Apparently, the state of Washington takes its motto, “The
Evergreen State,” very seriously. In fact, it could well become the first state
in the nation to allow the “composting” of dead humans. While this doesn’t seem
particularly sentimental, Sen. Jamie Pedersen (D) told NBC News that “people
from all over the state” have written to him excited about having an
alternative to a boring old burial or garden-variety cremation.
Pedersen,
who is sponsoring the bill and is expected to introduce it to the legislature
later this month, says many residents are thrilled with the prospect of
becoming a tree through the process of “recomposition.” The process utilizes
alkaline hydrolysis to dissolve bodies with water and lye until “just liquid
and bone remain.” The bodies are placed in a vessel filled with nutrient-rich
soil so they rapidly decompose, after which the
soil is given to the families, according to the NBC News report. They
can then use said soil/dear old dad to fertilize a plant or a tree.
The demented
discerning Democrat says: “The aim is a less expensive way of dealing with
human remains that is better for the environment than burial, which can leach
chemicals into the ground, or cremation, which releases earth-warming carbon
dioxide.”
Composting
a loved one, or “recomposition,” costs around $5,500 on average, compared to a
traditional funeral’s price of over $7,000, and cremation’s price tag of about
$1,000, not including service and urn. This leads me to believe that the push
for human composting isn’t about saving money, but aligns with progressive’s
views on the relative worth of humans vis-à-vis the environment.
“Credit”
for the idea apparently goes to Katrina Spade, a Seattle-based designer, who
came up with it in 2013 while she was pursuing a master’s degree in
architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It’s not surprising
that a college student thought of this (that’s not a compliment to colleges or their students), but one in architecture?! Katrina must have had
some spare time to let her creativity run wild. Odder still, she originally
called her idea “The Urban Death Project” before changing it to “Recompose.”
The latter certainly sounds much less sinister than the former.
The
definition of composting is: “to convert a material such as vegetable matter or
manure into compost.” The definition of compost is: “decayed organic matter
used as fertilizer.” No shit?
Pining
for a way to be reborn? Don’t lose your composure. Forget about a traditional
burial. Forget about lying in a peaceful repose for eternity. Recompose. In this day and age, it’s not
enough to hug a tree. Become one!
Will
the circle be unbroken
When I
croak, Lord, when I croak
There’s
a better home a-waiting
In an
oak, Lord, in an oak
(I’m
sure the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
would’ve been big fans of human composting)
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