A little over a week ago I did an interview for the Everything Green Radio show. You can listen to the podcast here:
http://www.everythinggreenradio.com/images/podcasts/EverythingGreenRadio-Show136.mp3
THIS WEEKEND IS THE LIVING GREEN EXPO!!
We have been working really hard making buttons and getting our display ready. I hope to see a lot of you there! For more information you can visit: http://www.livinggreen.org
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Friday, April 10, 2009
Earth Matters
Back in October I did an interview for Energy Times magazine. It has finally been published and you can read it here:
http://www.energytimes.com/et2/pages/departments/0409/earthmatters0409.html
Forever Green
Eco-friendly burials let people become one with the earth.
By Eric Schneider
April 2009
About 15 miles southwest of Ithaca, New York, off a country road in the state’s placid Finger Lakes region, a lovely expanse of hilltop meadow is punctuated by occasional clusters of trees. It is the kind of spot that is ideal for a leisurely hike—a place that quietly and gently asserts the beauty and simplicity of nature.
This peaceful setting is also a cemetery, a fact that might be lost on anyone who misses the subtle markers that designate the area as a burial ground. There is not a stone in sight: no monuments, no mausoleums, no statues, no tombstones. All that meets the eye is the flora and fauna of the field and the forest. This is Greensprings—or, as the charmingly rustic sign announces, “A Natural Burial Preserve.”
Greensprings is one of a growing number of cemeteries across the United States that has wholly embraced the concept of “green burials,” an alternative to conventional interment methods that does not use embalming chemicals and only incorporates eco-friendly, biodegradable materials.
Mary Woodsen, president of Greensprings and a science writer at nearby Cornell University, explains that there are generally three kinds of people who want natural burials. About half the clients are from a “traditional ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’ background”; others want to keep things simple, often citing cost as a key issue. Not surprisingly, the last group comprises environmentally conscious people. “The greenies are strong,” Woodsen says. Of course, these rationales can, and do, easily overlap, but the eco-friendly aspect of green burial is certainly one of its main draws.
Few people know about the growing popularity of eco-friendly burials better than Joe Sehee, executive director of the Green Burial Council in Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.greenburialcouncil.org), who has been promoting the idea of green cemeteries across the country. “For many, getting in sync with the natural cycle of life, death, decay and rebirth provides a great deal of solace,” Sehee says. The GBC has more than 140 approved providers nationally, up from a handful in 2008.
Unnatural Endings
Every year burials in the nation’s 22,500 conventional cemeteries result in approximately 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid being placed into the earth, along with 90,272 tons of steel and more than 30 million board feet of hardwoods (much of it from tropical varieties) in the form of caskets, according to Greensprings. And while cremation has long been considered a more environmentally conscious option as opposed to conventional burial, the process uses a surprising amount of energy per person—the equivalent of driving nearly 5,000 miles. What’s more, cremation releases trace amounts of harmful mercury into the air. Cremation does not quite qualify as green, according to green burial proponents.
Green burial allows you to “return to the earth naturally and become part of your surroundings,” says Theresa Kay Purcell, the Minnesota chapter president of Trust for Natural Legacies, Inc., which is currently developing that state’s first green cemetery. Though such a natural approach to death may seem radical in a society accustomed to embalmment, open-casket viewings and lavish funeral arrangements, it actually is in line with the traditions of past centuries. “I believe that a lot of people are realizing that this is not a new idea,” Purcell notes. “In the grand scheme of things, natural burial is what we have always done up until the past 100 years or so, when embalming became popular.”
Increased Interest
The green burial movement is starting to gain more recognition, according to Sehee. “The [Green Burial] Council has been working hard to engage the conventional deathcare industry,” he says.
“We’ve been invited by every major trade association to educate their membership on ways to embrace more environmentally sustainable practices and products.” Adding to the interest shown by industry, Sehee explains, is the enhanced credibility that comes with having input from leading authorities in the fields of restoration ecology, sustainable landscape design, conservation management and consumer affairs in creating the GBC standards.
By attending to these elements in the planning of burial sites, green cemeteries can provide much more than just resting places that don’t pollute their surroundings. Such burial grounds can also benefit the earth by maintaining open space and by protecting natural habitats for both wildlife and native plants. Woodsen says Greensprings manages its land as if it were a nature preserve.
