soup? Oh, that's right they can't, they need a billions year old random occurence. To bad, just to bad, seems like the perfect opportunity. Oh well.