the greener way to go

An industry catering to the desire to be green - even in death - will soon offer mourners an environmentally friendly option to bury their loved ones in British Columbia.

Canadians have looked to cremation as a way to address eco-concerns associated with death, and its popularity has skyrocketed - almost 80 per cent of those who died in British Columbia in 2004 were cremated, and Victoria is considered the cremation capital of North America.

But the growing popularity of cremation and concerns about the tonnes of emissions that are spewed out as a result have spawned a newer, cleaner option: natural or green burials.

Fairly common in the UK for more than a decade, a green funeral typically means the body is not subjected to chemical embalming, there are no oversized caskets made of expensive wood and metal, there are no fancy headstones on the grounds, and no toxic emissions are released - as is the case during cremation.

Instead, the body is wrapped in a simple shroud or placed in a biodegradable box, at most only a simple stone is placed on the ground to mark a burial spot, and the effect on the environment is minimized. And - bonus - they may also cost less than a traditional burial.

The only issue now is convincing cemetery's to dedicate plots for green burials - more at The Canadian Press.