Sehee notes that the GBC determines any biological, geological and hydrological constraints on the land “so that burial will never degrade an ecosystem.” In addition, he maintains that a conservation easement or deed restriction must be utilized to ensure that a green cemetery “never devolves into anything else.”
A growing number of people want to live lightly upon the earth. The green burial movement lets them carry that intention to its logical conclusion in settings of beauty and peace.
http://www.energytimes.com/et2/pages/departments/0409/earthmatters0409.html
Forever Green
Eco-friendly burials let people become one with the earth.
By Eric Schneider
April 2009
About 15 miles southwest of Ithaca, New York, off a country road in the state’s placid Finger Lakes region, a lovely expanse of hilltop meadow is punctuated by occasional clusters of trees. It is the kind of spot that is ideal for a leisurely hike—a place that quietly and gently asserts the beauty and simplicity of nature.
This peaceful setting is also a cemetery, a fact that might be lost on anyone who misses the subtle markers that designate the area as a burial ground. There is not a stone in sight: no monuments, no mausoleums, no statues, no tombstones. All that meets the eye is the flora and fauna of the field and the forest. This is Greensprings—or, as the charmingly rustic sign announces, “A Natural Burial Preserve.”
Greensprings is one of a growing number of cemeteries across the United States that has wholly embraced the concept of “green burials,” an alternative to conventional interment methods that does not use embalming chemicals and only incorporates eco-friendly, biodegradable materials.
Mary Woodsen, president of Greensprings and a science writer at nearby Cornell University, explains that there are generally three kinds of people who want natural burials. About half the clients are from a “traditional ‘ashes to ashes, dust to dust’ background”; others want to keep things simple, often citing cost as a key issue. Not surprisingly, the last group comprises environmentally conscious people. “The greenies are strong,” Woodsen says. Of course, these rationales can, and do, easily overlap, but the eco-friendly aspect of green burial is certainly one of its main draws.
Few people know about the growing popularity of eco-friendly burials better than Joe Sehee, executive director of the Green Burial Council in Santa Fe, New Mexico (www.greenburialcouncil.org), who has been promoting the idea of green cemeteries across the country. “For many, getting in sync with the natural cycle of life, death, decay and rebirth provides a great deal of solace,” Sehee says. The GBC has more than 140 approved providers nationally, up from a handful in 2008.
Unnatural Endings
Every year burials in the nation’s 22,500 conventional cemeteries result in approximately 827,060 gallons of embalming fluid being placed into the earth, along with 90,272 tons of steel and more than 30 million board feet of hardwoods (much of it from tropical varieties) in the form of caskets, according to Greensprings. And while cremation has long been considered a more environmentally conscious option as opposed to conventional burial, the process uses a surprising amount of energy per person—the equivalent of driving nearly 5,000 miles. What’s more, cremation releases trace amounts of harmful mercury into the air. Cremation does not quite qualify as green, according to green burial proponents.
Green burial allows you to “return to the earth naturally and become part of your surroundings,” says Theresa Kay Purcell, the Minnesota chapter president of Trust for Natural Legacies, Inc., which is currently developing that state’s first green cemetery. Though such a natural approach to death may seem radical in a society accustomed to embalmment, open-casket viewings and lavish funeral arrangements, it actually is in line with the traditions of past centuries. “I believe that a lot of people are realizing that this is not a new idea,” Purcell notes. “In the grand scheme of things, natural burial is what we have always done up until the past 100 years or so, when embalming became popular.”
Increased Interest
The green burial movement is starting to gain more recognition, according to Sehee. “The [Green Burial] Council has been working hard to engage the conventional deathcare industry,” he says.
“We’ve been invited by every major trade association to educate their membership on ways to embrace more environmentally sustainable practices and products.” Adding to the interest shown by industry, Sehee explains, is the enhanced credibility that comes with having input from leading authorities in the fields of restoration ecology, sustainable landscape design, conservation management and consumer affairs in creating the GBC standards.
By attending to these elements in the planning of burial sites, green cemeteries can provide much more than just resting places that don’t pollute their surroundings. Such burial grounds can also benefit the earth by maintaining open space and by protecting natural habitats for both wildlife and native plants. Woodsen says Greensprings manages its land as if it were a nature preserve.
Sehee notes that the GBC determines any biological, geological and hydrological constraints on the land “so that burial will never degrade an ecosystem.” In addition, he maintains that a conservation easement or deed restriction must be utilized to ensure that a green cemetery “never devolves into anything else.”
