WATER CREMATION

 

WIKIPEDIA LINK

In short: A water cremation facility has opened in Hobart.Water Cremation is an end-of-life process which breaks down the body in a stainless steel drum filled with a solution heated to about 90C for 10 hours.

What's next?
Australia is heading towards what is being called "peak death" as the baby boomer generation ages.

Apart from getting more expensive, Tasmania's funeral industry has remained somewhat unchanged for the past 25 years.

While traditional fire cremations remain, a cheaper, eco-friendlier alternative has arrived in Hobart.

Water cremation, also known as alkaline hydrolysis, has gained popularity overseas, but until now, only two facilities in Australia have offered a service similar to the process.

A silver tube-like machine used for water cremation in a garage.
Water Cremation is an end-of-life process that breaks down the body in a stainless steel drum over 10 hours. (ABC News: Maren Preuss)

Process leaves more ashes of loved ones
Water cremation involves placing a body inside a stainless steel drum, filling it with a water and alkaline solution and heating it to approximately 90 degrees Celsius for about 10 hours.

At the end, only the bones are left, which are then turned into ashes, producing up to 30 per cent more ashes than a fire cremation.

Here's how to die if you don't want to take the planet with you

Photo shows An untreated pine coffin.An untreated pine coffin.

About 70 per cent of Australians are cremated and the rest buried, but liquefying your body is an option, freezing it and shaking it to pieces might soon be too, and then there's natural burial. How do the environmentally friendly options stack up?

A fire cremation uses about 36 kilograms of gas to heat the body to around 1,000C. It also requires a coffin for the process, unlike a water cremation.

Luke Cripps and Brendan Cooper are co-founders of the recently opened Alluvium Water Cremations in Hobart. They said they wanted to bring a much greener and comparatively cheap alternative to Tasmania.

"Water cremation produces around 90 per cent less direct emissions compared to a fire cremation," Mr Cooper said.

"The only energy that we use for our process is the power to heat the water, which over time we will offset with solar or something similar."

Over 70 per cent of Australians who died last year chose a fire cremation.

"To be able to find a process that replicates what people want out of a cremation but avoid needing to use that level of fossil fuels every single time is pretty staggering," Mr Cripps said.
There are two other companies in Australia that offer a similar service.

We need to talk about death, end-of-life doula says
Australia is heading towards a situation called "peak death", as the baby boomer generation ages.

Rebecca Lyons is an end-of-life doula and independent funeral director.

She wants more people to start planning their own funeral.

A dark-haired woman in colourful geometric dress, glasses and dark lipstick stands next to wooden coffin, looks at camera

Rebecca Lyons says Australians need to have more conversations about end-of-life wishes. (ABC News: Owain Stia-James)

"We need a reminder that talking about death won't kill you, and none of us are getting out of here alive," Ms Lyons said.
"We know that we've had about 169,301 deaths registered in 2019, and [with] the figures that are being modelled at the moment, that could increase by about 156 per cent over the next 25 to 30 years," she said.

Mum's death sparks death doula passion

Photo shows A middle-aged and older woman smile at the camera.A middle-aged and older woman smile at the camera.

When Tracey Wick's mother died in 2019, she put her energy into becoming an end-of-life doula.

"All these people are going to die and not even half of them have done a plan on how they want to die and where they want to die, how they want to be treated. We need to start having these conversations".

Tasmania currently has four different final disposition methods, or ways to treat your body after you die.

These are contemporary burial, flame cremation, natural burial — and now water cremation.

"You can make a funeral whatever it's going to be and it doesn't always have to fit the mould," Ms Lyons said.

More options needed amid 'funeral poverty'

A wooden coffin with chalkboard on top that says 'death in a word'.

A report from Australian Seniors has found people are increasingly considering

the environment during end-of-life planning. (ABC News: Owain Stia-James)

The costs associated with dying have increased by more than 20 per cent since 2019, and more people are considering the environment during end-of-life planning, according to a report by Australian Seniors.

The cost of a burial funeral is much higher than a cremation, increasing from an average of $9,055 in 2019 to $11,039 in 2023, the report says.

Cremation funerals also increased on average during the same period from $6,334 to $8,045.

"Funeral poverty is real and things are becoming prohibitive for people," Ms Lyons said.
"We need options that have a bit of a social justice bend that can be a little cheaper or an alternative so that people don't have to just make a financial choice."

Editor's note 12/8/24: An earlier version of this article described Alluvium as "the first regulator approved water cremation facility in the country". ABC News wishes to clarify that this relates to the company’s approval to recycle liquid waste via TasWater's water treatment infrastructure. There are other Australian companies which are operating legally using different approaches to liquid waste disposal.

POLITICS AND DEATH

THERE ARE NO WORDS

 

MIGHT THERE BE SPACES IN THESE PLACES FOR NATURAL BURIALS

 

NATURAL BURIAL

Natural burials in Tasmania offer an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional burials, promoting natural decomposition and minimizing harm to the environment. This involves burying the deceased in a biodegradable coffin or shroud, without the use of chemical preservatives or disinfectants. Natural burial sites in Tasmania are being developed, including dedicated areas within existing cemeteries or bushland burial sites.

