A Glasgow-based company has installed its first commercial "alkaline hydrolysis" unit at a Florida funeral home. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-14114555 )
This hydrolysis procedure "produces a third less greenhouse gas than cremation, uses a seventh of the energy, and allows for the complete separation of dental amalgam for safe disposal" (ibid.). It is a well know fact that cremation is not as environmentally friendly as one would believe. The struggle for "green" and sustainable ways to dispose of the dead (understandably) continues, but what I find interesting is the focus on rational, clean disposal as opposed to previous priorities (e.g. embalming = the dead looking good; funeral monument = celebration of death; religious rites = religious moral monopoly; and so on).
image from http://watchoutnews.com/body-liquefaction-unit-unveiled/1735/
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