Posted by Sir Four at 12:16pm Oct 2 '11With a little heat, a little pressure and lye to speed up the process, the soft tissues of the human body dissolve into a foul brown liquid, leaving only skeletal remains. The skeleton can then be ground to a fine powder. Is this the "new cremation"? The bone powder would be given to the family as if it were cremation ash. As for the brown liquid? Flushed down the drain, into the sewer system.
Why would someone choose alkaline hydrolysis over traditional cremation or burial? Proponents say it's better for the environment (regular cremation requires a lot of fuel and combustion), and it may appeal to those who don't like the idea of being burned up.
Skeptics call it disgusting and disrespectful to dump human remains into the sewer. There may also be a question of whether it is sanitary. And it's not going over well with Catholics. Bishop William E. Lori: "Dissolving bodies in a vat of chemicals and pouring the resultant liquid down the drain is not a respectful way to dispose of human remains."
Personally? Chemical cremation sounds absolutely awful to me.
The option is legal in only six states: Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Oregon. However, only one funeral home in the country currently offers it: a place in St. Petersburg, FL. The owner recently installed the equipment and will charge $100 above the cost of traditional cremation for the alkaline hydrolysis process.
Might this option spread around the country? It'd have to overcome legal hurdles, first. And then, would there be a market for it?
In case anyone needs a visual:
Thoughts?
Why would someone choose alkaline hydrolysis over traditional cremation or burial? Proponents say it's better for the environment (regular cremation requires a lot of fuel and combustion), and it may appeal to those who don't like the idea of being burned up.
Skeptics call it disgusting and disrespectful to dump human remains into the sewer. There may also be a question of whether it is sanitary. And it's not going over well with Catholics. Bishop William E. Lori: "Dissolving bodies in a vat of chemicals and pouring the resultant liquid down the drain is not a respectful way to dispose of human remains."
Personally? Chemical cremation sounds absolutely awful to me.
The option is legal in only six states: Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, and Oregon. However, only one funeral home in the country currently offers it: a place in St. Petersburg, FL. The owner recently installed the equipment and will charge $100 above the cost of traditional cremation for the alkaline hydrolysis process.
Might this option spread around the country? It'd have to overcome legal hurdles, first. And then, would there be a market for it?
In case anyone needs a visual:
Thoughts?
Alkaline Hydrolysis - Chemical Cremation - Sir Four