Key aspects of natural burial in Tasmania:

• No chemical preservatives: Bodies are not embalmed or treated with chemicals, allowing for natural decomposition.
• Biodegradable containers: Coffins or shrouds are made from biodegradable materials like wood, bamboo, or fabric. 
• Shallow graves: Graves are typically dug to a shallower depth (around 1 meter) to facilitate decomposition by soil organisms. 
• Natural burial sites: Dedicated areas or bushland burial sites are being established within existing cemeteries. 
• Bushland burials: In Tasmania, bushland burials involve placing ashes or burying the deceased in a natural setting within a bushland area, often with the option of planting a native tree or shrub. 

Council approvals:
Natural burials on private land require approval from the landowner, the local council, and the Director of Public Health.
Specific locations and options in Tasmania:

• Burnie City Council: The Burnie City Council was one of the first in Tasmania to permit natural burials within its cemeteries. 
• Kingborough Council: The Kingborough Council is considering designating a specific area within the North West Bay Cemetery for natural burials. 
• Kingston Cemetery: A bushland burial site exists at the Kingston Cemetery, offering a natural and environmentally sustainable option. 
• Geeveston Public Cemetery: This cemetery in Tasmania is a NDAN Natural Burial Ground. 

Planning a natural burial:

• Contact a funeral director or DEATHdoula DEATHmidwife to assist with planning.
• Consult with the relevant local council and the Director of Public Health for approvals, especially for burials on private land. 
• Consider the specific requirements of the chosen natural burial site. 

PLEASE NOTE: While some Councils "permit" natural burials the discretion afforded to a General Manager (AKA CEO) is inappropriate beyond public health and legal issues and even then their capacity and expertise is challengeable – indeed wide open to challenge. 

GMs/CEOs are not, and should not be, the enforcers of any kind of cultural imperatives nor should they be afforded any form of cultural expression. IF your cultural sensibilities and sensitivities are at odds with your Councils and the Director of Public Health, write to:

• The Minister for Local Govt and the Shadow Minister; and
• The Minister for Health; and
• Your local Mayor and ALL Councillors; and
• Your local State Govt parliamentary members 

If a GM/CEO and/or a Director of Public Health acts as if she/he is a self-appointed arbiter of “appropriateness”– cultural appropriateness – they deserves to be confronted with as many “inappropriate” transgressions as possible. Some things are obvious when it comes to leadership. Leaders have to be a great communicator, have very high integrity and have tremendous perseverance and stamina. Without it they are usurpers that need to be called out!

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Paul Bibby from the Byron Echo says: Have you every thought that, rather than being buried in a fancy lacquered coffin, or contributing to carbon emissions through cremation, you’d prefer to be buried naturally and help to nourish the bushes and trees?

Well this may become a realistic option in the Byron Shire in the next few years.

The bushland cemetery site in the Lismore LGA. Image Lismore Bushland Cemetery

The council will discuss setting the wheels in motion to establish the Shire’s first Natural Burial Ground at tomorrow’s full council meeting (November 28).

A motion put forward by Greens Councillors Michael Lyon and Jeanette Martin, proposes looking for a suitable parcel of council or privately owned land to create a natural burial ground.

‘We are all just the stuff of stars…it’s a shame to waste it by sending it up a chimney or burying it deep in the ground,’ says Diane Hart, a member of the Natural Burial Ground for Byron Shire Community Group.

‘Our bodies are a valuable resource should be returned to the earth to continue the cycle of life.’

Long-term locals may remember that this concept has been discussed within the community for at least two decades.

During this time, natural burial grounds have been established in Lismore and the Gold Coast.

Ms Hart said the latest push for a similar area in the Byron Shire began in 2016 when former Greens councillor Duncan Dey put expressions of interest out to private land owners on behalf of the community.

In 2017 fellow Green and current Mayor Simon Richardson reportedly indicated his support for the idea.

The urgency presented by the challenge of climate change has now brought renewed energy to the project.

‘It has now become apparent that the way our bodies are disposed of has also become a critical point of discussion,’ Ms Hart said.

‘Current cremation and traditional burial practices are unsustainable. This is coupled with the fact that we are running out of space in our cemeteries for traditional burials. Now is not too soon for Council to be seeking better options.’

Cremations .... Currently, about 80 per cent of people in Australia are cremated. Often this is the preferred option because of cost and lack of choice.

However, a normal cremation will produce about 160kg of carbon into the atmosphere according to a report from the South Australian Centennial Park Authority – the majority from burning the coffin, but also other toxic substances such as dioxins and heavy metals like mercury.

Burials ... Cemetery burials potentially have an even greater impact on the environment than cremations. The process of embalming the body involve the use of formaldehyde – a known carcinogen that seeps into groundwater and the atmosphere.

The wooden coffin is usually lacquered, plastic lined and held together with toxic glues.

Furthermore, most modern headstones are made from granite shipped from China. In addition is the added environmental impact of the construction of roads and infrastructure in cemeteries and the ongoing maintenance of the site. (UN study 2007).

