Discuss the “Green Burials” TV Story
Concerned about toxic embalming fluid, caskets made of rainforest hardwood, and bodies encased in vaults that never decompose, a small but growing number of undertakers is driving a new movement: green burials. We visit cemeteries in Marin and Sebastopol offering green burials, in which bodies are laid to rest in a simple pine casket or a shroud, graves are marked with natural or very simple grave markers, and families often locate their loved ones through a GPS computer chip.
Green Burials and California’s High Speed Rail (episode #104) airs tonight on QUEST at 7:30pm on KQED 9, and KQED HD, Comcast 709. (full schedule)
You may also view the entire Green Burials story online.
Additional images are available for viewing and comment at the Green Burial - KQED QUEST flickr photo set.
Gabriela Quirós is a Segment Producer for KQED-TV, and is the producer for this story.
CORRECTIONS:
The man identified as “Gary McRae, General Manager, Forever Fernwood” is actually James Cirulli, a neighbor of the cemetery who enjoys taking his dog for a walk in its open spaces.
Gary McRae appears earlier in the show talking about Fernwood’s first green burial.
Also, “Sebastopol” was misspelled at the beginning of the story.
We apologize for these errors and hope that you enjoyed the story.
Sincerely,
Gabriela Quiros
QUEST segment producer
I have attempted to contact the Green BurialCouncil to gather locations for Green Burial signts in the US. I found their web sight but can not get any results except for California. Would you have any other sight where I might acquire this information.
Thank you, Ruth Wantling
Check http://www.funerals.org/faq/green.htm
This is the website for the Funeral Consumers Alliance, a national non-profit dedicated to distributing coinsumer information about how to get the kind of funeral you want. Lots of great info at “funerals.org.”
The natural burial co-operative has recently launched a new website supporting the natural burial movement around the globe.
A complete listing of natural burial sites in the USA (both existing and proposed) can be found at
http://naturalburial.coop/USA/