A growing number of people want to live lightly upon the earth. The green burial movement lets them carry that intention to its logical conclusion in settings of beauty and peace.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Living Green Expo
It's been a while since we've updated but we have still been working very hard.
Our biggest news is that we will be participating in the Living Green Expo at the fairgrounds in Saint Paul, MN on May 2-3.
"The Living Green Expo is a free, annual event that provides information and products to help Minnesotans improve the environmental and social impacts of their day-to-day living. The Expo features over 200 exhibitors of products, services, and information, along with workshops on a variety of sustainability and green living topics. Expo attractions include music, art, food, demonstrations, and activities for youth and children."
For more information, visit their website: www.livinggreen.org.
I will also be featured on the the Everything Green radio show on Saturday, April 18th. The program starts at noon and runs an hour. I will be giving a brief introduction to green burial and let you know what's happening locally to get a conservation cemetery up and running.
We currently have a graphic designer, and close friend of mine, named Aaron Shapiro working on a new logo for TNL. Once it's completed we'll be making a bunch of buttons and other items that will be available at the Green Expo. We're all super excited about this.
That's about it for now. As things continue to progress I'll try and do a better job about updating. I hope to see you at the Green Expo! It's free! Don't hesitate to stop by our booth and introduce yourself.
Our biggest news is that we will be participating in the Living Green Expo at the fairgrounds in Saint Paul, MN on May 2-3.
"The Living Green Expo is a free, annual event that provides information and products to help Minnesotans improve the environmental and social impacts of their day-to-day living. The Expo features over 200 exhibitors of products, services, and information, along with workshops on a variety of sustainability and green living topics. Expo attractions include music, art, food, demonstrations, and activities for youth and children."
For more information, visit their website: www.livinggreen.org.
I will also be featured on the the Everything Green radio show on Saturday, April 18th. The program starts at noon and runs an hour. I will be giving a brief introduction to green burial and let you know what's happening locally to get a conservation cemetery up and running.
We currently have a graphic designer, and close friend of mine, named Aaron Shapiro working on a new logo for TNL. Once it's completed we'll be making a bunch of buttons and other items that will be available at the Green Expo. We're all super excited about this.
That's about it for now. As things continue to progress I'll try and do a better job about updating. I hope to see you at the Green Expo! It's free! Don't hesitate to stop by our booth and introduce yourself.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Minnesotans inquiring about 'green' burials
Minnesotans inquiring about 'green' burials
Associated Press
Updated: 12/06/2008 05:14:27 PM CST
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Tradition and laws have kept "green" burials from becoming widespread in Minnesota, but funeral directors say more people are inquiring about them.
"There are people talking about it and people mentioning it," said Mark Benson, funeral director at Benson Funeral Home in St. Cloud. "They've seen the stories. They're talking about it, whether it was something they'd do themselves."
Minnesota state law requires bodies to be embalmed for public viewing, but natural options are available.
Theresa Purcell helped start the Minnesota chapter of Trust for Natural Legacies, which promotes green burial and is looking for suitable land within 45 minutes of the Twin Cities for a natural conservation cemetery.
"The more people learn what it is and the more people learn it's actually an option, we're getting a very strong, positive response from people," she said.
Purcell envisions the cemetery to be 25-30 acres that would also serve as a nature preserve and recreational area, with opportunities for cross-country skiing and birdwatching. People could use the property whether they have loved ones buried there or not, she said.
Green graveyards have also begun in Wisconsin.
In Milwaukee, Forest Home Cemetery set aside three of its 200 acres for green burials this year and Circle Cemetery, an arm of Circle Sanctuary near Barneveld, expanded its one-acre cremains-only cemetery to 20 acres to allow natural burials.
Purcell said she's gotten many calls and e-mails from people interested in the natural cemetery. Some elderly people have said they hope it's open by the time they pass away, she said.
Ken Peterson, president of the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association, said he expects the trend toward environmental awareness will affect death practices in Minnesota as it has other areas of society.
People already are asking to use recycled paper for memorial programs and biodegradable containers for graveside flowers, he said.
"I think what we're going to see in our area is different shades of green," Peterson said.