Complications ... But setting up a natural burial ground is not without its challenges. As the council staff report accompanying the motion notes, the process of being buried in this way currently requires permission from multiple authorities.

‘A person who wishes to bury the body of a deceased person without a coffin or casket in a general case or in a particular case must seek the approval of the Chief Health Officer or delegates including the Director Health Protection or the Public Health Unit Director or Public Health Officer of the Public Health Unit of the Local Health District,’ the report notes.

‘Wrapping of the body must be in at least four layers of cotton/linen sheeting which is able to prevent the leakage of any body exudates or substances. ‘The body must be contained in a coffin until the body is placed into a grave.’

‘The body of a deceased person who is known or is reasonably believed to be infected with a prescribed infectious disease must be buried in a coffin for public health reasons.’ ‘The body must be prepared in a mortuary registered with the NSW Ministry of Health.’

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PLEASE CONSIDER THIS: Secular administrations have no business in determining cultural norms or how cultural sensitivities and sensibilities are respected. That said, secular administrations, in their role as 'placemakers' need to be mindful of the cultural dynamics in play within their jurisdiction. Clearly there are divisions between the secular cultural paradigms and arguably they are wafer thin, thus navigating a way through and between the mindsets is a fraught pursuit.

Natural burial grounds have enormous potential in providing 'places' what might well be understood as 'ecospaces', that is a space insulated from the aspirations of investment driven 'developers'. Such places afford communities, networks of communities even, opportunities to collaborate and cooperate in the fulfilment community aspirations. In a sense they should and could be musingplaces in the kind of way temples, churches, and museums are.

In a 'world' that has by-and-large become investment driven and thus filled with 'walled off places' – stock exchanges, banks, governments, etc – there is a need for places that are 'wallless' and arguably the languages of the so-called 'developed world' lack a word to describe such places. It is a concept that was grappled with at Southern Cross University circa the late 1990s. A word that gained some currency was 'nudgelbah' and in a kind of way the Cataract Gorge, The Tarkine, and Mt kunanyi might well be standing exemplars for such places.

A KIND WORLD

 

ARE YOU PLANNING TO LEGALLY MOVE A BODY?

IF you are as likely as not you'll be suffering some stress and you may well be grieving too. Be prepared there is a CONGAline of people all too ready to tell you what you have to do, or need to do, or what you are required to do long before they ask you anything ... like how are you for instance ... or, what do you want to do ... or, can I/we help in any way.

Mostly, these people will be bureaucrats (AKA public servants) who see themselves as 'THEauthority' and you simply as 'a subject' to be informed of the rules and regulations that you must comply with. Most often they will be a bureaucratic underling and quite often one who reports to another bureaucratic underling somewhere in a TOPdown structure, and someone who is looking after THEIR job security and thus THEIR income. Mostly, these people have no real interest in your needs and your aspirations, your cultural reality, least of all have any interest as to why you might want to, need to, move a body.

After that, the then need to respectfully, and legally dispose of the mortal remains of a relative, member of a group, whatever needs to be understood. Oftentimes it is not because of bureaucratic imperatives.

Mostly, these people are employed to do what they do is because they lack the qualifications, experience, or whatever to be doing something else, but not always. 

Mostly, these people will not interested in the diversity of belief systems other than their culturally inherited beliefs, sensitivities and sensibilities. 

Mostly, the people all the way up and down the hierarchy they report to have inherited their beliefs etc. If those they advise share their predicament then the advice they offer will be most likely be fit-for-purpose. However, that is not always the case.

On the other hand, if there are two divergent 'cultural sensibilities' and with one presuming to dominate another and moreover is careless about the cultural or social observances in play the situation is ever likely to be loaded with offensive implications – none of which is appropriate or conducive to fostering cultural and social inclusion.

Consider this, a member of 'your group' dies and you share a belief system that suggests that:

• Their body should be respectfully disposed of after certain rituals have been observed; and 
• Taken from one place to another to be buried or cremated in accord with protocols consistent with their beliefs and cultural realities; and that
• The protocols pose no known health risk or cause any legitimate social or cultural disruption; and
• A public servant intervenes to prevent the cultural protocols being observed and without there being any risk to 'the living';

then the public servant is, arguably, acting contrary to the 'public interest' albeit in accord with her/his cultural norms. That it can happen, and indeed does happen, in liberal democratic society that boasts inclusiveness, it indicates that the society's administration and policies, its governance indeed, are at odds with its constituencies'.

However, and there must always be the MINDspace for 'however' there are alternatives to the  heirarcal TOPdown bureaucratic 'system'. There are alternatives indicated HERE [LINK] and they may well add context to what is being advocated in this post.

All that said, the images below have been gleaned via social media as demonstration that in many if not most 'places' the means are available to anyone who has a need to move a deceased person from their place of death to a place that fits the aspirations of the deceased in life as to where and how they might have their remains disposed of respectfully.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGj3ytyJrZc

LINK https://www.pineboxfunerals.ca/blog/shrouding-for-natural-burial-or-cremation

 

LAUNCESTON COMMUNITY HEARSE POSSIBILITIES