I believe that everyone is entitled to a say in what happens to their body after death. The current societal norm is to avoid such conversations and to only accept the mainstream practices of cremation and anti-ecological burials. I would like to see a world where people can be offered more eco-friendly options such as aquamation or natural burials. I think if these conversations become more acceptable, then most people would prefer to choose an option that respects the environment along with their legacy. To achieve this, our government needs to legalize aquamation in our province and funeral homes should start presenting more options to families, such as natural burials.
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Hi Amy, although providing more options to families would open a diversity of choices available to people in terms of death care, what are some ways in order to encourage people to have conversations over death care rather than to remain silent on the topic?
Certainly interesting and a topic that is rarely touched upon. I'll investigate more into aquamation!
Hi Amy, I have the same thoughts. I actually didn't know about aquamation or natural burials because this week's class! And now that I do know, I feel like those are two options I would pursue once I die. I had no idea they were available. Like you said, more people need to be made aware of these options through conversation and acceptance, and more governments need to make this option available to people!
Great ideas Amy. For the funeral industry, while they have many different options to choose from, most of the time they direct customers to the most profitable options, so clients often don't know that alternatives are possible. Government legalization, education, and enforcement are some good ways to tackle this.
I like your vision, choosing sustainable death options is not easy for the general public, traditional burial methods also have a significant environmental impact, they are very resource intensive and the government should provide more opportunities for improvement when looking at the funeral industry.
Hi Amy!
I agree with the points you made! I share your vision and I hope that we can see a future in which conversations regarding death care are no longer considered taboo, people are more aware of the ecological benefits that aquamation or natural burial have over cremation and traditional burial, and that these newer options are made legal around the world
Hi Amy!
I essentially have the same vision and intervention that you proposed here. I also hope aquamation become legalized and eco-friendly death care options become more available. However, I have my doubts that they will destigmatize conversations about death.
During class, I remembered a conversation with my grandfather several years ago. We were visiting the grave of my great-grandmother. When we arrived, we discovered my grandfather had already had his name inscribed on a headstone next to my great-grandmother. He told my other relatives that was where he wanted to be buried. In situations when someone makes it clear how they want their body to be treated, I feel very uncomfortable suggesting they do anything otherwise. Talking about death care in a classroom is one thing, but actually discussing it with your family is something else entirely.