You can go green even in death

William Atkins
Thursday, 13 March 2008 07:14

Science - Climate

An Australian study by its largest cemetery has found that cremations are more environmentally friendly than burials.     

A research study by Centennial Park in Pasadena, South Australia, has found that the maintenance of a grave by a cemetery creates four times more carbon dioxide that a cremation.

A cremation initially creates, on average, about 353 pounds (160 kilograms) of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a major greenhouse gas that many scientists are saying is contributing to global warming.

On the other hand, the initial burial activity only contributes about 86 pounds (39 kilograms) of carbon dioxide.

However, a cremation does not produce any more carbon dioxide in the future, while a burial does.

The maintenance of a grave site caused by such activities as the watering and mowing of the grass and the work performed on the concrete foundation on which the headstone is placed contributes much more carbon dioxide into the Earth’s atmosphere over the long term than does cremation.

In fact, according to Centennial Park, over the long run, burials end up producing about 10% more of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide over the many years needed to maintain the grounds around the burial site.

Bryan Elliott, chief executive with Centennial Park, states, “Burial is a more labor and resource intensive process, consumes more fuels and produces larger quantities of waste than cremation." [Shanghai Daily]

Elliott says that Centennial Park Cemetery buries about nine hundred dead people each year, but carries out about 3.5 times more cremations.

To offset the extra carbon dioxide produced with their burials and even their cremations, they plant at least one tree.

Centennial Park Cemetery is advertising a "carbon-neutral" funeral. Learn more what that means on the next page.