Information from: St. Cloud Times, www.sctimes.com
Associated Press
Updated: 12/06/2008 05:14:27 PM CST
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Tradition and laws have kept "green" burials from becoming widespread in Minnesota, but funeral directors say more people are inquiring about them.
"There are people talking about it and people mentioning it," said Mark Benson, funeral director at Benson Funeral Home in St. Cloud. "They've seen the stories. They're talking about it, whether it was something they'd do themselves."
Minnesota state law requires bodies to be embalmed for public viewing, but natural options are available.
Theresa Purcell helped start the Minnesota chapter of Trust for Natural Legacies, which promotes green burial and is looking for suitable land within 45 minutes of the Twin Cities for a natural conservation cemetery.
"The more people learn what it is and the more people learn it's actually an option, we're getting a very strong, positive response from people," she said.
Purcell envisions the cemetery to be 25-30 acres that would also serve as a nature preserve and recreational area, with opportunities for cross-country skiing and birdwatching. People could use the property whether they have loved ones buried there or not, she said.
Green graveyards have also begun in Wisconsin.
In Milwaukee, Forest Home Cemetery set aside three of its 200 acres for green burials this year and Circle Cemetery, an arm of Circle Sanctuary near Barneveld, expanded its one-acre cremains-only cemetery to 20 acres to allow natural burials.
Purcell said she's gotten many calls and e-mails from people interested in the natural cemetery. Some elderly people have said they hope it's open by the time they pass away, she said.
Ken Peterson, president of the Minnesota Funeral Directors Association, said he expects the trend toward environmental awareness will affect death practices in Minnesota as it has other areas of society.
People already are asking to use recycled paper for memorial programs and biodegradable containers for graveside flowers, he said.
"I think what we're going to see in our area is different shades of green," Peterson said.
Information from: St. Cloud Times, www.sctimes.com
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
WCCO-TV Interview
Here is a link to our WCCO-TV story which aired last night on the 10pm news.
http://wcco.com/video/?id=50350@wcco.dayport.com
http://wcco.com/video/?id=50350@wcco.dayport.com
Monday, November 10, 2008
WCCO News
Tomorrow, 11/11, the Minnesota Chapter of TNL is going to be featured on WCCO News at 10pm! A big thanks to Liz Collin, Megan Brown, and everyone else at WCCO-TV who found this topic to be interesting and worthy of doing a story on. I can't wait to see it!
In other news, Nicole, Derek, and I went to Madison this week for the annual TNL Planning Retreat. We discussed the goals set a year ago, our progress, and our plans for the future. Now that we officially have IRS 501(c)3 Nonprofit Status we will have a lot more donation and grant opportunities. We worked on establishing a land search committee and our executive director, Mark, is developing a conservation cemetery operator's manual which will help us transition smoothly when appropriate land is found and acquired. We have a great team and a lot of passionate people working hard to make this happen. I feel confident that within a few years we will have a conservation cemetery up and running.
Right now we just need to get the word out. Watch WCCO tomorrow night! Tell your friends! Invite us to come and give a presentation! And finally, think about becoming a member!
In other news, Nicole, Derek, and I went to Madison this week for the annual TNL Planning Retreat. We discussed the goals set a year ago, our progress, and our plans for the future. Now that we officially have IRS 501(c)3 Nonprofit Status we will have a lot more donation and grant opportunities. We worked on establishing a land search committee and our executive director, Mark, is developing a conservation cemetery operator's manual which will help us transition smoothly when appropriate land is found and acquired. We have a great team and a lot of passionate people working hard to make this happen. I feel confident that within a few years we will have a conservation cemetery up and running.
Right now we just need to get the word out. Watch WCCO tomorrow night! Tell your friends! Invite us to come and give a presentation! And finally, think about becoming a member!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
TNL Fall Newsletter
TNL's Fall Newsletter is now ready and you can read it by clicking HERE. This issue focuses on the establishment of our Minnesota Chapter and discusses the exciting new opportunities this opens up for us and all green burial supporters in the Midwest.
Again, i urge you to become a member and support TNL. Great things are happening but we need your help. Please, follow this link and join TNL. Be sure to specify that you're joining TNL Minnesota! Thanks for all your help and we'll be in touch soon.
Again, i urge you to become a member and support TNL. Great things are happening but we need your help. Please, follow this link and join TNL. Be sure to specify that you're joining TNL Minnesota! Thanks for all your help and we'll be in touch soon.
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