How do you rot? Let me count the ways.

April 20, 2007 9:37 PM

Body Farm Background: green burial
posted by Listener (15 comments total)

No, the cute title was supposed to go on the front page. Forgive me.
posted by Listener at 9:40 PM on April 20, 2007

Ooooh, killer! The UT body farm was written about by Mary Roach in her book Stiff. I find it absolutely fascinating! Personally, I hope this catches on, if not for the ecological benefit than at least in hopes of dismantling the racket constructed by funeral directors and casket brokers.
posted by numinous at 10:23 PM on April 20, 2007 [1 favorite]

ok, so who are the Vols who have stories of crashing the body farm?? I never did, but word is that some have...
posted by pwedza at 11:03 PM on April 20, 2007

I like the idea of just letting my body rot in the outdoors....dunno why. Just seems better to me than a coffin.

I'm claustrophobic of course. I don't know why I think that'll be a factor once I'm dead, but there you have it.
posted by Salmonberry at 11:49 PM on April 20, 2007

Real green burial available today in the US.

It's been previously discussed at mefi before, but I can't come up with the right search terms to find it right now.
posted by wsg at 12:16 AM on April 21, 2007

This creeps me out on a number of levels.

Then again, so does seeing people I love in coffins with chemicals in their veins instead of blood, and the thinly veiled stench of formaldehyde trying to keep flesh from rotting and only partially succeeding.
posted by po at 3:18 AM on April 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Then again, so does seeing people I love in coffins with chemicals in their veins instead of blood, and the thinly veiled stench of formaldehyde trying to keep flesh from rotting and only partially succeeding.

I think without the formaldehyde the body would go into its decomposing stages too quickly for a viewable funeral.
posted by fallenposters at 4:55 AM on April 21, 2007

In Roach's book she talked about getting mulched, is that an option for those of us in the States? I'd LOVE to be mulch. Really.
posted by yodelingisfun at 9:45 AM on April 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

Green burial is a really interesting idea, and one that I'd not really considered before.

Personally, I'm seriously thinking about casting my lot with Alcor, so I'm on somewhat the other end of things, but this is something that I will look into if it comes to that.
posted by Arturus at 10:54 AM on April 21, 2007

Thanks for exposing people to this. I myself have no interest in taking up space in a cemetary, or having my blood replaced with embalming fluid. It's either cremation for me or I'll go green!
posted by iguanapolitico at 11:07 AM on April 21, 2007

*cemetery. Yikes.
posted by iguanapolitico at 11:08 AM on April 21, 2007

Zoroastrians leave the bodies of their deceased open to the elements in the rather hauntingly named Towers of Silence.
posted by WPW at 1:42 PM on April 21, 2007 [1 favorite]

I friggin' love the body farm.

I read a lot about death - Stiff is one of my all-time favorite books. That probably makes me weird, doesn't it?

*slinks back into corner*

I think without the formaldehyde the body would go into its decomposing stages too quickly for a viewable funeral.

Not if you keep it in a fridge. They don't use formaldehyde in Iceland, and my husband's grandfather's funeral was five days after he died and he was just fine. Waxy, but fine.

Personally, I want a green burial. Preferably with a tree growing on me, so I can live through the birds that eat off the tree. Basically, I want to spend the afterlife flying around and pooping on people's heads.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 9:43 PM on April 21, 2007

Personally, I want a green burial. Preferably with a tree growing on me, so I can live through the birds that eat off the tree. Basically, I want to spend the afterlife flying around and pooping on people's heads.

Interesting item I've learned from my forensic pathology course: most bodies that are dumped in the woods to decompose have their hair taken by birds to be used in their nests. I guess that's one way of helping out the environment.
posted by fallenposters at 5:51 PM on April 22, 2007

I was looking for a link to support the idea that cremation is really wasteful/costly (of fuel) but I found this: "The most rational method of recycling would be to feed the dead to animals, which are good food converters and which, when their turn comes to be recycled, are nutritious and tasty."

Very nice indeed.
posted by Listener at 7:19 PM on April 22, 2007